Online instant messaging platform WhatsApp has been in news for the last few days after the mobile application updated its privacy policy. Under the new policy, the application made it mandatory for the users to accept the new terms or else their accounts will be deleted.

WhatsApp’s new update, which is set to take effect from February 8, has garnered attention over its new data-sharing laws and some countries have even stayed the new update while some have ordered a probe.

READ | Turkey Suspends New WhatsApp Policy Rules, Opens Investigation

Concerned with the security of their privacy, the new update of the instant messaging platform has led the users to ponder over staying back on the application or to exit it.

If you are looking forward to exiting the application, here are a few steps you need to take before deleting WhatsApp.

Delete WhatsApp Backup Messages

Before deleting the account and application, you should clear the chat backup data from your phone. For that, you need to access the chat history backup files in the saved/sd card/WhatsApp/Databases/folder. You cannot open these folders outside of WhatsApp. In order to delete these files, you will need a file manager.

This is how to delete your backups:

Launch your File Manager.

Tap the WhatsApp folder.

A list of all WhatsApp sub-folders will appear.

Tap and hold the Databases file.

Select Delete.

Here is how to delete your WhatsApp account

After deleting the chat backup comes the final stage to say goodbye to the long-used instant messaging platform. According to WhatsApp, deleting an account is an irreversible process, the process cannot be reverted back.

Here is how to delete a WhatsApp account

Open WhatsApp.

Tap More options > Settings > Account > Delete my account.

Enter your phone number in full international format and tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.

Select a reason for why you're deleting your account in the dropdown.

Tap DELETE MY ACCOUNT.

Deleting your account will:

Delete your account from WhatsApp.

Erase your message history.

Delete you from all of your WhatsApp groups.

Delete your Google Drive backup.