WhatsApp: The message delete function does not always work

the messaging application WhatsApp offers the possibility to its users to rectify the sending of a message or a multimedia file by deleting it. An interesting tool that allows you to retract or correct an error. Unfortunately, it seems that the "Delete for everyone" function does not always work.

Indeed, cybersecurity researcher Shitesh Sachan discovered and told The Hacker News that the users of the application were not all housed in the same brand according to their smartphone. The message or media file deletion tool just would not work completely on the iPhone.

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A tool lying on the iPhone

When a user receives a photo or video on WhatsApp, they are - by default - automatically saved in the Gallery app on Android and in iPhone Roll . By using the email application removal tool, the media file is removed from WhatsApp and Gallery on Android. However, on iPhone, the file is still available from the Camera Roll application.

After noticing the problem, the cybersecurity researcher contacted WhatsApp to understand the root of the fault. The response from the email application was rather surprising since the company said it was not responsible and did not intend to solve the problem immediately. A spokesman for the application said that "the delete feature for all is intended to remove a message and there is no guarantee that the media (or message) will be erased permanently. The implementation [of this feature] is for the presence of the message in WhatsApp ".

In the case of the iPhone, the "Delete for Everyone" tool is partially misleading. For the tool to be fully effective, the option to automatically save media files must be disabled.

To do this, go to the application settings, tab Discussions and disable "Visibility of the media".