How to delete your WhatsApp account permanently
Steps last checked
How do I delete my WhatsApp account?
On your primary phone go to Settings, then Account, then Delete my account. Enter your number in full international format and confirm. It cannot be done from a linked device, and it cannot be undone.
Uninstalling the app does not delete your account. People keep messaging you, the messages pile up undelivered, and you still appear in everyone's contacts. You must delete from inside the app before uninstalling — and if you have already uninstalled, reinstall and log back in to do it properly.
Export your chats first
WhatsApp deletion is immediate — there is no grace period at all — so the export has to happen first.
- Per chat: open the conversation, tap the contact name, then Export chat. Choose whether to include media.
- Everything: Settings → Account → Request account info, which takes a few days to prepare.
Voice notes and disappearing messages are the usual casualties. Export the conversations that matter individually rather than trusting the bulk request.
Delete your WhatsApp account
It has to be your primary phone. Deletion cannot be done from a linked device — not WhatsApp Web, not a companion tablet, not a second phone. If your primary phone is lost or broken, you will need to restore WhatsApp onto a device first.
- Open WhatsApp on your primary device and go to Settings.
- Tap Account, then Delete my account.
- Enter your phone number in full international format, including the country code — it will not accept it otherwise.
- Tap Delete account.
- Select a reason from the dropdown, then tap Delete account again to confirm.
What deletion removes
- Your message history on your device and your account.
- All your groups: you are removed from every one. Groups you created continue without you.
- Your Google Drive or iCloud backup.
- Your profile photo and About text.
Messages you sent stay on the recipients' phones — that is inherent to how the app works and no setting changes it.
WhatsApp states it may take up to 90 days from the start of the deletion process to remove your information from its systems, and that it cannot restore or transfer chats, documents, media, backups or call history from a deleted account.
Changing phone number instead?
Do not delete. Use Settings → Account → Change number, which migrates your groups and tells your contacts. Deleting and re-registering loses everything and is the single most common WhatsApp mistake.
Common questions
Does uninstalling WhatsApp delete my account?
No. The account stays active and people keep messaging you. Delete from inside the app under Settings → Account → Delete my account before uninstalling.
Can I recover my WhatsApp account after deleting it?
No. Deletion is immediate and irreversible. You can register the same number again, but your message history, groups and backup are gone.
I’m just changing my number — should I delete?
No. Use the Change number feature instead, which keeps your groups and chats and notifies your contacts.