WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms at the moment. It is very helpful when it comes to communication, connecting us with friends and family.Ā
However, it is also true that there might be instances when you need to uninstall WhatsApp from your device either for your own peace of mind or any other valid reason you may have.
The issue is, knowing what exactly happens when you remove WhatsApp can be a bit confusing.
What happens to your account, chats, contacts, media files, and settings when you uninstall WhatsApp?
In this blog post, I will explore the key differences between deleting, logging out and uninstalling WhatsApp and what happens to your account, messages, media files, and settings during each process.
Additionally, I will provide step-by-step guides on how to uninstall WhatsApp and restore your account.
Let’s get started!
Difference between uninstalling, deleting and logging out of WhatsApp
Uninstalling WhatsApp
Uninstalling WhatsApp involves removing or deleting the app from your device, but it does not mean deleting your WhatsApp account.
Your account remains intact and connected to the WhatsApp servers. This means you can reinstall the app later or use and access your account with all your data still available.
Logging out of WhatsApp
Logging out of WhatsApp refers to disassociating your account with the WhatsApp app on your respective device. When you log out, you won’t receive messages or notifications connected to your account until you log back in.
Logging out of WhatsApp is useful if you want to temporarily stop using WhatsApp without losing your account and data.
Deleting WhatsApp Account
Deleting WhatsApp is the most drastic step, as it involves deleting all information associated with your WhatsApp account from the WhatsApp servers.
- Your account details such as name, number, settings, and all data will be permanently deleted from all your devices. Your phone number will no longer be associated with the WhatsApp platform.
- You will be removed from all groups that you were part of.
- Your profile picture will be deleted along with the rest of your account information.
- All your chats and messages history will be deleted
- All your Google Drive Whatsapp backups will be deleted.
- Even if you decide to re-register later with the same number, your old WhatsApp details and messages will not be restored. Since your account data was permanently deleted, there won’t be any way to retrieve the previous information.
Recovering your WhatsApp Account
If you’ve merely uninstalled WhatsApp without deleting your account, you can easily recover it by reinstalling the app via the PlayStore.
Your account data will still be there, and you won’t lose any messages or media. Your contacts will show up and you will be able to find messages from your chats.
However, if you deleted your WhatsApp account, WhatsApp provides a grace period of up to 90 days after you place the account deletion request.
During this time, your account data remains on the WhatsApp servers, but it will be scheduled for permanent deletion. After the grace period is over, it becomes impossible to access or recover any WhatsApp data or backups associated with the deleted account.
Re-registering with the same phone number after the grace period has elapsed will not restore your previous account or its data.
Instead, it will be treated as a fresh registration for a new user, and you will have to start from scratch with a new WhatsApp account. This means you won’t have access to your old messages, media files, or other account details.
To avoid losing your data permanently, it’s crucial to back up your WhatsApp chats and media regularly. By creating backups on cloud services like Google Drive (for Android) or iCloud (for iPhone), you can ensure that your data is safe and easily recoverable even if you delete your account or switch devices.
If you’re considering taking a temporary break from WhatsApp, uninstalling the app is a better option than deleting your account. Uninstalling WhatsApp will not lead to any data loss, and you can simply reinstall the app later to resume your conversations right where you left off.
Remember, if you delete your account, you risk losing all your chat history and media files permanently.
What happens when you uninstall WhatsApp
Last seen
When you uninstall WhatsApp, your last seen timestamp won’t update anymore. However, it will not be removed entirely; it will stay the same as when you uninstalled the app.
If your privacy settings allowed other people to see your last seen, they will be able to see the last seen timestamp of when you were last online (exactly before your uninstalled the app).
Old messages
When you make the decision to uninstall WhatsApp from your device, you might wonder what happens to all your old messages.
Well, it depends on whether you backed up your old chats before removing and re-installing WhatsApp.
Uninstalling WhatsApp doesn’t affect your old messages if you created a backup before removing the app either on the cloud (iPhone and Android) or locally on your phone (for Android phones).
