Many a time you have sent a message to the wrong recipient and had quite some very embarrassing moments. It’s a predicament that WhatsApp users know all too well and one that might save some individuals major headaches, or actually create even more headaches. All depends on which end of the stick one is at.
The message recall feature is still under beta testing and currently being trialed on iOS only at the moment with a version 2.17.1.869.
To revoke a sent message all you do is long press on the desired message or picture and a selection of tabs will open right above the message. Select revoke and you will receive a prompt to confirm if you want to revoke the message. Click Revoke Message and the recipient will never know of it.
According to a test video posted by WABetaInfo you can revoke sent messages, delivered messages and even read messages as shown in the video below.
WhatsApp beta for iOS 2.17.1.869: how revoking messages work. #hidden #whatsappbeta pic.twitter.com/pEfGfZO1gN
— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) December 14, 2016
So for the clumsy this seems like a well deserved break from the embarrassment. However we humans and therefore possibility of elimination of evidence will always have a ready market.
To ensure you always have evidence this will require one to brush up on their screenshot snapping skills and frequent WhatsApp visits. You never know what you might miss.
We know you have a lot to say about this. Give us your views in the comments.
Comments
23 responses
this was Long overdue!!
Aahil
i love you
A very useful tool for criminals to delete evidence! Send the threat then delete it. Brilliant.
Is whatsapp messages submissible in court as valid legal evidence?
Haa maSmall House apinda busy, havachina those saucy pics to blackmail mface kuti arambe achidusa mari
Hahah very neccesary especially in the coming 20″sfebenteen” ??
you jus take screen shots in case valuable messages get deleted
You didnt mention that this revoke option will only be available for a certain period of time after you have sent the message just like what happens with Gmail.
In fact this will only be available if the recipient has not read your message.
So what does this imply when the message has been sent in a group?
I guess this has its positive uses but it also reduces the sense of accountability for ones words. I had been using whatsapp as a trackable means of communication with my old boss, shaming him with direct replies to his previous lies whenever he tried to sell me new ones. Now he can say whatever and just revoke the messages and claim i made them up, screen caps or no.
It will be interesting to see how whatsapp will handle the .db.crypt.xx database files.
By default, whatsapp keep 7 days worth of .db files. These files can be used to restore lost or deleted messages. So if one recall the message after say 2 days, is whatsapp also going to delete it from .db files?
For those who what to keep track of conversation annd keep it as evidence, l suggest you rename the .db files and backup them somewhere safe as well especially if it contains chat message you do not want to loose.
Here is how to check your .db files and rename them for future restore:
1. Download a file manager.
2. In the File Manager, navigate to sdcard/WhatsApp/Databases. If your data is not stored on the SD card, you may see internal storage or main storage instead of sdcard.
3. Rename the backup file you wish to restore from msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 to msgstore.db.crypt12. It is possible that your earlier backup may have been on an earlier protocol, such as crypt9 or crypt10. Do not change the number of the crypt extension.
4. Uninstall WhatsApp.
5. Install WhatsApp.
6. Tap Restore when asked.
Nice! I can’t wait.
Wait
That’s gud to use it,so tel me how I can use it on my WhatsApp,tel me the steps I should take to make it on my WhatsApp pliz.
its still being tested on iPhone, not yet released to public
hi
sharvin
juma
Hlw pole he r u over there
Please quicken it up. I have a couple of messages to revoke
A spamming update of whatsapp also going to be introduced maybe its next or next to next update. I read in an article that spamming on whatsapp can be detect your account and then whatsapp can read your all messages even accounts. Means it could be a privacy concern for the spammy accounts. Clearly, they say it will use some metrices to find a spam account and then acts on it accordingly.
You guys can read the article here – http://www.whatafuture.com/spamming-on-whatsapp-threaten-privacy/