WhatsApp in October last year rolled out the much sought after feature, ‘Delete for everyone’.
Similar to the concept of self-destructing messages already available on iMessage and other instant messaging applications, ‘delete for everyone’ lets you recall a message sent to a group or a contact. The catch is the feature is available up to seven minutes after sending.
While the seven minute limit is good enough time for you to rethink about your message, but sometimes you may exceed the time-limit. Fortunately, there’s a workaround that lets you delete WhatsApp messages for everyone, even after seven minutes.
And more importantly, the workaround is quite easy and you don’t need to install any third-party application or go through a complex process. So, here’s how to do it.
Step 1
If you have sent a message to a group or a contact, and exceeded the seven minute time-frame, first thing you need to do is disable mobile internet and Wi-Fi on your phone.
Step 2
Now, go to Settings > choose Apps > WhatsApp.
Step 3
Tap on ‘Fore Stop’. Most probably, your phone will give a warning message that doing so will cause the app to misbehave. Ignore that warning. Clear the WhatsApp from the background as well.
Step 4
Here comes the tricky part. Go to Date and Time under Settings. Disable the auto-time and auto-time zone (tap on the toggle buttons). Now, manually enter the time of the WhatsApp message you sent to a group. Check the time mention below the WhatsApp message.
Step 5
Now, go to the WhatsApp, delete the message you sent. The app will still show you the option to “delete for everyone.” Select the option and you’re almost done.
Step 6
Reconnect to the internet. You’ll notice the message has been deleted.