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How to delete a contact from whatsapp permanently


How to Delete a Contact in WhatsApp

There are many reasons why you might need to update your phone contact list. Sometimes, your contact might change phone numbers. In other cases, you might have simply stopped talking to them. Whatever the reason, you may need to delete a person or business from your contact list.

Although you might be able to delete them from your phone address book, you might have noticed that doing so doesn’t delete the contact from the WhatsApp list. So, how do you delete someone from the WhatsApp contact list?

How To Delete a WhatsApp Contact on a Mobile Device

You can delete someone on WhatsApp through the address book. Follow the instructions below:

  1. In the WhatsApp app, navigate to the Chats tab.
  2. Tap the message bubble icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.
  3. Find the contact you wish to delete and tap it to open the chat.
  4. Tap on the contact’s name, then on the three-dot icon in the upper right corner of the screen.
  5. From the dropdown menu, select View in the address book, then More options.
  6. Tap Delete and confirm.
  7. Go back to the contact list (step 2) and tap the three-dot icon located in the corner of your screen.
  8. Tap Refresh.

What Happens When You Delete a WhatsApp Contact?

When you delete a WhatsApp contact, their name in your chat list is replaced with their phone number. You will still see their profile picture, and your common chat won’t be deleted unless you do so manually. The same applies to WhatsApp groups where both you and the deleted contact are members.

If you delete a chat with the deleted contact, you won’t be able to reach them again unless you can remember their phone number. But, if you still share a group, you can still tap the person’s number in the group member list and call them or write a message. The deleted contact won’t know they’re deleted and can still send you messages.

Additional FAQs

In this section, we’ll answer more questions related to managing contacts on WhatsApp.

How do I add a WhatsApp contact back?

To add a contact on WhatsApp, follow these instructions:

1. In the WhatsApp app, navigate to the Chats tab.

2. Tap the message bubble icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.

3. Tap New Contact.

4. Enter the contact information. Name and phone number are mandatory fields; others are optional.

5. Save the contact by hitting the Checkmark in the upper-righthand corner.

6. Go back to the contact list (step 2) and tap the three-dot icon located in the upper right corner of your screen.

7. Tap Refresh.

How do I block a WhatsApp contact?

Deleting a contact doesn’t stop them from messaging you. To stop someone from contacting you completely, block them. Here’s how to do that:

1. In the WhatsApp app, navigate to the Chats tab.

2. Tap the three-dot icon located in the upper right corner of your screen to expand the dropdown menu.

3. Select Settings.

4. Tap Account under your profile information.

5. Navigate to Privacy.

6. Under Messaging, select Blocked Contacts.

7. Tap the Add in the upper right corner of your screen. It looks like a human silhouette with a plus sign.

8. Find the contact you wish to block from your contact list. Tap their name, and the contact will get blocked instantly.

Optionally, you can block someone right from your chat. Follow the steps below:

1. In the WhatsApp app, navigate to the Chats tab.

2. Tap the message bubble icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.

3. Find the contact you wish to delete and tap their name to open the chat.

4. Tap the contact profile picture or name at the top of your chat.

5. Tap Block at the bottom of the contact information page.

6. Confirm by tapping Block again.

What do I do if my deleted contacts are still showing up in WhatsApp?

One of the most common reasons deleted WhatsApp contacts are still showing on the contact list is that users forget to refresh the list. After deleting a contact, follow the instructions below:

1. In the WhatsApp app, navigate to the Chats tab.

2. Tap the message bubble icon in the bottom right corner of your screen.

3. Tap the three-dot icon located in the upper right corner of your screen.

4. Tap Refresh.

If you delete a person from your phone’s contact list, they will still show up on WhatsApp. Furthermore, if you purchase a new device and sync WhatsApp contacts, all numbers deleted from your phone – but not from WhatsApp – will show up, too. In other words, you may end up with a bunch of numbers you deleted long ago. The solution? Delete people both from your phone contact list and from WhatsApp if you aren’t planning to contact them anymore. These two lists aren’t directly interconnected, so you must manage each one individually.

Does the deleted contact know that they’ve been deleted?

No, WhatsApp contacts won’t know you’ve deleted them. However, they will know if you have blocked them as they won’t be able to send you a message.

Will a deleted contact still be able to send me messages?

Yes. The deleted contact won’t know that they’re deleted, and your number will still be saved in their contact list. Thus, the deleted contact will be able to call you and send messages. The only difference is that you will see their phone number instead of their name. If you wish to stop someone from calling or texting you, block the contact.

Keep Contacts in Order

Now that you know how to delete contacts on WhatsApp, your address book should be free from clutter, such as unused numbers. Remember that contacts deleted from your device can’t sync with WhatsApp. It’s important to delete contacts you’re sure you won’t reach out to anymore on both platforms to avoid having them show up in your address book.

Do you find the fact that contact lists on your device and WhatsApp don’t sync a convenience or a bother? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

How to Delete a WhatsApp Contact on a Mobile Device

  • You can easily delete a WhatsApp contact; however, note that when you delete a contact in WhatsApp, the contact will also be deleted on your phone itself.
  • Another option is to first delete the contact from your phone, which will automatically delete the contact from WhatsApp as well.
  • This story is a part of Business Insider's Guide to WhatsApp.

If you're like pretty much all of us, your phone is probably filled with contacts that you've never called or messaged. 

