WhatsApp extends the 'delete for everyone' feature from 7 minutes to over an hour
Andrew O'Hara
WhatsApp has silently rolled out a message deletion feature modification in the latest beta, extending the previous deletion window of seven minutes to a bit over an hour to erase messages either sent in error, or only intended to be displayed for a limited period of time.
The new feature for the chat app originally debuted in October. It allows you to delete a message after you've already sent it, and is a great way to remove a message you had sent on accident or to the wrong messaging thread.
When first released, you originally had seven minutes to delete the sent message. That limit has been increased to an oddly specific one hour, eight minutes, and 16 seconds. The Verge, notes that the timeframe equates to 2^12 seconds.
Since WhatsApp doesn't have an ephemeral messaging feature, this longer delete time could allow these types of conversations to take place. However, WhatsApp has been mum on on the increased time, neither publicly commenting or updating their support documentation.
WhatsApp requires iOS 7 or newer, is free, and requires 155MB of device storage space.
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