I went in-depth on why I deleted my WhatsApp account and the aftermath. If you missed that Editorial, check it out here and return to this post. While this is ultimately everyone’s decision, and that is the only thing I’m advocating for – make the best decision for you – if you decide to pull the trigger, we go ahead. We recommend you the best WhatsApp alternatives to migrate to, should you choose to do so.
Today we’re going to show you how to delete your WhatsApp account and some prerequisites that I recommend before you do so. Oh, and a friendly warning: deleting the WhatsApp app from your iPhone or Android smartphone won’t delete your Account. It will still be active, only that messages or calls won’t be able to reach you. They will, as soon as you reinstall the app. That doesn’t change that your (and your contacts’) data is still accessible on WhatsApp and Facebook.
Before you delete your WhatsApp account
You can skip these steps if you want, but I recommend you do not.
Download your WhatsApp data.
First, I recommend you go inside WhatsApp, Settings, hit Account, and Request Account Info. This process might take a few business days as WhatsApp needs to compile everything on you and deliver your report.
Once a few days pass, you’ll get a notification that your report is ready. Download, save the “My Account Info.zip” file, and look inside. Inside, among many other things, you’ll find an HTML file with your display picture, phone number, email address, device activity, status, and all your contacts’ phone numbers. That’s everything WhatsApp claims to have on you.
There are also bits about your carrier, device, registration date, and status for your Terms of Service. The zip also contains a JSON file you can read with the same data as the HTML file.
Please note: because of GDPR, the EU data might differ from those delivered in other regions.
Save your WhatsApp media and conversations.
While waiting for your report to be generated, I highly suggest you go through your conversations and save every piece of media (photo, video, voice message, etc.) you might not have yet committed. This is for safety, as the app you’re migrating to might not have WhatsApp data import capabilities.
You can also screenshot conversations if you feel like there’s something worth holding on to visually. If you only care about the plain text version of your discussion, you can hit the three dots on Android (or the name of your contact in the debate on iOS) and select Export chat from the menu. Then it’s up to you whether you want to include media in that chat. And you’re done! Ready for the big step.
How to delete a WhatsApp account on iPhone
Deleting your WhatsApp account on your iPhone (or iOS device) is simple. Follow the steps below if you’re ready to pull the trigger.
Step 1: Launch WhatsApp;
Step 2: Tap Settings on the right end of the bottom button bar;
Step 3: Go to Account;
Step 4: Hit Delete My Account;
Step 5: Enter your phone number, as registered with WhatsApp;
Step 6: Tap the red Delete My Account button.
*The app might ask you to select a reason for your choice to delete your WhatsApp account. Do that!
How to delete a WhatsApp account on Android
The process is pretty straightforward if you are using an Android device and want to delete your WhatsApp account. Just follow the steps below.
Step 1: Launch WhatsApp;
Step 2: Hit the menu button (the three dots) on the top right;
Step 3: Select Settings;
Step 4: Go to Account;
Step 5: Tap Delete My Account;
Step 6: Enter your phone number as registered with WhatsApp;
Step 7: Hit Delete My Account.
*The app might ask you to select a reason for your choice to delete your WhatsApp account. Do that!
What happens after you delete your WhatsApp account
According to WhatsApp, deleting your Accountigger will result in the following actions: obviously, your account Account will be deleted; your message history will be erased; you will be removed from all groups you have previously joined; your Google Drive and iCloud chat backups will also be deleted.
Account note that the messages you send will not be deleted from the receiving party’s end. Beware that it might take 90 days from the moment you delete your account Account process to finalize. You won’t be able to regain access to your Account. WhatsApp may hold on to certain bits related to you. You can read about those by accessing this link.
More on security
If you’re passionate about your privacy and data security (which you should be), ensure you don’t miss a few great reads from our colleague Adam Lein. I recommend you read this, stop being naive about some of these apps, and check out what Adam considers a viable alternative to any of these services.