From that handyman who helped fix your bathroom three summers ago, to that friend who moved away and then fell off the face of the earth in 2014, you've probably been confronted by a dozen or more of these pointless contacts every time you open WhatsApp.

Whether based on disuse or dislike, do yourself a favor and delete any WhatsApp contacts you no longer need.

Here's how to do it.

Check out the products mentioned in this article:
iPhone 11 (From $699.99 at Best Buy)
Samsung Galaxy S10 (From $899.99 at Best Buy)

How to delete a WhatsApp contact

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone or Android device, tap "Chats" and then tap the pencil icon in the top-right corner.

2. Tap on the contact to be deleted, then tap on their name at the top of the screen.

3. Tap the word "Edit" at the top-right corner of the screen.

After you delete a contact, their phone number will replace their names in any existing chats saved in WhatsApp. Steven John/Business Insider

4. Tap "Delete Contact."

Deleting a contact will not block them from messaging you; if you want to block someone on WhatsApp, it's better to block the contact than delete it. Steven John/Business Insider

5. Tap "Delete Contact" in the pop-up window again to confirm.

Another option is to simply delete the unwanted contact from your phone, which will remove them from WhatsApp as well.

 

  • 'Can you use WhatsApp on a computer?': How to download and use WhatsApp's desktop version

  • How to manually add a contact to WhatsApp using your iPhone

  • How to send GIFs on WhatsApp using your iPhone or Android device

  • How to block someone on the WhatsApp iPhone app in 2 different ways

  • How to use WhatsApp on your iPad through a web browser and connected iPhone

Steven John

Freelance Writer

Steven John is a freelance writer living near New York City by way of 12 years in Los Angeles, four in Boston, and the first 18 near DC. When not writing or spending time with his wife and kids, he can occasionally be found climbing mountains. His writing is spread across the web, and his books can be found at www.stevenjohnbooks.com.

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Insider Inc. receives a commission when you buy through our links.

How to delete a contact from WhatsApp: detailed instructions for phones on Android and iOS

Contents the most basic operations in WhatsApp. But due to the peculiarities of synchronization, not everyone knows how to do it correctly. Today we will consider all the nuances of deleting contacts in WhatsApp so that extra names do not annoy your eyes.

Features of deleting contacts in WhatsApp

WhatsApp and phone contact list is automatically synchronized.

This means that every person in your phone book who uses WhatsApp also appears in the messenger's contact list.

And vice versa - if you started chatting with a person in WhatsApp, his phone number will be recorded in your standard "Contacts".

If you delete a person with whom you have previously corresponded in WhatsApp (no matter how - in the messenger application or in the standard "Contacts"), then instead of his name in the chat there will be only a number. He will not be considered one of your contacts, but the dialogue with him will not disappear until you manually delete him.

You don't have to worry that the interlocutor will receive a notification that he was deleted. In fact, such a message would be a breach of confidentiality - no one except you should have access to data about changes to your contact book. However, the interlocutor will no longer receive updates to your status and avatar. If you have a habit of changing them regularly, then the lack of activity can alert a person, and he will understand that you deleted it.

Instructions for Android

To delete a contact both in WhatsApp and in your phone book, you can use the standard tools (open "Address Book", find the desired name, touch "More" and select "Delete"). But if you have a lot of phone numbers recorded (sometimes even with duplicate names), then such a search can be difficult. In this case, it is easier to delete a contact through a conversation with him in WhatsApp:

  1. Find the conversation with the person you want to delete.
Touch the desired chat in the list

Touch More. Select View Contact.

Contact details will be displayed here

Click "More" and select "Open in address book".

This command will redirect us to the standard contacts app

Tap "More" again and select "Delete".

This will remove the contact from both the general list and WhatsApp

Done! Now in a WhatsApp conversation, instead of the name of the interlocutor, you will see only his number. To delete a dialog, touch and hold it until a menu appears. Select Delete Chat. This contact will no longer be displayed either in the list of recorded numbers or in the chat window.

If you select "Clear Chat", then all messages inside the chat will simply be deleted, but the dialogue itself will remain in the list (although it will be empty).

Delete contacts and conversations on iOS

The procedure for iOS is absolutely the same:

  1. Open the chat you need in WhatsApp.
  2. Tap the contact's name at the top of the screen.
  3. Tap Edit in the top right corner. You will be redirected to the contact card in the standard application.
It will not be possible to delete a contact directly in WhatsApp - the application will redirect us to the standard address book

Scroll the page to the end and you will see the red inscription "Delete contact". Touch it.

The button we need is at the very end

Now this number is not in WhatsApp or in the standard "Contacts". However, the chat with him is still preserved. To delete it, swipe left and tap More, then select Delete Chat (red line).

As in Android, "Clear Chat" will only delete the messages inside the conversation, not the conversation itself, so "Delete Chat" must be selected

There is a situation in which deleting a contact will not help to stop communicating with a particular user. For example, if someone writes down your number and starts a chat first, their phone number and contact will automatically appear on your phone. But in the notebook it will not be displayed and it will not be possible to delete it. If you want a person to no longer be able to write to you, there will be only one way out - to block him.

Deleting a WhatsApp contact is the same as deleting it from your regular phone address book. But sometimes it is much easier to find the right person through the chat window.

  • Author: Lina Sergeeva