Thanks to this quick guide you’ll learn how to delete a WhatsApp contact on your mobile device (iPhone and Android).
Hi, your best friend Frankie Caruso is speaking. If you’re here, it’s because you – just like me – have been losing your mind looking for a way to delete a contact from WhatsApp.
Luckily, I can help you out.
You might find that there are several reasons that you want to delete a contact and cut ties through the WhatsApp application. Perhaps you have encountered an unknown contact, someone that appears to be sending you spam messages, or worse a friend that you have to isolate yourself from.
While it might seem like a simple concept, many people are not aware of how to get rid of a contact forever. This means that they can no longer see your online access, your profile information or contact us in any way through the app. We want them gone.
Many people are under the impression that deleting a WhatsApp contact is the same as getting rid of their number from the phone book, but this is not the case.
This will not solve the problems that you might be having as this individual can still see your online activity. They can still send you messages, see your status and access your profile information.
In order to successfully and completely remove any contact you have from WhatsApp is to block the user.
By doing this, you are cutting them off from being able to send you messages, see your online status, or any information (including your picture) from your profile.
- There is no option to delete a contact from WhatsApp while not also deleting it from the phone’s contacts list.
- Your deleted contacts will still be able to view your Status, your profile picture and your last login and, most importantly, send you messages. The only way you can delete all traces of you from their phone too is to block them and then delete the number from your contacts list.
Frankie’s Take:
Remember that besides deleting a contact, you can also report as spam. I discuss it in my article.
How to delete a contact from WhatsApp on iPhone
Follow these steps and you will have no problem to delete a WhatsApp contact permanently.
- Open WhatsApp and find the contact you want to delete
- Once you find them, you have to block them on WhatsApp (this way they will no longer be able to write you messages, see your Status updates and your Last Active status). Click on the contact’s name > scroll to the end of the screen and click Block Contact > Block
- Now click on Edit (upper-right corner)
- Tap Delete Contact at the bottom of the Edit Contact tab to delete the contact from both WhatsApp and your iPhone’s contact list.
How to delete a contact from WhatsApp on Android device
The process may vary slightly depending on your Android device model. For this tutorial, I used a Samsung S21.
Proceed as follows:
- Launch WhatsApp and open the chat with the contact you want to delete.
- Now you can block then so that they won’t be able to write you or see your Stories anymore. Tap the name of the contact at the top of the screen, click on Block and then Block.
- Now tap More options > View in address book.
- Click on the three vertical dots > Delete to delete them both from WhatsApp and your device’s contacts.
Will the deleted contact know they have been deleted from my phone?
The answer is no. WhatsApp does not send any kind of notification that you have been deleted. However, the deleted person can get suspicious and use some techniques to figure out if you have been blocked and deleted or not. I tell you about it in this my guide: how to know if someone blocked you on WhatsApp.
Is it possible remove a contact from WhatsApp but not in the address book?
As said several times throughout this tutorial, it is not possible. Maybe in the future WhatsApp will implement this feature, but to date there is no news about it.
Conclusion
I hope the information included this guide on how to delete someone from WhatsApp has been helpful.
Before parting ways, here’s a quick recap: to delete a WhatsApp contact permanently you must first block and then delete them. Blocking someone on WhatsApp prevents the “victim” from accessing your information (Status and Last Seen) and from sending you messages.
I suggest you read my guide to better understand what happens when you block a contact (or number) on WhatsApp.
Should you have any doubts or questions, or have found an alternative method and want to share it with me comment on the post or contact me on my Instagram profile.
Love,
Frankie Caruso
Hello there. A very good friend of mine blocked me on WhatsApp for no apparent reason. The question I have the number he has blocked me is on one phone. The other phone I can still see his DP picture. Can he still know that am able to see his online status on my other phone. Its 2 different numbers. And also I have been trying to send him messages on my phone number he’s blocked me. Its showing 1 grey tick. I have read somewhere that the person who has blocked you even if 1 grey tick is showing can still read your message if they turn to flight mode. Please help
Hi
I have deleted this number from my phone, blocked from whatsapp, but when I go under the view address contact which I am suppose to see delete it doesn’t appear but I have tried for other contacts and is succeeding. So what is the problem with this particular contact?
I break up with my bf..and i want to cut ties .first i delete his number on my phone.then delete my whatsapp acct..then later on i activated my whatsapp acct again.will he still be able to see me on his whatsapp acct?
If i change watsap number will my block contacts get my new number ?
Hi Abja, no 😉
I did what was taught! Still, it is still on blocked list! For iPhone, I tried many times. I can block and delete from phone list but I cannot delete it from blocked list without unblocking! I just want it to be removed completely from my life. Can someone help? 🙁
Hi,
I know if I delete the blocked person in WhatsApp they will be able to contact me , I don’t really don’t want to see the profile image either can this be deleted/hidden?
Thanks
M
Hi Fleur, if you don’t want to have anything to do with this contact, other than blocking it on WhatsApp, you need to block it from the phone contact 😉
I have the same issue. Have you been able to delete it completely . I want it gone from everywhere .
Hello Jose,
Your contacts can see that you’ve installed WhatsApp if they try to send you a message through the app but they won’t be automatically notified. Don’t worry they can’t see who you have on your contact list 😉
Ok so here goes some personal drama, my husband cheated a few years ago, but is no longer cheating or looking for the lady. She however is still looking for him. I have her number blocked in the auto reject list, I have her blocked through the mobile family allowances, and she still was able to connect with my husband through what’s app. I did not want to put her name back in my husbands phone so I put her number under a different contact name that he never uses and then blocked the contact on what’s app. My question is if I now delete that contact from the phone will she still stay blocked on whats app? ? Please help me.
Hi Tommie, unfortunately, to block a WhatsApp contact the phone number must be saved on the phone. If you delete it, she will be able to connect with your husband again.
Hai
🙂
Please help hiding/removing the blocked list permanently I no longer wish to see them even in the blocked list.
Unfortunately, there is no way to hide or remove the blocked list. If you don’t want to see a certain name there, I suggest to put him/her under a different contact name
Thank you very much for writing this detailed article, which is very helpful to new people like me. My query was about permanent deletion of blocked contacts from my android phone. I use Micromax Canvas Nitro A311 and I tried according to the process explained above. However I could not find the Menu>View in my phone. Instead I found ‘More’ > ‘Clear chat’ options. By clicking on this option (Clear chat), the blocked contacts disappeared from my list. You may use this information to help others who may be using a similar phone version.
🙂 thank you very much for the useful information. Unfortunately, Android menu changes in different devices. I’m sure that your comment will be helpful for other users with the same phone.