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How to Read Deleted Messages on WhatsApp
Edited 3 days ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team
WhatsAppMessagesDeletedToolsCommunicationSocial MediaPrivacyAppsRecovery
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Introduction
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide. It allows users to send text messages, photos, videos, and even voice messages instantly. However, an often frustrating feature is that users can delete messages they have sent. This leads to recipients receiving a "This message was deleted" notification, which can lead to curiosity and frustration. In this guide, we will explore different ways to read deleted messages on WhatsApp.
Understanding how to recover deleted WhatsApp messages
Before diving into the technique of reading deleted messages, it is important to understand how WhatsApp's message deletion feature works. WhatsApp introduced the "Delete for Everyone" feature in 2017, allowing users to delete messages from their own and the recipient's chat history. You have a limited time (about an hour) to delete a message after it is sent. Once deleted, the chat will have "This message was deleted" written in place of the message. However, this system has some nuances and limitations, which some tools and methods can exploit to recover deleted content.
Techniques to read deleted messages
1. Notification history
The easiest way to read deleted messages on WhatsApp is to check your phone's notification history. Whenever a message arrives, your phone generates a notification, which often contains the content of the message. Android users can enable notification history so that these messages can be accessed even after they are deleted.
Steps to enable notification history on Android:
- Go to your device's Settings.
- Navigate to Apps & notifications or Notifications.
- Select Notification Log or Notification History. On some devices, you may need to enable this in Advanced Settings.
- Once enabled, you can access the log to view all past notifications, including deleted WhatsApp messages.
It is important to note that if the notification history is very long or there are many messages coming in at once it might not capture the entire message.
2. Third-party apps
There are many third-party apps designed to monitor and store your notifications, effectively saving WhatsApp messages before they are deleted. One such app is Notification History Log, available on the Google Play Store.
Using the Notification History Log:
- Go to the Google Play Store and download the Notification History Log app.
- Open the app and grant it the necessary permissions to access your notifications.
- Once setup, the app will start keeping a log of all the information, including WhatsApp messages.
- If a message has been deleted, open the Notification History Log app to view the contents of the deleted message.
Be careful when using third-party apps as they often require extensive permissions and can access sensitive information.
3. WhatsApp widget
Another easy way to read deleted WhatsApp messages is to use the WhatsApp widget available on Android devices. Widgets can sometimes capture the content of the message before it is deleted.
Steps to add WhatsApp widget:
- Tap and hold an empty spot on your home screen.
- Select Widgets from the options.
- Find and tap the WhatsApp 4x1 widget.
- Drag the widget to your home screen.
- Once added, the widget will display recent WhatsApp messages, including deleted ones.
The widget method has its limitations and may not be able to consistently capture every deleted message. However, it is a useful trick to keep track of WhatsApp messages on a regular basis.
Advanced technologies
1. Using file managers
WhatsApp creates backup files that may contain message data, including deleted messages. Using a file manager, you can access these backup files and try to recover deleted messages.
Steps to recover messages using File Manager:
- Download and install a file manager app like ES File Explorer.
- Open the file manager and navigate to WhatsApp's database folder:
- Look for files named in the format msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12. These files are daily backups of your chats.
- Copy the latest backup file to a different folder for safekeeping.
- Uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp.
- During setup, choose to restore chat history from backup files.
Internal Storage/WhatsApp/Database
Messages can be restored with this method, including those that were deleted after the last backup was created.
2. WhatsApp modded apps
Modified versions of WhatsApp, often known as "WhatsApp mods", provide additional features not found in the original app. Examples of these mods include GBWhatsApp and YoWhatsApp. These can include features for storing deleted messages. However, using these apps involves risks such as potential malware, privacy violations, and account bans from WhatsApp.
Usage of WhatsApp Mod:
- Download a trusted WhatsApp mod (note the risks involved).
- Uninstall the official WhatsApp app from your device.
- Install WhatsApp Mod and verify your phone number as usual.
- Go to Settings to find the option related to storing deleted messages.
Due to the risks involved in using modded apps, this method is less recommended unless you are fully aware of the potential consequences.
Limitations and risks
Although these methods can help you read deleted messages on WhatsApp, there are some limitations and risks associated with them:
- Notification-based methods can only catch messages that appear as notifications, and they cannot always catch long or multiple closely spaced messages.
- Third-party apps and file managers require extensive permissions and can access sensitive data on your phone, raising privacy concerns.
- Modded WhatsApp applications pose significant security risks and can result in your account being banned from WhatsApp.
- Restoring data from a backup may result in data loss, as recent messages will not be restored after the backup.
Conclusion
There are several methods one can use to read deleted messages on WhatsApp, such as enabling notification history, using a third-party app, using a WhatsApp widget, accessing backup files, and using WhatsApp mods. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as varying degrees of risk and complexity. It is advisable to weigh these factors carefully and choose the method that best suits your needs, while also taking privacy and security aspects into account.
Always remember that respecting the privacy of others is of utmost importance. Although it may be interesting or necessary to read deleted messages, always consider the consequences of doing so. Use these methods responsibly and ethically.
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