I have read receipts from my WhatsApp to my dead relative.

[SomethingMorethanthis]

I have searched online, and cannot find the answer. Maybe somebody can explain this in a none supernatural, and logical way. My parent died over a year ago, their phone is deactivated, doesn't exist anymore, network informed, it is all completely shut down.
WhatsApp expired where my parent's picture disappeared, as it does when the account goes. I have our WhatsApp chain still on my phone, my parent's phone number ia still in my contacts. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to delete this.

I often send my parent messages, updating them about my life, and expressing my feelings. It sounds absolutely crazy! I know my parent is gone in every way, doesn't exist anymore. I don't believe in ghosts, heaven and believe that there is nothing after death. I send these messages because it helps me. There is obviously now always just one grey tick because these messages will never ever be delivered, or read.

Well today I clicked on info, which I haven't done before. All of the messages have 2 grey ticks for delivered with a little line under where the time usually is, and 2 blue ticks for read with a little line underneath where the time would be as well. On the outside, it has the usual one grey tick as you would expect.

Why is this occurring?

Number allocated to a new user?

They aren't supposed to give dead people's numbers out again, but I bet it does happen. Does this mean who ever has my parent's number (if it has been reallocated) would get my messages? I have no idea, but I need to know why this is happening.

The number has been recycled by the network and is being used by someone else. Because the number is saved in your contacts it will still show as your parent in Whatsapp. To everyone else, it will have the new person's details.

Would someone having that phone number mean they can set up a Whats App and its going to them?

They do re-issue telephone numbers. I used to phone my dead dad on his birthday on his mobile number, which we both know is a bit nuts.. He died 7 years ago. And last year someone answered the phone.

I also wonder if the number has been reallocated.
I’ve have a reallocated number and used to get quite a few messages for the previous owners, less now.
They were iPhone messages and not WhatsApp.

If there's no time underneath then it has neither been delivered or read. The delivered 2 grey ticks and the read 2 blue ticks are subheadings, the time info would appear below if either of them had an update.
Sorry for your loss.

When I ring the number it comes up with "number not valid", dead dialling tone?

They haven't been delivered or read!

If it shows one grey tick on the thread, that's what you would expect. When you click info and it shows the line under two grey ticks and blue ticks, that is because there is no time stamp data to put there - in other words, they haven't been read or deleted.

Because literally everyone that gets a phone uses WhatsApp. And WhatsApp links to your phone number, not to anything else. So yes, whoever has that number now is getting messages from the OP.

Here is an example of delivered, time updated but not yet read...no time updated

Yes of course they re-use numbers. They would have run out of numbers by now if they didn't! They are re-used quite quickly - within a few months.

I had someone contact me obsessively sending texts, voicemails & whatsapps to her dead relative.I informed her that the number was mine & blocked her but she kept finding new numbers to call from. I had to report her to police in the end.

I can't quite understand what you mean, are you able to post a screen grab?

When rang the number comes up "invalid number", with the dead dialling tone. Nobody else has it.

😱

Look, test this by asking someone to turn off their phone, and then send them a WhatsApp. It will show as one grey tick on your phone. Go into info on the message and you will see it is neither delivered nor read so there's a line not a time. Then ask them to switch on their phone and not yet read it. You will get two grey ticks on your message, click into info and you will have a time stamp for delivery but still not for read. Then get them to open it and you will see the time for this.

My deceased father in laws number was used again. I had it saved but had changed it to my mils name as a while ago sometimes she was using it as a back up when bad signal on hers. She had stopped and cancelled the phone, but I forgot I had it saved still. I got confused when she tried to set up WhatsApp on her tablet during COVID (she didn't have a smartphone) and used that number to video call thinking it was the new number as I saw her name and her other phone wasn't on WhatsApp. A stranger answered. It took me ages to work out what had happened. This was quite a few years after his death though.

Most likely now a number on a tablet sim rather than phone so is being used for WhatsApp but not voice calls.

I came on to say this. If the messages had actually been delivered or read there would he a time stamp. In the 'info' setting, the two blue and grey ticks are being used as column headings. So it means:

Message delivered? (two grey ticks):
No (lines rather than time)

Message read? (two blue ticks):
No (lines rather than time)

I hope that helps xx

@WeeOrcadian

The messages haven’t been delivered or read as per previous posters note. They’re just subheadings and if there is no time then they haven’t gone anywhere

sorry for your loss

It’s just showing that if there are two blue ticks it means ‘read’ and two grey ticks mean ‘delivered’

they are just headings unfortunately

This is what they’d look like if read and delivered

No they literally don't. My DM has a phone and no WhatsApp.

I would say it is likely that the number has been recycled, the new owner has download whatsapp, read the message and then promptly blocked you, which is why you cannot phone the number now.

I whatsapped a friend who had moved abroad on her old number by accident and the new owner replied (very aggressively!) and then blocked me!

Thank you to all who have replied. It looks like this is completely normal for the situation, then, without anybody having the number even. I think it should have one grey tick and no blue ticks in the information to mirror the front. It completely confused me today!😂

If my dear parent could see me now, they would say, "Concentrate on your family love, and forget about Whatsapp, I'm gone, and love you forever, get on with your life!"