How to Log Out of WhatsApp on Your Phone and Linked Devices

Plenty of people assume the only way to step away from WhatsApp on their phone is to delete the app or the whole account. WhatsApp's help centre describes a Log out option for your primary phone, alongside the older way of logging out of WhatsApp Web, the desktop app and other linked devices. They're different jobs, and mixing them up is how people end up logged out of the wrong thing. If you share a computer at work, hand your phone to the kids, or just want a quiet weekend away from customer messages, here's which option to use.

Phone log out vs linked device log out on WhatsApp

What you want	Where to do it	What happens
Step away from WhatsApp on your main phone	Settings, then Account, then Log out	Your chats stay; messages arrive when you log back in
Sign out of WhatsApp Web or desktop from your phone	Linked devices on your phone	That computer is disconnected
Sign out on the computer itself	WhatsApp settings on that computer	Only that device is disconnected
Take the account off this phone entirely	Remove accounts	Chats and media for that account are removed from the device

Log out of WhatsApp on your Android phone

1. Open WhatsApp and tap More options (the three dots).
2. Tap Settings, then Account.
3. Tap Log out, then confirm by tapping Log out again.

Log out of WhatsApp on your iPhone

1. Open WhatsApp and tap your profile picture.
2. Tap Account.
3. Tap Log out, then tap Log out again to confirm.

WhatsApp's iPhone help page adds that if you haven't let WhatsApp use Face ID yet, you can tap Allow at this point so it asks for Face ID when you log back in.

What logging out of WhatsApp on your phone keeps and stops

According to WhatsApp's help page, logging out on your primary phone:

• Keeps your chats, groups, settings and account information for when you return.
• Holds messages people send while you're away and delivers them when you log back in.
• Stops notifications until you log back in.
• Leaves you visible to your contacts. They can still find your profile and message you, and they won't know you're logged out.
• Keeps any linked devices, like WhatsApp Web or WhatsApp Desktop, connected for 14 days.
• Switches to your second account if you have two accounts on the phone.

That last point about linked devices catches people out. If you're logging out because you're worried about a computer, sign that computer out separately using the steps below.

Sign out of WhatsApp Web and desktop from your phone

WhatsApp calls computers, tablets and companion phones linked devices. You can disconnect any of them from your main phone:

1. Open WhatsApp on your primary phone.
2. On Android, tap More options, then Linked devices. On iPhone, tap Settings or your profile picture, then Linked devices.
3. Tap the device you want to remove.
4. Tap Log out (on iPhone, confirm by tapping Log out again).

This is the one I'd use if you've left WhatsApp open on a shared office computer or a hotel business centre PC, because you don't need to be near that computer to do it.

Log out on the WhatsApp Web or desktop computer itself

If you're sitting at the computer, WhatsApp's help centre says to go to WhatsApp Settings on that device and choose Log out, then Log out again to confirm. Menus vary by app version, so on some versions you'll find Settings under a menu icon at the top of the chat list.

If WhatsApp Web keeps dropping out rather than staying signed in, that's a different problem, and I've covered the causes in my guide on why WhatsApp Web stops working.

Getting back into WhatsApp after you log out

1. Open WhatsApp.
2. You'll see your profile photo, name and number. Tap Continue.
3. If you've set up biometrics such as Face ID, verify your identity when asked.

If someone else's name shows up, or you want to use a different number, tap Not you? and register your phone number. If you've turned on two-step verification, WhatsApp says the biometric check counts as the second step.

Removing a WhatsApp account from your phone instead

WhatsApp's help page also lists a Remove accounts option, reached from the same menu. It goes further than logging out: it removes all chats and media for that account from the device. Only use it if you're done with that account on that phone and you've backed up anything you need. If you want the account gone everywhere, that's a full deletion, and my guide on deleting a WhatsApp account explains the difference.

Alternatives to logging out of WhatsApp

• Mute chats or turn off notifications if you just want peace and quiet.
• Use app lock or chat lock if other people use your phone and you want WhatsApp kept private.
• For a business number, consider a separate device for work chats. My guide on using WhatsApp Business on your desktop shows another way to keep work on the computer.

Frequently asked questions

Can you log out of WhatsApp without deleting your account?

Yes. WhatsApp's help centre describes a Log out option on your primary phone under Settings, then Account. Your chats and settings are kept.

Will people know I've logged out of WhatsApp?

No. WhatsApp says your contacts can still find your profile and message you, and they won't know you're logged out.

Do I still get messages while logged out?

They're held for you. WhatsApp says messages received while you're logged out are delivered when you log back in, but notifications stop until then.

Does logging out of my phone log out WhatsApp Web?

Not straight away. WhatsApp's help page says linked devices stay connected for 14 days after you log out, so remove them from Linked devices if you need to.

How do I log out of WhatsApp on a computer I can't reach?

On your phone, open Linked devices, tap that computer and tap Log out.