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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Lying about a WhatsApp message

104 replies

MurphysColeslaw · 15/09/2026 20:12

If you sent a WhatsApp message which started off ‘Read this carefully, and to the end but then deleted it 8 hours later.
If the recipient then replied ‘I can’t read it if you’ve deleted it’ AIBU to presume they did actually read it and are lying?

OP posts:

Livpool · 15/09/2026 22:01

I wouldn’t read it - I’d think it was a scam and they had been hacked - unless the Mission Impossible theme was playing. Then I would read it.

Livpool · 15/09/2026 22:01

This reply has been withdrawn

Post withdrawn at author's request

MyLimeGuide · 15/09/2026 21:59

Basically, they might have read it, but they might not have read it.

Brummyhelpplease · 15/09/2026 21:56

Really impossible to tell because they may have read it before deleted or they may have read the first two lines on lock screen and then when the went to read it it was deleted hence their reply. For what its worth even with no read receipts and if someone went to airplane mode and read it to pretend they didnt you can go to the arrow and click info and it will tell you if it has actually been read or not. I mean no use now if the message is deleted but before deletion you can tell.

Gazelda · 15/09/2026 21:54

I don’t think you can presume they’re lying.

i think it would be reasonable of you to presume they’re rolled their eyes and decided it was possibly not a good idea to read your message as it was likely to be the start (or escalation) of a row.

Ralstan · 15/09/2026 21:52

Are you in mi6?this message will delete in 8 hours.

You sound like a drama queen or a young teen

SomeOtherUser · 15/09/2026 21:47

As mentioned by PP, they may have read it, but may also have previewed it on their lock screen (which would have shown some but not all of the message, if it was long). Is that a possibility, OP?

BugJuice · 15/09/2026 21:47

If you really wanted them to read it, why did you delete it?

DewDropsAndCobWebs · 15/09/2026 21:46

You didn't, I inferred it by the phrasing, you're assumptions that the recipient would have lied about seeing it, the fact that you had to start the message with telling the person to read it carefully, the fact you deleted the message......

Original poster

MurphysColeslaw · 15/09/2026 21:37

DewDropsAndCobWebs · 15/09/2026 21:29

If you are this much hard work here, with people you haven't fallen out with, I'm going to assume real life you is A LOT, and the 'accidently' missed your message during the time limit you gave them.
Also, why delete shit if you want them to reply/deal with it? That's just making things harder

At what point did I say I’d fallen out with somebody?

OP posts:

DewDropsAndCobWebs · 15/09/2026 21:29

Mumtotornadoes · 15/09/2026 21:23

Id think you were an attention seeking drama queen and not bothered reading it nor replying.

Fieldday26 · 15/09/2026 21:20

Skibididoo · 15/09/2026 20:38

Missing the point completely but you can listen to messages hands free?

Show quote history

Yes, on Apple car play, I just say listen to new messages or listen to new what’s app and it reads them while I’m driving, it then asks me if I would like to reply and I say my reply and it sends it via text

Spangers · 15/09/2026 21:17

What in the drama llama is that kind of messsage?! Unless you’re a spy or a scammer it is just attention seeking surely.

SurferRona · 15/09/2026 21:06

MurphysColeslaw · 15/09/2026 20:30

I’m not asking for your preferred method of communication.
I’m asking if you think their reply might be indicative of the fact they did actually read it before it waxed deleted.
(It would have been a convenient ‘out’ for them)

No, that reply is categorically not indicative that it has been read. Double blue ticks do that. Were they?

Why did you delete it? And then charge this poor sod as using ‘a convenient out’?!!! You created it FFS!!!

You sound v dramatic and haaaaaard work….

Raghnaid · 15/09/2026 21:02

@MurphysColeslaw this is what will show on their screen

Terfedout · 15/09/2026 21:00

MurphysColeslaw · 15/09/2026 20:40

First time on AIBU
fucking last too

Don't you see how bonkers this sounds though? Talking in riddles really doesn't help you either. If you aren't going to be clear on what you actually want, then it's probably not worth bothering to post.

TheSunIsAlwaysThere · 15/09/2026 20:57

I completely disagree. I don't think it means they've read it at all. But there's clearly something you want from this post so what's really going on?

DoloresDelEriba · 15/09/2026 20:54

Duckiewasthefirstniceguy · 15/09/2026 20:41

Based solely on your comments so far, I suspect many of us are already Team Other Person.

Show quote history

Totally 🤣

amraa · 15/09/2026 20:53

God you’re hard work. Don’t delete mssgs if ur then going to start a bloody thread about. How would we know if they read it!

BeKhakiReader · 15/09/2026 20:49

It’s absolutely impossible for us to say whether it has been read or not.

LadySparrow · 15/09/2026 20:46

Why would you send someone something important that you wanted them to read, then delete it?

Morecoffeeneedef · 15/09/2026 20:46

Most likely they saw 'Read this carefully and to the end' and decided to look at it properly later, by which time it had been deleted. You can guess better than we can because you know the person. Are they the sort to immediately focus on a worrying-looking message or more the sort to leave it for a while?

LarryForPrimeMinister · 15/09/2026 20:42

This is so fucking weird, if you want to tell them something then tell them instead of deleting it?

TheBlueKoala · 15/09/2026 20:42

MurphysColeslaw · 15/09/2026 20:40

First time on AIBU
fucking last too

Well, it's not very clear.. I mean people have told you that you can see the first sentence pop up as notification. If the person has read it or not- noone can tell you except that person. Why would they lie and want you to send it again ? How old are you?

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