WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion users. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through text, voice messages, video calls, and more.
One useful WhatsApp feature is message archiving. Archiving messages on WhatsApp allows you to organize your conversations and help declutter your main messages view. When you archive a chat, it is removed from your main Chats tab and goes into your Archived chats. Your archived messages are not deleted, they are simply moved out of your main view for easier organization.
If you need to access your archived WhatsApp messages, it is easy to find them again through the Archived chats tab. In this article, we will provide steps to access and view your archived WhatsApp messages on both iPhone and Android devices.
What Does Archiving a Chat Do?
When you archive a chat in WhatsApp, here is exactly what happens:
– The chat is removed from your main Chats tab and is no longer visible in your messages list. This helps declutter your view.
– The chat is moved and stored in your Archived chats.
– You can still find the chat in Archived chats and access the messages. The messages are not deleted.
– New incoming messages from an archived chat will not show up in your main view. You need to unarchive the chat first.
– Your archived messages are stored on your device and your message history is still saved.
So in summary, archiving a chat simply removes it from your main messages view and stores it in a separate Archived chats tab for organization. It does not delete any messages.
How to View Archived Chats on iPhone
If you have an iPhone and want to view your archived WhatsApp messages, follow these steps:
1. Open the WhatsApp app on your iPhone.
2. At the bottom right, tap on ‘Chats’.
3. At the top left, tap on the Archived chats tab.
4. Here you will see a list of all your archived chats. Tap on any chat to open it and view archived messages.
5. To unarchive a chat, swipe left on the chat > Tap Unarchive.
6. The chat will now move back to your main Chats tab.
Steps to View Archived Chats on iPhone:
1. Open WhatsApp > Tap Chats (bottom right)
2. Tap Archived chats (top left)
3. View archived chats and messages
4. Swipe left to unarchive any chat
So those are the simple steps to view and open your archived messages on WhatsApp for iPhone. All your messages will be visible there.
How to View Archived Chats on Android
If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, here are the steps to access archived chats:
1. Open WhatsApp and tap on the Chats tab if you aren’t already there.
2. At the top right, tap on the 3-dot menu.
3. Tap on Archived chats.
4. You will now see a list of all your archived chats. Tap any chat to open it.
5. To unarchive a chat, tap and hold the chat > Tap Unarchive.
6. The chat will move back to your main Chats window.
Steps to View Archived Chats on Android:
1. Open WhatsApp > Tap Chats tab
2. Tap 3-dot menu (top right)
3. Select Archived chats
4. View archived chats and messages
5. Tap and hold any chat to unarchive
So in just a few simple taps, you can access and view your full message history in WhatsApp for Android even if chats are archived.
How Long Are Archived Chats Stored?
WhatsApp archives chats indefinitely. There is no limit to how long archived chats are stored on your device.
Your archived messages continue to be saved in WhatsApp until you manually delete them. Even if you archive a chat today, you can still find it and view messages years later if the chat is not deleted.
Some key points about archived chat storage:
– WhatsApp has unlimited storage for archived chats.
– Messages are stored locally on your device storage.
– Your chat history and media remain saved unless you delete chats.
– You may need to clear device storage after long periods if space runs out.
So feel free to archive old chats to organize your messages. You won’t lose them as WhatsApp stores all archived conversations indefinitely unless you delete them.
Can I Search Archived Chats?
Yes, WhatsApp has a search feature that allows you to search across archived chats and messages as well.
On both iPhone and Android, follow these steps to search archived chats:
1. Open WhatsApp > Tap Search icon (top right)
2. Enter name, keyword or phrase to search
3. Tap Archived chats at the top of the results
4. You will now only see results from archived messages
WhatsApp search looks through your current chats, archived chats, and even deleted chats (if enabled in settings).
So you can conveniently find any old message even if the chat is archived years ago. This makes retrieving important information fast and easy.
Troubleshooting Archived Chats
In some cases, you may run into issues trying to access your archived chats. Here are some common problems and fixes:
Problem: Archived chats section is empty
This usually means you don’t have any chats archived currently. Archived chats will only show chats that you have manually moved to archive. To add chats, tap and hold any chat from your Chats tab and select Archive.
Problem: Can’t find a chat that I archived
First, double check that the chat is not in your main Chats tab. If not, try searching for it using WhatsApp’s search feature. Chats sometimes get unarchived due to bugs.
Problem: Media files are missing from archived chat
Check your phone storage and ensure you have enough free space. WhatsApp may delete older media from archived chats if your phone storage is full. Free up space or back up chats.
Problem: Cannot unarchive a chat
Try force closing and restarting the WhatsApp app if the unarchive option is greyed out. This usually resolves any app glitches.
Conclusion
Archiving chats is a great way to organize your WhatsApp messages and reduce clutter in your main chats list. Thankfully, it is easy to access your archived messages at any time.
On both iPhone and Android devices, simply navigate to the Archived chats tab within WhatsApp to view your message history. You can unarchive chats to move them back to your main view. WhatsApp also lets you search across archived messages to retrieve old information.
Archived chats are stored indefinitely on your device storage. So don’t worry about losing important messages even if you archive a chat. Maintain your archived chats from time to time by clearing device storage if needed.