Meta is rolling out an important privacy tweak in WhatsApp to ensure any messages you’ve deleted are also removed from quoted replies for all chat participants.
WABetaInfo spotted the future in WhatsApp for iOS v25.12.73. There’s no dedicated toggle; it works on autopilot to ensure the original message that has been deleted for all participants in a chat is automatically removed from quoted replies.
This privacy change is rolling out to some users and will become more widely available in the coming weeks. To ensure you’r running the latest version of the app, open WhatsApp’s App Store page and hit “Update.”
WhatsApp privacy change: Deleted messages are automatically removed from quoted replies
“Keeping the quoted message visible after deletion could undermine this intention, as it still mentions details of the message that the user has opted to erase,” notes WABetInfo. “The new update aims to address this issue by removing the quoted message from the conversation entirely when its related message is deleted.”
WhatsApp has a strong set of privacy-focused features, but it’s always bothered me that a deleted message continues to be available in a quoted reply. If I send you a text and you quote it in your reply, there’s nothing I can do about it, even if I delete the original message for both you and me. This update fixes this privacy leak.
As the site notes, this is especially important in group chats or community conversations, where multiple people reply to the same message.
“If one participant deletes their message, they likely do so for privacy or personal reasons, and the quoted reply should not continue to reference it,” it notes. “By removing the quoted message along with the original, WhatsApp aims to provide users with a more secure chat experience since it ensures that no trace of the deleted content remains visible in the conversation.”
I know quoted replies truncate the original message, but that’s beyond the point—exposing even a part of a deleted message is unacceptable from a user expectation standpoint. Deleting a sent message comes with the expectation that it will be truly removed from all places, including quoted replies. I’m glad WhatsApp has refined the privacy aspects of conversations to address this problem.
New WhatsApp features in development
Meta continues to invest in the development of new WhatsApp features. The company recently released updates adding a native interface on the iPad and the ability to use voice chat in group conversations (swipe up in a group chat).
Meta is also actively working on more than a dozen new features, including AI wallpapers, message summarization and new privacy controls. It’s also rumored to be developing a native Instagram iPad app optimized for the tablet’s larger display.