Users around the world send millions of messages daily in popular messengers like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber. In each of these apps, it's possible to delete messages you've previously sent, but not many know how to view their content afterward. In this guide, we'll show you how to read deleted messages in these mobile applications.
How to Delete Messages in WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber
The principle of erasing messages in messengers is roughly the same. Follow these simple steps:
- Select the message you want to delete. Do this by pressing and holding it for a short while.
- Press the trash can icon in the upper right corner of the screen for WhatsApp and Telegram or select the Delete option for Viber.
- To delete the message, use Delete for me in WhatsApp and Viber or Delete in Telegram.
- To erase the message for all users, use the Delete for everyone buttons in WhatsApp, Delete everywhere in Viber, and activate the option Also delete for «Username» in Telegram.
Note that in Telegram, it's not necessary to select the message before deleting it. Simply tap quickly on the screen. A context menu will open, where you need to use the Delete button. Then, follow the third or fourth steps from the list above.
How to Read Deleted Messages in WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber through Notification Log on Android
Please note that this method does not work on all smartphone models. To view deleted messages, follow these steps:
- Open Settings and go to the Notifications section.
- Scroll down and tap on Advanced options,
- Click on the Notification Log item.
- Find WhatsApp, Telegram, or Viber in the list and select the desired messenger.
- Scroll through the list to find the previously deleted message.
Also, in the Notification Log section, the user can independently choose the applications that will save received notifications. In this menu, you need to click on the desired messenger and activate the checkbox at the top of the screen. After its launch, the inscription Enabled will appear.
How to Read Deleted Messages in WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber through Third-Party Apps on Android
One of the most popular ways to read deleted messages. There are many apps on the Play Market, but we recommend using the Activity Launcher program. Install third-party programs at your own risk!
To read deleted messages with its help, follow the steps below:
- Open the Play Market and enter Activity Launcher without quotes in the search.
- Install the Activity Launcher application by developer Adam Szalkowski and launch it.
- After the disclaimer warning appears, press OK to proceed to the application.
- Use the magnifying glass icon in the upper right corner of the screen and enter Notification Log.
- Click on this item, find the notification from the desired application in the list, and open it. The message text will be indicated in the code.
Currently, the Activity Launcher app does not work on Android 11, so as a backup method, use Notification History Log by Argon Dev. However, the program will only be able to display new messages. Install it, grant access to all data, and read all received notifications.
How to Read Deleted Messages in WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber using WhatisRemoved+ on Android
This section provides a backup instruction for reading deleted messages using the WhatisRemoved+ app. Follow these steps:
- Open Play Market and search for WhatisRemoved+ without quotes.
- Install the app from Development Colors and launch it.
- Click the Start button. You may uncheck the option Activate Firebase Crashlytics to prevent the app from collecting analytical data from your smartphone.
- Use the Allow option, and in the window that opens, activate the mark next to the Detect deleted item inscription.
- Check the box for I am aware of the potential risks and take responsibility for all possible consequences and press OK to confirm the action.
- Return to the app and wait for the data to load.
- Select the apps in which you want to remember appearing notifications and press Next.
- If necessary to save deleted files, use the Yes. Save button. To opt-out of this feature, use No.
- Allow data usage and place markers next to folders for saving files. For example, all audio will be placed in Audio, images and videos in Images and Video.
- In the section Startup settings when turning on the phone, press on Setting 1 and Setting 2. Activate the marker for WhatsRemoved+ for the app's auto-launch.
- In the Battery settings section, click on Setting 1 and Setting 2, disable background activity control and battery saving.
- Use the Finish button to confirm all actions performed.
After completing the steps mentioned above, new notifications will be saved in the WhatisRemoved+ app.
How to Read Deleted Messages in WhatsApp and Viber through Backup on Android and iOS
To use this method, you need to set up a backup using the Google Drive cloud service.
Instructions for WhatsApp:
- Open WhatsApp and click on the three dots in the top right corner to display the context menu.
- Click on Settings and go to the Chats section.
- Use the Chat Backup button.
- In the Backup to Google Drive section, set the value to Daily.
- Launch Viber and go to the More section.
- Press Settings and select the Account option.
- Open Backup.
- Click Create Backup and choose Daily.
From this point on, backups will be created for both received and sent messages. To restore them, follow these steps:
- Delete WhatsApp or Viber and reinstall the app before 2:00 AM. This needs to be done at this time because all messages are backed up then. If this step is not completed, it will be impossible to retrieve deleted messages.
- Open the app and log into your account.
- Activate the chat restoration function. After the operation is complete, the user will be able to see all messages, including the deleted ones.