How to close a WhatsApp account when someone dies

WhatsApp is used by around 36 million people in the UK. It is often where close families and friends stay in contact daily – group chats full of photos, voice messages, and shared moments. When someone dies, their WhatsApp account does not disappear. It sits there, visible in contact lists, showing when they were “last seen,” receiving messages from people who may not yet know about the death. For the family, it is one of the digital accounts that quietly needs dealing with.

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, WhatsApp has no memorialisation feature. There is no way to mark the account as belonging to someone who has died. The options are simpler: delete the account now using the phone, or contact WhatsApp to request deletion without device access, or do nothing and let the automatic inactivity deletion run its course.

This guide covers each route, explains what happens to encrypted chat history, how group chats are affected, and what to do if the deceased had a WhatsApp Business account.

Quick reference:

• Contact WhatsApp: whatsapp.com/contact/
• Email support: support@whatsapp.com
• Phone support: None – WhatsApp has no bereavement telephone line
• Documents that may be needed: Death certificate; proof of your relationship to the deceased
• Automatic deletion: Accounts inactive for 120 days are deleted automatically

WhatsApp and the Meta account – what’s the connection

WhatsApp is owned by Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram. But for bereavement purposes, they operate as separate platforms with separate processes. Deleting a WhatsApp account does not delete a Facebook or Instagram account, and vice versa.

This matters because the guidance on the Facebook and Instagram help centres does not cover WhatsApp. If you are dealing with all three, you need to handle each platform independently.

If you are also dealing with a Facebook or Instagram account, see our guides to notifying Facebook when someone dies and notifying Instagram when someone dies.

How to report and delete the account

There are two routes: using the deceased person’s phone, or contacting WhatsApp without device access.

If you have access to their phone

This is the fastest and most straightforward route. WhatsApp account deletion is built into the app itself:

1. Open WhatsApp on the deceased person’s phone
2. Tap Settings (the gear icon, bottom right on iPhone; three dots, top right on Android)
3. Select Account
4. Select Delete my account
5. Enter the phone number in full international format (for a UK number: +44 followed by the number without the leading 0 – for example, +447700123456)
6. Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm

This immediately removes the account from WhatsApp’s servers, exits all group chats, and deletes the local message history on that device. It is permanent and cannot be reversed.

Before you delete: save or export any chat history you want to keep. Once the account is deleted, the conversation history on that device is gone. Voice notes and photos shared in chats may also be on the recipient’s device – but anything stored only on the deceased’s device will be lost.

If you do not have access to their phone

Contact WhatsApp directly. The primary route is via the contact form at whatsapp.com/contact/, or by emailing support@whatsapp.com.

When contacting WhatsApp:

1. State clearly that the account holder has died and you are requesting account deletion
2. Provide the deceased’s phone number in full international format
3. Attach a copy of the death certificate
4. Include documentation showing your relationship or authority – a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or probate documentation if you are acting as executor

WhatsApp may not have a formal dedicated bereavement form, but providing documentation demonstrates that the request is legitimate and is likely to result in the account being closed. The exact timeline for processing is not publicly stated.

The fallback: automatic deletion. If no action is taken, WhatsApp automatically deletes accounts that have been inactive for 120 days. Inactivity means the app has not connected to WhatsApp’s servers during that period. Once deleted, the account is removed from all groups, contacts’ lists, and WhatsApp’s servers.

(Sources: About inactive account deletion – WhatsApp Help Centre, last verified May 2026; whatsapp.com/contact/, last verified May 2026.)

Chat history and encrypted backups

This is the part of WhatsApp bereavement that families find most confusing, and it requires a frank answer.

WhatsApp messages cannot be recovered by WhatsApp. All messages are protected by end-to-end encryption, meaning they are only ever readable on the sender’s and recipient’s devices. WhatsApp itself has no access to the content of messages. Even if you provide a death certificate and a court order, WhatsApp cannot produce someone’s chat history – it simply does not hold it.

What about backups?

WhatsApp allows users to back up their chats to iCloud (iPhone) or Google Drive (Android). Whether you can access those backups depends on two things:

1. Do you have access to the device or the cloud account? Backups stored on iCloud require the deceased’s Apple ID and password. Backups on Google Drive require their Google account credentials. If you can access those accounts, the backup file may be accessible.

2. Was end-to-end encrypted backup switched on? WhatsApp introduced an optional end-to-end encrypted backup feature. If the deceased enabled this, the backup is protected by a password or a 64-digit encryption key that only they knew. WhatsApp cannot provide this key, and neither can Apple or Google. Without it, the backup cannot be opened.

In practical terms: if the deceased did not enable E2EE backup and you can access their iCloud or Google account, there is a good chance the backup is readable. If they did enable E2EE backup and the password is not known, the backup is irretrievable.

The most reliable way to preserve chat history is to export individual conversations before the account is deleted. Any participant in a chat can export the conversation from their own device via More options → Export chat, which saves a text file and optional media. This works for two-person chats and group chats alike.

(Source: End-to-End Encrypted Backups on WhatsApp – WhatsApp Blog, last verified May 2026.)

Group chats

If the deceased was a member – or the sole admin – of WhatsApp groups, those groups continue to function after their death. The deceased’s account remains visible in the group until it is either deleted manually or removed automatically after 120 days of inactivity.

If the deceased was a regular group member

No immediate action is required. Their name will appear in the group, and messages they sent previously remain visible. Once the account is deleted (manually or through inactivity), they are removed from the group.

