WhatsApp users in the UAE & globally can now delete accidental messages

WhatsApp users in the UAE will be delighted to find out that embarrassing or accidental messages can now be deleted before the recipient has had a chance to read it.

Have you ever accidentally sent a regrettable or unintentional message to the wrong group, or wrong person? Well, if you’re quick on the draw (and have the latest version of the app), you can now right your wrong by deleting the message before anyone has the chance to see it, now that the feature has been made available to UAE residents for the first time. 

It’s fair to say we’ve probably all been fooled by the old WhatsApp feature allowing us to delete a message, thinking the other person wouldn’t see it either – but now the new delete function works for UAE residents.

The hook? Users can only delete messages up to seven minutes after it’s sent, and both you and the recipient have to have the latest version of the app. If anyone in your group (or the direct recipient) doesn’t have the latest version, you won’t be able to delete messages – so we still recommend being doubly sure before pressing the send button.

To delete messages you’ll get a new option after you select delete, allowing you to “delete for everyone” instead of just from your own device. While the feature appears to be rolling out, it’s not fully live just yet. WhatsApp does warn that “recipients may see your message before it's deleted or if deletion was not successful,” so it’s not a guarantee. It’s also possible that WhatsApp users will still see messages in notifications before they’re deleted.