There is nothing more annoying than seeing “This message was deleted” on WhatsApp.
Did they say something important? Did they make a mistake? You want to know.
WhatsApp does not have an official button to see deleted messages, but if you are an Android user, there is a simple workaround using your Notification History.
(Note: This method works best on Android 11 and above).
Step 1: Open Your Settings
Go to your mobile phone’s main Settings.
Scroll down and find “Notifications” or “Apps & Notifications”.
Step 2: Find Notification History
Click on “Notification History”.
By default, this might be turned OFF.
Step 3: Turn It ON
Toggle the switch to turn ON Notification History.
Now, your phone will save a log of every notification that comes in, even if the sender deletes it later inside the app.
Step 4: Test It
Ask a friend to send you a message and then immediately delete it for everyone.
- Open WhatsApp -> It says “This message was deleted.”
- Go back to Settings > Notification History.
- You will see the original text saved there!
Important Warning:
This only works for text messages that arrived after you turned this setting on. It cannot recover messages from last week. Turn it on now so you are ready for the future!