Undo deleted messages in WhatsApp: Here’s how

WhatsApp’s “Undo Delete” feature is a lifesaver if you’ve accidentally deleted a message for yourself. Here’s how to use it:

1. Open the chat where you deleted the message.
2. Tap and hold on the deleted message.
3. If you deleted the message for yourself (by selecting “Delete for me”), you’ll see a banner at the bottom with an “Undo” button. Tap it to restore the message.

After undoing the deletion, you can choose to keep the message or delete it for everyone. Just tap and hold the message again and select “Delete for everyone”. A few important things to note:

• You only have about 5 seconds to tap “Undo” before the option disappears.
• This method only works for messages you just deleted. You can’t undo deletions from earlier conversations.
• It restores messages you deleted for yourself, but not ones you deleted for everyone.

Recovering Deleted Messages Without Undo

If you don’t have the “Undo” option or want to recover older deleted messages, you’ll need to rely on backups. Here’s how:

For iPhone:

1. Check your iCloud backup in WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup to ensure it’s up-to-date.
2. Delete WhatsApp and reinstall it from the App Store.
3. During setup, select “Restore Chat History” from iCloud to recover your backed up messages.

For Android:

1. Check your Google Drive backup in WhatsApp Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
2. Delete WhatsApp and reinstall it
3. Set up WhatsApp with the same number and account. It will detect the Google Drive backup and restore your message

So in summary, the “Undo Delete” feature is handy for quick recoveries, but for more comprehensive restoration, you’ll need to rely on your WhatsApp backups. Make sure to set up regular backups to Google Drive or iCloud to avoid losing important messages.