WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the key features of WhatsApp is that it allows you to have one-on-one chats, group chats, share media, and make voice and video calls. However, there may be times when you want to hide certain chats or contacts without deleting the messages. For example, you may want to hide chats with a specific person from showing up in your main chats list, or hide your online status from certain contacts. Luckily, WhatsApp provides some features that allow you to hide chats and contacts while still keeping the messages intact.
Why Would You Want to Hide Someone on WhatsApp?
Here are some common reasons why you may want to hide a contact on WhatsApp:
- To avoid unwanted conversations – You may wish to take a break from constantly chatting with someone without fully blocking or deleting them.
- To prevent snooping – Hiding certain chats can stop others from snooping through your conversations if they have access to your phone.
- To appear offline – Hiding your online status from specific contacts gives you more control over when you appear available to chat.
- To clean up your chats list – Removing certain chats from your main chats list can declutter your WhatsApp screen.
- To avoid offending someone – If you no longer wish to chat with someone but don’t want to delete or block them, hiding is a subtler approach.
Whatever your reasons, hiding WhatsApp contacts or chats gives you more control over your conversations and connections. The key benefit is being able to do this while still retaining access to the messages.
How to Hide Chats on WhatsApp
WhatsApp gives you a couple of options to hide chats:
Archiving Chats
Archiving a chat moves it out of your main chats list and into a separate Archived Chats section. The messages remain intact but the chat won’t show up in your default view. Here’s how to archive WhatsApp chats:
- Open WhatsApp and go to your Chats tab.
- On an Android device, press and hold the chat you want to archive. On an iPhone, swipe left on the chat.
- Tap Archive or Archive Chat (Android) or Archive (iPhone).
The chat will now be removed from your Chats list and placed in your Archived Chats.
Muting Chats
Muting a WhatsApp chat means you won’t receive any notifications from new messages sent in that chat. The chat and its messages will remain in your Chats tab, but it will not trigger any notification sounds or pop-ups when new messages arrive. Here’s how to mute WhatsApp chats:
- Open the WhatsApp chat you want to mute.
- Tap the name or photo at the top of the chat screen.
- Tap Mute.
- Select a duration to mute for, either 8 hours, 1 week, or Always.
The chat is now muted and will no longer send you notifications. To unmute, follow the same steps and select Unmute.
How to Hide Your Online Status from Contacts
In WhatsApp, your online status shows your contacts when you are actively using the app. You can hide this from specific people, so they won’t know when you’re online. Here’s how:
- Open WhatsApp Settings.
- Tap Account > Privacy.
- Tap Last Seen & Online.
- Select My Contacts Except.
- Check the contacts you want to hide your status from.
Those selected contacts will no longer be able to view your last seen or online status. You can also choose to hide it from All Contacts or disable the feature so no one sees your status.
How to Hide Specific Chats from Your Chats List
If you don’t want to archive a chat but do want it hidden from your main Chats list, you can customize your Chats list settings:
- Go to WhatsApp Settings > Chats.
- Tap Chat History Visibility.
- Select which chats you want to Show or Hide.
Chats you hide here will only be visible if you search for them directly or access them through your Calls or Archive tabs.
Does Hiding Chats Delete Messages?
No, hiding or archiving WhatsApp chats does not delete the messages. It simply removes the chat from your view. Your entire chat history remains stored on your device and WhatsApp servers, so you can access the messages again at any time. The only way to actually delete WhatsApp messages is to use the Delete option from within the chat.
Can Hidden Chats Be Recovered?
Yes, any chat you have hidden or archived can easily be unhidden and recovered:
- For archived chats, go to Archived Chats and tap on the chat you want to unarchive.
- For muted chats, go back into the chat and select Unmute.
- For chats hidden from your Chats list, go back into Chat History Visibility and uncheck the chats you want to show again.
- Chats that have been hidden will go back to showing in your Chats tab as normal.
So you don’t have to worry about losing access to hidden chats – you can quickly change the settings and recover them.
Pro Tips for Hiding WhatsApp Chats
- To hide multiple chats quickly, use the Select button in your Chats list to choose chats and then tap Archive or Mute.
- You can create a custom My Eyes Only chat accessible only through a PIN to hide private messages.
- Use muted chats to keep busy group conversations hidden when needed.
- Frequently archive chats you aren’t actively using to clean up your Chats list.
- Toggle your last seen and online status as needed if you want to control when specific contacts can see you’re active.
Conclusion
Hiding WhatsApp chats and contacts gives you control over your conversations without losing message history. Key options include archiving chats, muting notifications, hiding your status, and removing chats from your Chats list view. Just remember hidden chats remain saved on your device and can be recovered easily. With these simple WhatsApp features, you can hide contacts and chats at any time while maintaining your privacy.