If the family wants to inform the group, the most practical step is for another group member to send a message notifying people of the death. WhatsApp has no mechanism for sending automated notifications on behalf of a deceased user.

If the deceased was the sole group admin

This is the situation that causes most difficulty. In WhatsApp groups, only admins can add or remove members, change the group name and icon, or adjust settings. If the deceased was the only admin, no existing member can make those changes until a new admin is assigned.

What can happen:

• If there are other admins: any existing admin can promote a new admin at any time via Group Info → Participants → [tap member] → Make group admin. This does not require action from the deceased’s account.
• If there is no other admin: regular members cannot promote anyone. WhatsApp may eventually assign a new admin from existing members after a period of inactivity from the current admin, but the exact timing and criteria are not publicly documented. In the meantime, members can still send and receive messages – they simply cannot make administrative changes.
• If the group has admin-only messaging enabled: this can leave the group unable to send messages at all until a new admin is assigned. In this situation, the most practical solution is often to create a new group and migrate members across.

(Source: How to manage group admins – WhatsApp Help Centre, last verified May 2026.)

WhatsApp Business accounts

WhatsApp Business is a separate app used by small businesses and sole traders to communicate with customers. It includes business profile information (address, hours, catalogue of products or services), and can be linked to payment methods and Meta Business Suite.

If the deceased operated a WhatsApp Business account, there are several things to consider:

Business profile and catalogue: The business profile – name, description, address, product catalogue – remains visible to customers until the account is deleted. If the business is closing, deleting the account removes the profile. If someone else is taking over the business, they will need to create a new WhatsApp Business account with their own phone number, as WhatsApp accounts cannot be transferred between owners.

Customer conversations: Chat history in the Business account is stored locally on the device (and in cloud backups if enabled). It cannot be retrieved from WhatsApp’s servers. If ongoing customer conversations need to be handed over, they should be exported before deletion.

Meta Business Suite: WhatsApp Business can be connected to a Facebook Page via Meta Business Suite. If someone else is taking over the business’s Facebook Page, they should be added as an admin before the WhatsApp Business account is closed. Closing the WhatsApp Business account does not automatically affect the Facebook Page, but the WhatsApp connection from within Business Suite will need to be reconfigured.

WhatsApp Pay: WhatsApp Pay is not currently available in the UK, so there are no payment balances to consider for UK users.

To delete a WhatsApp Business account, the process is the same as for a standard account: via Settings → Account → Delete my account on the device, or by contacting support@whatsapp.com with proof of death and relationship.

Account deletion timeline

Once an account is deleted – by any method – it is removed from all groups, all contacts’ WhatsApp lists, and WhatsApp’s servers. It cannot be restored.

Things to watch out for

Two-factor authentication and linked devices

If the deceased had WhatsApp’s two-step verification enabled (a six-digit PIN set within WhatsApp itself), this does not affect manual deletion via the phone – you are accessing the already-open session on the device rather than logging in fresh. It also should not prevent a support request, since that goes through WhatsApp’s review process rather than account login.

However, if the phone has been factory-reset or WhatsApp has been uninstalled, and you are trying to re-register the number to gain access, two-step verification will require the PIN. Without it, there is a 7-day waiting period before the PIN can be bypassed. In this scenario, it is simpler to contact WhatsApp support with documentation rather than attempting to re-register.

WhatsApp Web and WhatsApp Desktop sessions may remain active for a period after the phone goes offline. If the deceased had WhatsApp open on a laptop or tablet, those sessions will eventually time out, but they may remain accessible for some time. If the family has access to those devices, they can close the session manually via Settings → Linked Devices → log out of each session.

The account remains visible until deleted

Until the account is either deleted or the 120-day inactivity period passes, the deceased’s account continues to appear in contacts’ WhatsApp lists. People may message the number not knowing the person has died. The “last seen” timestamp will update until the account is closed. This is distressing for some families, and it is a reason to consider acting promptly.

Save what matters before deleting

Once an account is deleted, there is no recovery. Before submitting any deletion request:

• Export any conversations you want to keep (from your own device, or from the deceased’s device while you still have access)
• Save photos and videos that are stored in WhatsApp’s media folders on the device
• Note the contact numbers of people in the deceased’s WhatsApp contacts if you do not already have them stored elsewhere

Summary

WhatsApp’s approach to bereavement is minimal by design. There is no memorialisation feature, no legacy contact system, and no way for WhatsApp to retrieve message history on behalf of a family. What you have control over is timing: you can delete the account promptly using the phone, contact WhatsApp with documentation if you do not have device access, or allow the automatic 120-day inactivity deletion to run without intervention.

If the deceased was a WhatsApp group admin, check whether other admins exist who can maintain the group. If they were using WhatsApp Business, export what you need before closing the account.

The key steps:

1. Decide whether to delete now (via phone) or contact WhatsApp support
2. Export any conversations or media you want to preserve, before deletion
3. Check group admin status and take action if the group needs a new admin
4. Handle WhatsApp Business separately if applicable
5. Contact support@whatsapp.com with the death certificate if you need deletion without device access

For a full overview of every account and service to deal with after a bereavement, see our what to do after a death hub. If you are dealing with Facebook or Instagram at the same time, see our guides to notifying Facebook when someone dies and notifying Instagram when someone dies. For handling the Google account tied to an Android phone’s backups, see our guide to notifying Google when someone dies. For Apple and iCloud backups on iPhone, see our guide to notifying Apple when someone dies.