WhatsApp Hack: How to read deleted messages

Often it's just an error but, at times, the italicised "This message has been deleted" can't help but pique a curious mind.

It's hard to find any WhatsApp user who has yet to witness the message above, with crowds of calls from blogs and community platforms calling for the Meta-owned company to rid the platform of the function.

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Despite this, if the anxiety that comes with not knowing the contents of the message that was, cannot be beaten, thankfully, there are a few options to lift the veil.

Android and iOS app stores are littered with software that could easily help reveal deleted WhatsApp messages.

There are also other methods that, while they may seem tedious, yield the expected results and could be safer.

Unfortunately, most methods would require having been activated before receiving the deleted message notification, so pick the best method to ensure deleted WhatsApp messages from contacts can be recovered in future.

Android Notifications History

Android WhatsApp users may be glad to know that deleted WhatsApp messages can be recovered without installing third-party apps.

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The only catch is that the function works with Android 11 and above, which, thankfully, most newer devices support.

How to use it:

– Go to "Settings" on your Android smartphone.

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– Select "Apps and Notifications", and after that, "Notifications".

– Find and select "Notification History" and tap the button next to "Use Notification History".

– After completing this same page, the menu will display a log of all notifications received by the device, including the line of text contained in the WhatsApp message before the sender deleted it.

Deleting iOS app

While it might sound risky, reading deleted WhatsApp messages on an iPhone is simple.

However, users must ensure that their WhatsApp messages are backed up to iCloud and can be restored.

How to do it:

– Delete the WhatsApp app from your iPhone and install it again from the App Store.

– Sign back into your account once installed.

– An option will then appear for chats to be restored from the back-up.

– Selecting this option will restore all WhatsApp messages, regardless of whether they were deleted.

Apps for iOS and Android

Both OS app stores feature scores of apps which can recover deleted WhatsApp messages from contacts. However, caution must be practised, particularly with downloads from the Google Play store, with millions of apps ridden with malware that could infect a device.

The apps will also probably come full of ads if not for a paid version, so they can, at times, become difficult to use.