WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, co-workers, and more. However, there may be times when you want to hide certain contacts in your WhatsApp without deleting them completely.
Why would you want to hide WhatsApp contacts?
Here are some common reasons why someone might want to hide contacts on WhatsApp:
- Privacy – You may want to hide contacts that you don’t want others to see when they look at your phone.
- Avoid distraction – Hiding contacts can remove distraction and help you focus on more important conversations.
- Remove clutter – Your contacts list can get cluttered over time. Hiding people can declutter your contacts.
- Hide ex-partners – You may want to hide ex-boyfriends, girlfriends, or spouses to avoid awkwardness.
- Hide work contacts – Keep your work and personal life separate by hiding work contacts.
How to hide WhatsApp contacts on Android
If you have an Android phone, here are the steps to hide WhatsApp contacts:
- Open the WhatsApp app and tap on the 3 vertical dots in the top right corner to access Settings.
- Go to Contacts > Hide contacts.
- You will see a list of all your WhatsApp contacts. Tap on the contact you want to hide.
- A popup will appear saying “Hide [contact’s name’s] status updates and last seen?” Tap OK to confirm.
- The selected contact will now be hidden from your contacts list in WhatsApp.
- To view your hidden contacts, go to Settings > Contacts > Hidden contacts. Tap on a contact to unhide them.
Hide WhatsApp contact using the chat screen
You can also hide WhatsApp contacts directly from the chat screen:
- Open the chat with the contact you want to hide.
- Tap on the contact’s name at the top of the chat screen.
- Tap Hide notifications > OK to confirm.
How to hide WhatsApp contacts on iPhone
If you have an iPhone, follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to the Calls tab.
- Tap on the contact you want to hide and select Hide Alerts.
- Confirm by tapping Hide Alerts again in the popup.
- This will mute notifications and hide the contact’s online status.
- To view your hidden contacts, go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Hidden contacts.
Hide WhatsApp contact from chat screen on iPhone
On iPhone, you can also hide a contact directly in the chat:
- Open the chat with the contact.
- Swipe left on the contact’s name at the top.
- Tap Hide Alerts > Confirm.
Important points about hiding WhatsApp contacts
Here are some key things to keep in mind when hiding WhatsApp contacts:
- Hidden contacts will not know that you have hidden them.
- They can still message you and see your online status.
- If you hide someone, their profile picture will be replaced with a default gray avatar.
- Hidden contacts’ statuses and last seen will not be visible to you.
- Calls and messages from hidden contacts will still show up, but without a name.
- Hiding is reversible – you can unhide contacts anytime.
How to unhide WhatsApp contacts
It’s easy to restore hidden contacts back to your WhatsApp contacts list when needed:
On Android
- Go to Settings > Contacts > Hidden contacts.
- Tap on the contact you want to unhide.
- Confirm by tapping OK when prompted.
On iPhone
- Go to Settings > Account > Privacy > Hidden contacts.
- Tap on the contact you want to unhide.
- Tap Unhide to confirm.
The contact will now show up again in your contacts list.
Other WhatsApp contact management tips
In addition to hiding contacts, there are a few other useful ways to organize your WhatsApp contacts and conversations:
- Mute groups or individual chats to hide notifications.
- Favorite important chats so they appear at the top.
- Create custom notifications for priority contacts.
- Organize chats into different categories.
- Back up your chats to Google Drive or iCloud.
- Export your chat history if needed.
Conclusion
Hiding WhatsApp contacts allows you to discreetly organize your contacts list without deleting valuable relationships. It only takes a few taps to hide or unhide someone on Android and iPhone.
While hiding contacts won’t directly block them, it can simplify your contacts list and minimize distractions. Be thoughtful about who you choose to hide and remember you can reverse it later if needed.
With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is here to stay. Taking the time to manage your contacts list and settings can help you get the most out of using WhatsApp while maintaining your privacy and productivity.