But how does one delete a WhatsApp group? It’s not as easy as pressing the delete button. Why, you ask? Because the delete button doesn’t exist by default in WhatsApp. You need to exit the group first to delete it. Confused? Don’t be. We shall clear all your confusions regarding deleting a WhatsApp group in this post. Whether you are an admin or just a member, by the end of the post you will know how to delete a group permanently.
Delete Group As a Member
If you want to delete a group so that the members cannot interact with each other or in other words, remove it from its root, you need to be the admin of the group. We have covered that below. However, if you are a member of the group who only wants to delete it from their own phone, you can do that too by following the steps. Step 1: Open the WhatsApp group that you want to delete. Tap the top bar that shows group info. Step 2: On the next screen, scroll down and you will find the Exit group option. Tap on it. A pop up will appear asking you to confirm your decision. Tap on Exit. Once you do that, you will see that the group is still visible on your device. It’s because the group hasn’t been actually deleted from your device, you are just not a member of the group anymore. Meaning when you exit the group, you can no longer participate in the group chats. In case you want to remove it from your phone, go to the step 3. Step 3: On the same screen, you will see that the Exit button is now replaced by the Delete group button. Tap on it to delete the group from your phone. A pop up will appear. Tap on Delete. Deleting the group by pressing the Delete button will permanently delete it for you and also remove all the chat history of this group from your phone. However, the group or the group chat won’t be affected for other members. They can still chat. They will simply receive a notification in the group saying that you have left it.
Delete Group As an Admin
As an admin, you are authorized to delete the group from its existence. Meaning, you can permanently delete it so that nobody interacts in it. However, WhatsApp doesn’t provide a direct way to do it. Similar to other members when they exit the group, if you press the Exit button you will simply no longer be a participant but the group will still exist. If there are multiple admins, the admin rights will remain with them. However, if you were the sole admin, WhatsApp will randomly make somebody else the admin. Although you will get the Delete option once you exit the group, it will only remove the group chat history. To delete the group permanently as an admin, follow the steps: Step 1: Open the group that you want to delete for everyone. Tap the top bar to view group members. Step 2: Here comes the interesting part. As an admin, you enjoy the right to remove anyone from the group. You need to use this power and remove each member from the group individually. To do so, just hold the member’s name and hit the Remove button. Step 3: Repeat the step 2 for all the members of the group. Once you have removed everyone, exit the group as shown above. After you exit it, you will get the Delete button. Tap on it to remove the group permanently. This method works irrespective of the device or software. You can use it on Android devices (such as Samsung, OnePlus etc.) and iPhones.
Delete WhatsApp Group Without Admin
If you are not the admin of the group and yet you want to completely remove the group from everyone’s device, we are sorry to inform that it’s not possible. You cannot delete the group permanently without admin’s permission. Only the admin has the right to do so. Of course, you can delete the group just from your own device as mentioned above.
Delete WhatsApp Group Without Leaving
Again, it’s not possible to delete a group without leaving it. Since the delete option isn’t available by default, you need to leave the group first to get the delete button. Only once you exit the group, it’s deletion is possible.
Delete a Group Message
Unfortunately, currently, WhatsApp doesn’t give the admins the right to delete a group message. For instance, if a member sends an inappropriate message in the group, the admin has no power to delete it. The message can be deleted only from the sender’s side using the recently introduced Delete for everyone feature. If the spam messages by the members of a group are bothering you, the restrict group feature can prove quite helpful. Using this feature, you can customize the group in such a way that only the admins can send messages and the members will only be able to read them.
Clear Group Chat
If you only want to clear the group chat from your device without deleting or exiting the group, it’s also possible. Here are the steps to achieve it. Step 1: Open the group chat that you want to clear. Tap the three-dot icon at the top-right corner and select More from the menu. Step 2: Tap on Clear chat. From the pop up that you will get, tap on Clear.
Goodbye Mr. Group
To avoid unnecessary group deletions, our beloved WhatsApp has hidden the delete feature behind the exit button. Since groups are important, even the admin cannot delete the group directly. So be careful while deleting them. And that, my dear friends is the end of the story of how we delete WhatsApp groups.
