Today, we have access to a plethora of social media apps, each catering to a specific need. While every app has its own set of users and followers, Whatsapp continues to be the most widely used messaging app globally. However, in recent times, it has also been the focus of much criticism because of its end-to-end encryption feature that makes it almost impossible for anyone – including law enforcement agencies – to read conversations unless they give their consent as individuals using the app have access to their personal encryption keys. With more and more users getting aware of the pros and cons of this popular messaging app, you might want to know if you can deactivate your WhatsApp account. But before that, let’s get acquainted with some useful facts about Whatsapp first.
Can You Deactivate Your Whatsapp Account?
Yes. It’s actually pretty easy to deactivate your WhatsApp account. Just go to your account settings and scroll down to the “deactivate my account” section. Tap on “deactivate” and follow the prompts. Your account will be deactivated within 24 hours. If you decide you want to reactivate your account, just log in with the same number and email address you used before and your account will be reactivated.
Why Is Whatsapp So Popular?
- WhatsApp has a user base of more than one billion (1.06 billion) users across the globe, and it is estimated that the number is growing at a rate of about 1 million new users every single day.
- It is available in over 200 countries, making it one of the most widely used apps across the globe.
- It has more than 50 million active users every month, out of which more than 25 million are active daily users.
- The app has been downloaded over 1 billion times since its launch in 2009 till date. When it was first launched, it had only 450 million monthly active users and now, its monthly active user base is over 1 billion!
- WhatsApp was the first app to offer end-to-end encryption features that make conversations almost impossible for anyone – including law enforcement agencies – to read unless they have access to their personal encryption keys as these keys are stored on an individual’s mobile phone device. The only way law enforcement agencies can access messages is if they have the person’s phone number and/or SIM card.
- WhatsApp is a mobile-only app, so it does not offer desktop or browser-based versions of the same.
- It offers a free voice calling feature that enables you to make voice calls to your contacts through an internet connection, but it does not offer a video calling feature like other apps like Skype and Viber do.
Can You Deactivate Your Whatsapp Account?
Whatsapp is a free messaging app
Whatsapp was launched in 2009 and since then, it has been downloaded more than 1 billion times to date. The app is available for download on all major platforms including Windows, Android, iOS, and the web. It supports all types of mobile phones running on Android 2.3 or above, iOS 5 or above, and Windows Phone 8 or above.
Whatsapp is an independent company with no affiliation to any telecom service provider (TSP)
WhatsApp was founded by Jan Koum and Brian Acton in 2009 as an independent entity with its own offices located in California, Brussels, and Kyiv respectively. Since then, it has remained a privately owned company with no association with any telecom service provider (TSP). This means that there are no extra charges for using the app. Moreover, it does not require a data plan if you do not want to use internet services through your phone plan provided by a telco operator.
WhatsApp works on Android, iOS, and Windows platforms
Whatsapp is available for download on all major platforms including Android, iOS, and Windows. Since there are no extra charges for using the app, it can be used without any internet connection. However, if you want to use the app using your mobile data plan or data package provided by a telco operator, then your account will require an internet connection to function properly.
Whatsapp has its own servers which ensure that all communications are encrypted end-to-end (E2EE)
Whatsapp messages are encrypted end-to-end (E2EE) by default from the moment they are sent from one user to another until they reach their destination. This means that even Whatsapp cannot read your messages unless you give them access to your personal encryption keys. Moreover, it does not have any backdoors in place so there is no way for any third party to access the data stored on it.
Whatsapp does not store any message data on its servers
Whatsapp does not store any message data on its servers. Instead, it sends the messages to the recipient’s phone where they are stored until the end of their life cycle. This means that if you delete a message from your phone, then it is automatically deleted from WhatsApp’s servers as well. Therefore, no one can access these messages unless you give them access to your encryption keys which is not possible unless you have given them permission to do so.
Is It Possible To Delete Your Whatsapp Account?
- As mentioned earlier, the purpose of WhatsApp is to communicate with your friends and family. However, you can deactivate your account by going to the Settings page and clicking on Account Settings. From there you will be able to remove your phone number from the list of contacts.
- To permanently delete your account, you will have to go through a verification process that involves using a phone number that is not registered with WhatsApp. The process will take at least 48 hours or more before the account can be deleted completely.
- If you have set up a new phone number for WhatsApp, then it is possible for you to change the settings of your account without deleting it completely. You just need to update the settings and make sure that they are saved in case you wish to use them again in the future.
3 Ways To Dump Whatsapp Forever
Tell Your Friends to Delete You
If you are aware of the fact that there is a ‘WhatsApp deactivate account’ option available on WhatsApp, you can give your friends a call and ask them to deactivate your WhatsApp account. The only drawback with this method is that your friends will have to delete you from their contact lists. And if they don’t, it will be very difficult for other people to find out about your status.
Use WhatsApp Deactivation Tool
The second method involves using the official WhatsApp deactivation tool provided by the app itself. This tool will help you remove all traces of your presence on the app and get rid of all stored data if you are not willing to keep using it anymore. However, this method is only aimed at those who want to completely delete their presence on Whatsapp permanently and not just deactivate their accounts temporarily as in the case of number 1. Once you enter the official tool link provided by Whatsapp, you will be asked to enter your phone number and email address.
Once you have entered your details, you will be directed to a page on the official WhatsApp website that asks for permission to share your information with WhatsApp. Once you have given permission, the tool will be able to take away all of your data from the app and completely remove all traces of your presence. You can then proceed to delete your account from the app itself or in case you want it deactivated permanently, just go back to the Whatsapp app on your mobile device and tap the profile icon located at the top right corner of its interface.
Use WhatsApp Deactivation App
If all else fails and no one is willing or able to help you out by deleting or deactivating their account, then this third method is probably going to be worth trying out as it allows users complete control over their accounts as well as how long they want them active for. The only drawback with this method is that it is completely unofficial and might not be as effective at the end of the day.
Conclusion
Yes, you can deactivate your WhatsApp account. To do this, go to Settings > Account > Deactivate my account. When you deactivate your account, your profile will be hidden from other WhatsApp users and your messages will be deleted. If you decide to reactivate your account, your profile will be restored and all of your messages will be back.
