Group chats and individual chats work differently in WhatsApp. While you can block and report someone on WhatsApp, you cannot block a group. You can only exit a WhatsApp group though you can still report it. So how do you report and exit a WhatsApp group and what happens when you do so is what we will cover today.
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How to Exit and Report WhatsApp Group
It may be your neighbor watch group or that local gym group you want nothing to do with. Either way, you can now exit the group and if the content is questionable, you can report it too. Here’s how:
1. Open the WhatsApp group that you want to leave and tap on the group name at the top of the screen. Now scroll down towards the bottom to find the Exit Group and Report Group options.
2. If you select Exit Group, you will be removed from the group immediately. Nothing else. If you choose Report Group, you get two options — Report or Report and Exit.
Choose an option and you will be exited from the WhatsApp group. So what really happens when you exit a WhatsApp group or what happens when you report or report and exit a WhatsApp group? Let’s dive in.
If you aren’t sure about WhatsApp’s UI, here a guide on what icons and symbols mean in the app.
What Happens When You Exit Group
When you exit a WhatsApp group, you will be removed from the group immediately. You will no longer receive notifications, or can’t even see who else is in the group. You can’t send or receive messages or files once exiting the group.
Can You See Messages After Leaving WhatsApp Group
No. You can’t view new messages, attachments, or even who else was added or left the group after you did.
Note that all previous messages and attachments will be available to you until you delete the chat itself. Useful if you want to take backups.
Do WhatsApp Group Members Receive Exit Notification
No. The other remaining members of the group will see a message that says X Left. They will however receive no notification of any member leaving the group. If the group is fairly active, the Left message may get buried which is why many times, members don’t know when someone leaves.
It is rumored that WhatsApp is working on a feature which will allow users to silently leave WhatsApp groups. Only you and the admins will be notified of members leaving the group.
How to Rejoin a WhatsApp Group After Leaving
You can be readded to the group, but only by the group admin. WhatsApp allows groups to have more than one admin so anyone of them may add you back to the WhatsApp group. You may request the group admin via DM if you feel it was an error or mistake.
Any Way to Stop Someone From Adding You to Group
No, there is no way to stop someone from adding you to a WhatsApp group you just left. That’s because there is no block function available. However, blocking the admin of the group may prevent him/her from adding. But that’s a bit extreme step so make sure you want to go that way.
Difference Between Exiting Group and Clear Chat
When you clear chat of a group, you are still a member of the group. You will simply lose old chat history, files and attachments, updates, and other activities of the group. The moment someone sends a new message, the group will reappear on your timeline and you will receive a notification.
When you exit a WhatsApp group, you are no longer part of the group. So you will no longer receive messages, notification etc. from the group. You can however continue to access old chat history as we noted earlier.
Difference Between Exiting and Deleting Group
We noted what happens when you exit a WhatsApp group above. Anyone can do it. However, only a WhatsApp admin can truly delete a WhatsApp group. To delete a group, the admin will have to first remove each and every member from the group. Then the admin will tap on Exit Group and then Delete Group.
If the admin deletes the group, each and every member loses access to the group. No one can send new messages however they can access all old messages sent in the group.
If you are deleting the group as a member and not as an admin, then it will disappear from your chat history. None of the other members of the group will be affected. You will also lose access to old chat history.
What Happens When You Report a WhatsApp Group
As noted above, when you report a group, you get two options. You can report or report and exit the group. When you report a group, WhatsApp will receive the last 5 messages from the group reported.
If you report and exit the WhatsApp group, again, the last 5 messages from the group will be forwarded to WhatsApp but in addition, you will exit the group. All chat history will also be deleted from your device which doesn’t happen when you simply leave the group. Because you are reporting and exiting the group, WhatsApp assumes that the content is questionable and you want no part in it.
Will Members Be Notified If I Report WhatsApp Group
No. No one will be notified if you report and exit a group. However, we caution on using the report function only when you find adult, violent, racist, or otherwise harmful content in the WhatsApp group. Otherwise, simply exit the group if you don’t want to partake in the conversation.
What Will WhatsApp Do If Group Is Reported
WhatsApp may choose to delete the WhatsApp group reported if they feel the content doesn’t follow their content guidelines. They may also ban the members sending such messages or even the admin from using WhatsApp in the future. However, it is solely at WhatsApp discretion and there is nothing anyone can do once the group is reported.
Exit or Report a WhatsApp Group
Exit is the right move for most users who want to leave the group because too many notifications or spam. You can also mute WhatsApp group if you don’t want to be notified of the messages and updates but don’t want to leave the group either.
Reporting a WhatsApp is a drastic measure that should be resorted to only when the content or messages being shared on the group raises eyebrows. You know such things must not be discussed.
If you are concerned about WhatsApp, you should learn more about the app’s privacy and security features.
