When you archive a chat on WhatsApp, you stop receiving notifications and the chat is removed from your Chats tab. However, archiving a chat does not delete it and you can still find archived chats by going to Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
What happens when you archive a chat?
Archiving a chat removes it from your main Chats tab and mutes notifications, but does not delete any of the messages. Archived chats will remain on your phone and you can access them any time by going to Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
Some key things to know about archived chats:
- You will stop receiving notifications from an archived chat.
- The chat will no longer show up in your Chats tab or search results.
- All messages remain saved in the archived chat.
- You can still find and open archived chats in Settings.
- Archived chats do not count towards your Chats tab unread message counter.
In summary, archiving removes the chat from view but does not delete any messages. The chat and its message history remains saved on your device or in your cloud backup if you have that enabled.
Can you still receive new messages in an archived chat?
Yes, you can still receive new incoming messages in an archived chat on WhatsApp. When someone sends you a new message in an archived chat:
- You will not get any sound, vibration or popup notification.
- A new message indicator will appear in Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
- Once you open the archived chat, you can see and read the new messages.
- The chat will stay archived unless you unarchive it.
So while you won’t get notifications for new messages, they will be delivered to archived chats as usual. You just need to manually open the archived chat to view them.
Should you keep important chats archived?
It’s not recommended to keep archived chats with important contacts or groups as you won’t receive notifications from them. Important conversations are best kept unarchived in your Chats tab.
Reasons you may want to avoid archiving important chats:
- You could miss time sensitive messages from important contacts.
- Have to remember to manually check archived chats for new messages.
- Chats you need to reference often are harder to find when archived.
- No notifications for messages you need to respond to quickly.
If there are certain contacts you always want notifications from, it’s best to leave those chats unarchived. You can use WhatsApp’s mute functionality instead to silence non-priority chats.
When is archiving chats useful?
Archiving chats can be useful in a few situations:
- Less active chats – Archiving chats you have infrequently can declutter your Chats tab.
- Group notifications – Mute group notifications temporarily by archiving.
- Finished conversations – Archive closed chat threads you want to keep.
- Spammers – Archive suspected spam chats to mute notifications.
In these situations, archiving removes clutter while still preserving chat history and the ability to receive messages if needed.
How to unarchive a chat
If you want to resume getting notifications from an archived chat, you can easily unarchive it:
- Go to Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
- Tap and hold on the chat you want to unarchive.
- Select Unarchive from the menu that appears.
This will move the chat back to your Chats tab and re-enable notifications. You can also unarchive a chat directly from the archived chats list by tapping on it.
How to permanently delete archived chats
If you no longer need the message history, you can choose to permanently delete archived WhatsApp chats:
- Go to Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
- Tap and hold on the chat you want to delete.
- Select Delete from the menu.
- Confirm deletion in the popup dialog.
Deleted chats will be permanently removed along with their message history. This action cannot be undone.
Alternatively, you can:
- Open the archived chat, tap the menu button and choose Delete chat.
- Delete all archived chats at once with Clear All Chats in Settings.
Conclusion
To summarize:
- Archived WhatsApp chats can still receive new incoming messages.
- You won’t get notifications for new messages in archived chats.
- Important conversations should be kept unarchived to avoid missing messages.
- Archiving is useful for muting temporarily inactive chats.
- You can unarchive a chat anytime to resume notifications.
So archiving allows you to mute chats rather than deleting them. While inconvenient for critical chats, it provides a way to reduce clutter and distractions when needed.
Summary in a table:
| Action | Effect on Archived Chat |
|---|---|
| New incoming message | Saved in chat, no notification shown |
| Send outgoing message | Sent as usual |
| Unarchive chat | Appears in Chats, notifications resume |
| Delete chat | Permanently removed |
When to archive versus mute chats:
| Factor | Archive | Mute |
|---|---|---|
| Notifications blocked | Yes | Yes |
| Removed from Chats list | Yes | No |
| Can receive messages | Yes | Yes |
| Message history preserved | Yes | Yes |
| Good for less important chats | Yes | Yes |
| Good for important alerts | No | Yes |
In summary, archiving removes the chat from view while mute allows you to keep it visible but silent. Mute important chats, archive ones you access infrequently.
Other WhatsApp chat management tips
In addition to archiving chats, there are a few other useful chat management features in WhatsApp:
- Pin chats – Pin up to 3 chats to the top of your Chats tab for quick access.
- Mute chats – Mute to turn off notifications but keep chat unarchived.
- Mark as read – Mark all chats as read to clear unread message counters.
- Delete chats – Permanently delete chat histories you no longer need.
- Back up chats – Create Google Drive backups to restore chats if needed.
Take advantage of these features to keep your chats organized and manage conversations efficiently based on their priority.
Conclusion
Archiving chats in WhatsApp allows you to effectively mute conversations while still retaining message history. While you won’t get notifications for new messages in archived chats, they can still be delivered and viewed when accessed. Important chats are best left unarchived, while archiving can help reduce noise from less critical conversations.
Some key takeaways:
- Archived chats remain on your phone with all messages intact.
- You won’t get notified of new messages until chat is unarchived.
- Avoid archiving time-sensitive or important chats.
- Archiving is useful for muting temporarily inactive conversations.
- Easily unarchive or delete archived chats when needed.
Understanding how archiving works allows you to optimize your WhatsApp chats and maintain just the conversations you need at your fingertips.