How to Read Deleted Messages On WhatsApp

WhatsApp is a viral social media messaging service that lets you instantly send messages to friends and family, giving you a seamless experience. To make things better, it added a new feature that enables you to delete messages you send to people.

Messages can be deleted in individual and group chats and are available to all users on Android and iOS.

However, with this new feature comes new consequences, as users are likely to mistakenly delete important messages or become extremely curious to see what the other person deleted.

So, it’s safe to say that this feature has both good and bad sides.

However, regardless of the motion, there are still a few ways to read deleted WhatsApp messages, which I will show you in this article.

Let’s get started.

How to Read Deleted Messages On WhatsApp

Here are several ways you can read deleted messages on Whatsapp.

#1. Recover Via Local Storage

You can read deleted messages on WhatsApp by recovering them through your local storage.

Here’s how to do so.

• Open the file manager on your device.
• Go to Whatsapp, then go to “Database.” The database contains all the WhatsApp backup files that are stored locally (i.e, on your phone)
• Select the ‘msgstore.db.crypt12’ file and long-press it and click on edit name. Now, rename it to ‘msgstore_backup.db.crypt12’. This is to avoid overwriting the file.
• Now, select the most recent backup file and rename it to ‘msgstore.db.crypt12’.
• Then open Google Drive on your phone and tap on the three vertical lines menu at the top right corner.
• Select ‘Backups’ and delete your WhatsApp backup.
• Now, uninstall WhatsApp and re-install it. While installing, you will be asked to restore WhatsApp from a local backup as there’s no cloud backup anymore.
• Select the ‘msgstore.db.crypt12’ file and tap the ‘Restore’ button.

Your messages have been restored from your most recent backup. However, the downside to this method is that it is only applicable to Android users and does not work on iOS.

#2. Recover Through Cloud Backup

Another way to recover your deleted WhatsApp message so that you can read them is by recovering them from the cloud. (i.e, from Google Drive or iCloud)

Here’s how this works.

• Uninstall WhatsApp from your phone
• Then Reinstall WhatsApp and login using the same phone number
• Restore your messages from Google Drive or iCloud by tapping on “Restore” to begin the process.
• All your messages will be restored.

If your messages were deleted after the cloud backup, you cannot restore them.

#3. By Using Third-Party Apps

Another viable option to read deleted messages on WhatsApp is by downloading third-party apps.

Here are some apps you can use to read deleted messages on WhatsApp.

a. WhatsRemoved+ App

WhatsRemoved+ is an application that lets you see deleted messages on WhatsApp. Here’s how it works.

• Download the WhatsRemoved+ app from Google Play Store.
• Ensure you have enough space and a good internet connection.
• Install and accept the terms and conditions
• Give the app access to your phone’s notification. To do this, select “Yes” when the app prompts you.
• The app then asks you to select the applications you want it to save all notifications from.
• To read deleted WhatsApp messages, select WhatsApp and continue.
• The app will then ask you if it should save the files or not. Select the option you prefer
• It will then take you to a page that shows all deleted Whatsapp messages.
• You’re good to go. You can now read all deleted Whatsapp messages.

However, this app works for just Android users only.

b. Notification History App

To use this app, your phone must be running on Android version 4.4 or higher. Here’s how this app works.

• Download and install the Notification History app from Google Play Store
• Open the app and give it access by selecting “Allow” when prompted
• The app will then start recording all your notification history
• To read deleted WhatsApp messages, open the app and tap on “WhatsApp” to see all the notification history of Whatsapp.
• To see a particular message, tap on the contact name or number.

The downsides to using this app are as follows;

• The app can only save the first 100 characters of the message.
• All the stored messages will be deleted once you restart your device
• The app can only retrieve the messages which have generated a notification on your device.

c. Whatsapp Chat Backup

If you have deleted a chat accidentally that you want to recover, you can do so using WhatsApp Chat backup which occurs every night at 2 am provided your data connection is on.

You can decide to change the frequency of the backup to daily, weekly, or monthly.

However, it is advised to leave the backup at 2 am daily as you have better chances of getting back your messages.

To restore deleted WhatsApp chats, follow these procedures

• Uninstall WhatsApp and Install it again from Google Play Store.
• Accept the Terms and Conditions and enter your mobile number along with the country code as requested.
• You will see an option to restore chats from backup. Select the restore option and your Whatsapp chats will be restored.

How to Read Deleted WhatsApp Messages on iOS

Unfortunately, iOS doesn’t offer third-party apps to view deleted WhatsApp messages. Although, there is a workaround to do that using the notifications.

All messages that were deleted after you received a notification will be saved in the notification center. To read the contents of the messages, swipe down notifications. Be careful handling the notification as it will immediately dismiss once it is opened.

This method is conditional so make sure you pay attention to the notifications when opening chats with other users who delete messages often.

Why You Should Still Think Before Sending a WhatsApp Message

You may find it helpful to have the option to delete a WhatsApp message. But this doesn’t mean you can turn off your brain while using the instant messaging service. The other person also has those seven minutes, which are enough. What happens if you send a text message when he cuts off his internet access?

Further, it might be that the recipient isn’t running the version of WhatsApp which supports the delete functionality. In that situation, you won’t be able to undo your sins.

FAQ On How to Read Deleted Messages On Whatsapp

Bottom Line

I hope this article helps you understand how to read a deleted WhatsApp message.

All the best!