WhatsApp Conversation kept for evidence has gone.

[Autisticbum]

I had something dodgy (illegal) happen with ex-dp and so I had kept the WhatsApp conversation as evidence should it be required but I only screenshotted their responses as I believed mine were safe within the app.

I archived the conversation but didn’t block him. About 6months to a year later I got a strange random message which I left on unread for quite a long time as the event had been quite traumatic and I wasn’t ready to face it or him.

When ex-dp started spreading lies about the incident (creating somewhat of a Streisand effect as I hadn’t told anyone). I went back to my WhatsApp conversation to get a copy of what was actually said - both my messages alongside their messages, only the entire section of conversation I needed had gone, my messages too. The friendly messages that came before it were still there and so was the strange one I’d left on unread after it, just all the incriminating evidence chat between the two of us had gone. It included him admitting to the illegal event.

There was nothing in back up. Everything I’ve read has said this is impossible. It makes no sense that only the needed incriminating section has been deleted but nothing else has. How is this even possible?

Have they been able to hack WhatsApp so that even my messages could be deleted from their end? It wasn’t a group chat just me and him. I’m confused and angry. I should have reported him at the time but just couldn’t and now I have lost the evidence I never can.

Does anyone know if it’s possible to delete an entire section of a conversation including the other persons responses in WhatsApp months after it happened?

@marymungoNminge

only if you’re quick off the mark and delete before the recipient has read the message

That isn't true - you can delete your messages at any point, irrespective of whether someone has read them. But it doesn't help the OP because both her messages and her ex's had gone.

OP. I'm so sorry to hear your story. Don't let this stop you talking to the police if that is what you want to do. They may be able to advise on how to recover them; it does sound really bizarre that just that section has vanished.

When I delete a message there is a little grey message that says 'you deleted this message' - assume there is nothing there like that?

If the message has been deleted there will be a not that they or you deleted the message. OP is there one of those?

I am so so sorry that happened OP, reporting is so hard, don't beat yourself up about it.

There’s a 2 day limit on the ‘Delete for Everyone’ option, this used to be 12 hours and prior to that it was just minutes. So unless he deleted them within a couple of days of sending them then that’s not what happened and his messages would still be there. The ‘delete for me’ option stays as long as the chat is available.

OP I would be slightly concerned that your WhatsApp has been accessed on a computer etc but that can be seen in linked devices. I would also still report, as people have said the police probably have ways to recover deleted messages.