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How to permanently delete your WhatsApp account

This article will show you how to leave WhatsApp for good.
Bradley Flemming
Last Updated on
How to permanently delete your WhatsApp account
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Table of Contents

If you were looking for how to permanently delete your WhatsApp account, we’ve got you covered.

You could be looking to part ways with WhatsApp for a number of reasons, such as shifting to a new app or tired of dealing with glitches. Whatever the case, WhatsApp offers the option to delete your account for good and erase your stored data in a couple of steps.

To that end, we’ve put together this easy-to-follow guide that will walk you through the process of permanently deleting your WhatsApp account for Android and iOS devices. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?

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What happens when you permanently delete your WhatsApp account?

When you decide to permanently delete WhatsApp, the following things will occur:

  • All message history will be deleted.
  • You will be removed from all group chats.
  • Your backups will be deleted.
  • Your phone number will no longer be associated with your account.
  • You will be removed from your friend’s WhatsApp contacts list.

Once you delete your account, it cannot be recovered, and the whole process can take up to 90 days to completely delete all data from their servers. Data shared with other Meta-owned companies will also be deleted.

How To Permanently Delete WhatsApp Account

Deleting WhatsApp is permanent and cannot be reversed, so make sure that you are certain before following the steps below.

Deleting a WhatsApp account for Android

To begin the deletion process on an Android smartphone, complete these steps:

Step

1

Launch WhatsApp

The first thing you need to do is to locate WhatsApp on your mobile phone and open it.

Step

2

Tap on the three dots

After opening WhatsApp, you’ll see three vertical dots in the top right corner.

Tap on those dots, and a list should open with options such as “New group,” “New broadcast,”” and more.

From those options, select “Settings,” which should be at the bottom.

Select settings tab

Step

3

Locate the “Account” option

When you’re in the settings window, you’ll see different options.

Locate the “Account” tab and tap on it to open it up.

Locate the account tab

Step

4

Locate the “Delete account” option

Once you’re in the account settings tab, there should be multiple options to customize your account.

The delete account option should be the last one. Tap on it to open it up.

Select the delete account

Step

5

Enter your details

You should now see a form with different fields. Fill out that form and tap delete account.

After that, select why you’re deleting your account and tap “Delete account.”

Delect account tab

This will delete your Google Drive backup, too, so all data will be lost.

Deleting a WhatsApp account for iOS

To permanently delete your WhatsApp account on iOS/iPhone, complete the following:

Step

1

Launch WhatsApp

Locate the WhatsApp icon on your iOS device and tap on it to open it.

Step

2

Navigate through settings

Once WhatsApp is opened, navigate to the settings tab. From there select Account>Delete My Account.

Step

3

Enter your details to delete your account

This should open another window asking you for your information.

Fill out the form and enter your mobile number in the international format. After that, tap on “Delete My Account” and your account should be deleted.

This will delete your iCloud backup, too, so all data will be lost.

Final Thoughts

This was everything you needed to know about how to permanently delete your WhatsApp account. However, a word of caution: deleting your WhatsApp account will erase all data, such as messages, photos, videos, and even cloud backups. So, be absolutely sure you want to take this step because the erased data can’t be recovered.

If you’re interested in learning more about how WhatsApp works and different fixes, check out the guides below.

About the Author

Bradley Flemming

Bradley is a long time tech enthusiast and gamer, first picking up a controller at the age of 3. Nowadays, he enjoys finding the best deals and helping out fellow enthusiasts. When he's not at the co