This is the only reliable way to see deleted content on an iPhone.
Android offers the most flexibility due to how it handles notification data.
If you haven't cleared your notifications yet, you might still see the snippet of the deleted message in your pull-down Notification Center. 💻 WhatsApp Web & Desktop
They "catch" the message the moment it arrives and save a copy in their own database.
If you have Android 11 or newer, you can often view deleted texts without any extra apps. Go to Settings > Notifications > Notification History . Toggle it On to see a log of incoming messages.