When you reinstall the app, it will prompt you to restore a backup. Make sure you choose the option to restore the backup in order to get your chat history back. All your old messages and media files and chats will come back to life. After this, you can resume your conversations.
Note: While your old messages and media are safe during the temporary uninstallation (after backing them up), you wonāt receive the disappearing messages sent to you during that period. Your contacts will only see a single tick on the day you uninstalled the app, indicating that the message was sent but not delivered or read.
Similarly, If you did not back up your old chats, you will not access them again. WhatsApp will open up blank and show no trace of old messages.
New messages
While you have WhatsApp uninstalled, you won’t receive any new messages. They will be queued on the WhatsApp servers until you reinstall and log in again.
Media files on the phone
If you have media files sent or received through WhatsApp, like photos, videos, or voice messages, they will remain on the storage of your phone even after uninstalling the app. However, they won’t be accessible through WhatsApp until you reinstall it.
Chat Groups
Profile Picture
Your profile picture will not be deleted when you uninstall WhatsApp. It will still be visible to your contacts even if you’re not actively using the app.
Settings
Uninstalling WhatsApp will reset all the settings to default. If you reinstall the app later, you’ll need to reconfigure your preferences.
Blocked numbers
Blocking someone on WhatsApp is associated with your account, not the app itself. So, when you uninstall WhatsApp, the blocked contacts will remain blocked, and you’ll need to unblock them manually if you want to communicate with them again.
How to Uninstall Whatsapp
The process of uninstalling WhatsApp is relatively straightforward and may differ slightly depending on your device’s operating system:
Android
- Go to your device’s home screen or app drawer.
- Find the WhatsApp icon and long-press it.
- An Uninstall option will appear on the screen. Tap on it.
- Confirm the uninstallation when prompted.
iPhone (iOS)
- Go to your home screen and find the WhatsApp icon.
- , Press and hold the WhatsApp icon.
- Depending on your iOS version, Tap X or Select Remove App > Delete App to uninstall Whatsapp.
How to back up Whatsapp chats
Backing up your WhatsApp chats is essential to ensure you don’t lose your data, especially if you plan to uninstall or switch devices. The process of backing up chats on WhatsApp differs slightly on various devices such as Android, and iPhone.
You can back up your WhatsApp chats using various methods on your device:
Local Backup (Android)
- Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Tap on the Back up button to create a local backup on your device’s internal storage.\
Google Drive Backup (Android)
- Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Tap on Back up to Google Drive and choose the frequency of backups.
iCloud Backup (iPhone)
- Open WhatsApp, go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup
- Tap Back Up Now to create a backup on iCloud.
- You can also choose the frequency for automatically backing up either Daily, Weekly, or Monthly.
How to restore backup of uninstalled Whatsapp
Android
- After reinstalling WhatsApp, open the app.
- Input your phone number. After verification follow the on-screen instructions.
- WhatsApp will detect a backup and ask if you want to restore it. Tap on Restore
iPhone (iOS)
- After reinstalling WhatsApp, open the app.
- Input your phone number. After verification follow the on-screen instructions.
- WhatsApp will detect a backup and prompt you to restore it. Tap on Restore Chat History
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How to tell if someone uninstalled their Whats App
Determining if someone has uninstalled WhatsApp can be challenging, as WhatsApp doesn’t provide a direct way to check this. However, there are a few signs to look out for:
The contact’s “last seen” timestamp will no longer update.
The contact’s profile picture will disappear or show a default avatar.
You won’t see updates to their online status.
Will I lose everything if I uninstall WhatsApp?
No, if you only uninstall WhatsApp without deleting your account, your data will be retained, and you can access it again after reinstalling the app.
Can I uninstall WhatsApp without losing chats?
Yes, if you uninstall WhatsApp without deleting your account, your chats will be preserved. You can restore them by reinstalling the app.
