WhatsApp's 'Delete for everyone' option doesn't work for some users
What's the story
WhatsApp has long been providing the option to delete sent messages - a feature that is a real life-saver for most of us. It offers the ability to retract messages we regret sending or those originally meant for someone else. However, in a recent report, a security researcher has suggested that the capability doesn't work for some users. Here's all about it.
Working
'Delete for everyone' removes both text and media files
WhatsApp's 'Delete for everyone' option retracts all kinds of content, be it a simple text message or media file (photo or video). It immediately makes the content inaccessible for the recipient, but application security consultant Shitesh Sachan noted that this is not the case for iPhone users who receive photos, videos in group chats and have the 'Save to Camera Roll' setting enabled.
Issue
Message deleted from thread, not from gallery
The issue affects in such a way that the media file becomes inaccessible in the conversation but remains available in the Camera Roll of the iPhone. Meanwhile, as Mashable reports, the feature works perfectly on Android phones where the messages go away from both the conversation as well as the photo gallery of the users. Now, this is something that many might not know.
Response
WhatsApp says removing photos from storage isn't possible
When Sachan flagged the issue, WhatsApp claimed it doesn't take a guarantee to remove media files from storage and that the action goes beyond the capacity of 'Delete for everyone'. However, the spokesperson did tell Hacker News that the capability is working normally at this stage but they plan on upgrading its working and implementation in the future.
Quote
Here's what the company spokesperson stated
"This feature is working properly, and using the 'Delete for everyone' feature in time will result in media being removed," the spokesperson said. "If user chooses to save images to their camera roll they are stored out of reach of WhatsApp's 'Delete for everyone' feature."
Possibility
No word on planned changes so far
That said, there is no word on how WhatsApp plans to change the 'Delete for everyone' feature in the future. However, over the last few months, the company has added plenty of capabilities into the messaging service, including frequently forwarded labels and a way to share WhatsApp status as Facebook Story. The company has also added 'WhatsApp by Facebook' nametag into the service.