- You can only delete a WhatsApp group that you created yourself or that you are the admin of.
- WhatsApp groups are a great way to loop a number of people into one conversation, making it easy to share plans, photos, and chat.
- Deleting a WhatsApp group requires you to remove each member one-by-one, and then exit the group yourself.
- This story is a part of Business Insider's Guide to WhatsApp.
WhatsApp is all about bringing people together, and there's no better way to do that than by creating a WhatsApp group. WhatsApp groups make it easy for you to exchange group messages, swap photos, lock in plans, and communicate important information regarding your workplace, school, or community.
But as with all things in life, sometimes there comes a time for a WhatsApp group to go away. Deleting a WhatsApp app group is a multi-step process, but unless it's a massive group, it's not that complicated or time consuming.
Here's how to do it.
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How to delete a WhatsApp group
1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone or Android device and tap "Chats," then tap on the group that you want to delete.
2. Tap the word "Group" at the top of the screen.
Tap "Group." Steven John/Business Insider3. Scroll down and tap on a name in the group, then tap "Remove from Group" then "Remove" to confirm.
You can exit a WhatsApp group created by someone else, though the rest of the group will continue on. Steven John/Business Insider4. Repeat the same removal steps with each group member.
5. Once all members have been removed, choose "Exit Group" yourself.
If you exit a WhatsApp group you created, another participant is chosen at random to become its admin. Steven John/Business Insider6. You will now see the option to "Delete Group." Tap it, then confirm it.
Related coverage from How To Do Everything: Tech:
How to use WhatsApp on your iPad through a web browser and connected iPhone
'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
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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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Is your WhatsApp filled with derelict group chats from 2016? Or, maybe you’ve transferred a chat to Telegram or Signal and want to get rid of your old WhatsApp one.
Whatever your reason, we’ve put together this guide to teach you how to delete a group chat from WhatsApp. Read on to learn how to do it…
How to delete a group on WhatsApp
While deleting a WhatsApp group doesn’t take long, there is an order to doing it.
First, you need to remove any participants from the chat. Next, you’ll want to leave the group yourself. Finally, you can go ahead and delete the chat. You won’t even see the option to delete the chat until everyone’s out of there, meaning you can’t just hit a button and be done with it.
Follow the steps below to learn how to delete a group chat on WhatsApp…
What you’ll need:
- An iOS or Android phone (iPhone 13 used)
- A WhatsApp account
The Short Version
- Open the WhatsApp chat settings
- Kick everyone out of the group
- Leave the group yourself
- Tap Delete Group
- Confirm to delete the group and you’re done!
How to delete a group on WhatsApp
Step
1Open WhatsApp
These steps should work on any iOS or Android smartphone.
Step
2Tap on a group chat
This is the chat you’re going to delete.
Step
3This should be near the bottom of the page.
Step
4Select a participant and tap Remove From Group
You’re going to need to remove everyone from the group before you can delete the chat.
Step
5Tap Remove to kick them out of the chat
Repeat steps 5 and 6 until everyone but yourself has left the group.
Step
6Tap Exit Group
You should only do this when you’re the last person in the group.
Step
7Tap Exit Group again to confirm you want to leave
This will kick you out of the group but you’ll still be able to see the chat settings.
Step
8Tap Delete Group
The option will be in the same spot Exit Group was before you left the group.
Step
9Tap Delete Group again to confirm and delete the group chat permanently
That’s it! You’re group chat is no more. Previous participants will still be able to see the group in their chat list, but they won’t be able to send any further messages.
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Troubleshooting
Can I delete a group chat if I’m not an admin?
You can’t delete chats if you’re not the admin. If you want to be an admin, you’ll either need to make the chat in question or convince an existing admin to add you as admin – which they probably won’t want to do if you’re only doing it so you can delete the chat.
Will I still be able to view the chat after I delete it?
Once you delete the chat, it will disappear from your WhatsApp chats list and the chat history will be erased from your phone. This doesn’t apply to other participants, however, who can continue to see the chat but not send messages in it.