How to uninstall WhatsApp without losing photos and videos?
Uninstalling WhatsApp will not delete your photos and videos. They will stay on your device, and you can access them even after reinstalling the app.
What happens if I uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp?
If you uninstall and then reinstall WhatsApp without deleting your account, your data will still be there. You can continue using the app as usual with all your chats and media intact.
Can I uninstall and reinstall WhatsApp without losing messages?
It’s challenging to determine if someone uninstalled WhatsApp directly. However, you can look for signs like their “last seen” timestamp not updating, their profile picture disappearing, or no updates to their online status.
How do I uninstall WhatsApp from my phone without deleting it?
If you’ve created a backup before uninstalling WhatsApp, you can restore your chat history and media files during the reinstallation process.
What is the difference between uninstall and delete WhatsApp?
The main difference between uninstalling and deleting WhatsApp lies in what happens to your account and data. When you uninstall WhatsApp from your device, you are simply removing the app itself, but your WhatsApp account and data remain intact. This means you can simply reinstall the app later and access all your chats, contacts, and media files.
But when you delete your WhatsApp account, you are permanently deleting your associated data from the WhatsApp servers. This action is irreversible, and you won’t be able to recover your chats, contacts, or media files unless you have created a backup before deleting the account.
How can I recover my uninstalled WhatsApp?
If you have uninstalled WhatsApp without deleting your account, recovering it is a breeze.
Simply reinstall the WhatsApp app on your device and verify your phone number during the setup process. Your account and all your chats, contacts, and media files will be restored automatically. It’s like picking up where you left off, and you won’t lose any data.
How to restore WhatsApp images and videos after uninstalling WhatsApp?
Restoring WhatsApp images and videos after uninstalling the app is a straightforward process if you have created a backup before uninstalling. When you reinstall WhatsApp and verify your phone number, the app will detect the available backup and prompt you to restore your chat history, including all media files. Just follow the on-screen instructions to complete the restoration, and your images and videos will be back in your chats.
What happens if I mistakenly uninstalled WhatsApp?
If you accidentally uninstalled WhatsApp but did not delete your account, don’t worry! Your WhatsApp account and data are still safe and can be recovered easily. Just reinstall the app, and all your chats, contacts, and media files will be right where you left them.
How do I temporarily disable WhatsApp?
To temporarily disable WhatsApp without uninstalling or deleting your account, you can simply log out of the app or uninstall it from your device.Ā
Note: There is no direct way to log out from WhatsApp but never the less, but you can follow the steps below to log out of WhatsApp
Android
Open WhatsApp and go to Settings.
Tap on Apps and then select WhatsApp from the list of all apps.
Head to Storage
Tap clear data
iPhone (iOS)
Head to Settings > General
Tap on iPhone Storage and then select WhatsApp from the list of apps.
Select Delete App
Deleting Whatsapp will log out of your WhatsApp account from the device.Ā
During this time, you won’t receive messages or notifications until you log back in.
How do I get my WhatsApp messages back after reinstalling?
To get your WhatsApp messages back after reinstalling the app, make sure you have a backup of your chat history on local storage or Google Drive for Android devices and on iCloud for iPhone devices.
During the reinstallation process, WhatsApp will detect the available backup (if any) and ask if you want to restore it. If you choose to restore the backup, all your chats, contacts, and media files will be recovered, and you can continue using WhatsApp with all your data intact.
Conclusion
I have discussed what happens when you delete, log out, or uninstall Whatsapp.
Uninstalling WhatsApp doesn’t necessarily mean losing all your data. If you don’t delete your account, your information remains safe, and you can restore it when you reinstall the app.
By understanding the differences between uninstalling, deleting, and logging out of WhatsApp, you can make informed decisions about managing your account and preserving your precious messages and memories.
Remember to back up your chats regularly, either locally or on cloud services like Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone). This ensures that even if you uninstall or switch devices, you can restore your data and continue enjoying the seamless communication that WhatsApp offers.
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