Finding your archived chat messages can be important for looking back on old conversations or retrieving important information. While chat apps may delete old chats after a certain period of time, many provide ways to archive chats so they are not deleted. Here is a guide on how to find your archived chats in some of the most popular chat apps.
Finding Archived Chats in WhatsApp
WhatsApp lets you archive both individual and group chats to get them out of your main chat list. Here’s how to find your archived WhatsApp chats:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the Chats tab if you aren’t already viewing it.
- At the top right, tap on the three dotted menu button.
- Tap on Archived chats.
This will open your Archived chats list. You’ll see all your archived message threads here. Tap on any thread to open it and view the archived messages.
To unarchive a chat and move it back to your main Chats list, tap and hold the chat, then tap Unarchive. Note that when you archive group chats, you’ll still receive notifications for any new messages in the group.
Archived Media in WhatsApp
In addition to archived chats, WhatsApp also lets you archive media like photos and videos. To view your archived media:
- Open the WhatsApp Media tab.
- Tap on the three dotted menu button at the top right.
- Tap on Archived.
This will show all your archived media files that have been sent or received in WhatsApp chats. You can tap and hold any file to unarchive it.
Finding Archived Chats in Telegram
Telegram also provides an archive for your chats. Here’s how to see it:
- In Telegram, tap on the Chats tab.
- At the top right, tap on the hamburger menu icon (three horizontal lines).
- Tap on Archived chats.
This will open your list of archived Telegram chats. Tap any chat to open it and view messages. The chat will be unarchived when you open it.
To re-archive a chat, tap the three dotted menu button while viewing the chat. Then select Archive Chat.
Archived Media in Telegram
Telegram stores archived media separately from chats. To view archived media:
- In Telegram, open the Saved Messages tab.
- At the top, tap on Archived.
You’ll now see all your archived media files including photos, videos, documents, etc. that have been saved from Telegram chats.
Finding Archived Chats on Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger doesn’t have a dedicated archive, but you can access old chats and view your archived messages:
- In the Messenger app, tap on the Chats tab.
- At the top left, tap on the drop-down arrow next to the search bar.
- Tap on Archived Threads.
This will display your archived message threads in Messenger. Tap any thread to view the archived messages.
To archive a chat manually, swipe left on the chat in your Chats list and tap Archive Chat.
Finding Archived Chats on Snapchat
Snapchat introduced Chat Archive so your conversations don’t disappear forever. Here’s how to find archived Snaps and Chats:
- In Snapchat, swipe right from Camera to open Chat.
- Tap on the Chat icon at the top left.
- Scroll down and tap on Archived Chats.
This will display your archived one-on-one and group chats. Tap any chat to view archived Snaps and messages.
To archive a chat manually, swipe right on the chat in your Chat list and tap on the archive icon.
Finding Archived Chats on Twitter
Twitter doesn’t have a traditional archiving feature, but you can bookmark messages to save them long-term:
- In the Twitter app, tap on the Messages tab.
- Tap into the conversation with the message you want to bookmark.
- Long press the specific message.
- Tap on Bookmark.
This saves the Tweet to your Bookmarks, which you can access by tapping your profile icon > Bookmarks in the Twitter app.
Finding Archived Chats on Teams
Microsoft Teams lets you archive channels and entire teams when you no longer need regular access but don’t want to delete conversations. Here is how to view archived items in Teams:
- In Teams, click on the Teams icon on the left sidebar.
- At the top of the Teams list, click on Archived.
This will display your archived Teams. Click on any archived Team to view its channels and conversations.
To view archived Channels in a specific Team:
- Go to the Team.
- Click on More Options next to the Team name.
- Select Manage Team.
- Go to the Channels tab.
- Click Archived at the top to see archived channels.
Finding Archived Chats on Slack
Slack allows you to archive channels and conversations to clear up your workspace while still being able to refer back to old messages. Here’s how to find them:
- In Slack, click on the arrow next to the workspace name.
- Click on Manage Channels.
- Click Archived channels.
This will show your archived Slack channels. Click on any archived channel to view its messages.
To view an archived direct message (DM):
- Click the Direct Messages icon on the left.
- At the top left, click the drop-down arrow.
- Click Archived DMs.
This will display your archived DMs. Click any conversation to view messages.
Finding Archived Chats on Discord
Discord lets you archive text and voice channels you don’t need crowding your workspace. Here’s how to access them:
- On the left sidebar, click the Server icon.
- Right-click on the server with the archived channel.
- Click Manage Server.
- Go to Channels.
- Click Archived at the top.
This will display archived text channels. To view archived voice channels, go to Voice Channels > Archived instead.
Click any archived channel to open it and view messages. The channel will unarchive when opened.
Finding Archived Chats on Skype
Here’s how to find your archived Skype conversations:
- In Skype, click on the Conversations icon.
- At the top left, click on the Manage button.
- Click on Archived conversations.
This will display your archived Skype chats. Click any conversation to view archived messages.
To archive a chat manually, right-click the conversation and select Archive.
Finding Archived Chats on Hangouts
Google Hangouts does not have a dedicated archive, but you can still access old chats:
- Open the Hangouts app or go to hangouts.google.com
- In your chat list, scroll down to see older conversations.
- If needed, use the search bar to find specific old chats.
Hangouts chats are saved in your chat history indefinitely, so you can scroll back and view all previous messages.
Finding Archived Chats on Signal
Signal does not offer a chat archive feature currently. Old chats are automatically deleted after a set period of time. However, you can still access recent chats:
- In Signal, tap on the Chats tab.
- Scroll down to see your older conversations.
- Use search to find specific recent chats.
You can view chat history for the past 30 days in Signal before messages are deleted. Note that media like photos or videos also get deleted after 30 days if not saved.
Conclusion
Archived chats can serve as a useful record of old conversations and let you clear out your inbox while still having access to messages. Most major chat apps now include some form of archive feature, but how chats are archived and where you can view archives varies by platform.
Knowing how to locate archived messages in the chat apps you use makes it easy to find old information when you need it. Just be aware of any time limits on how far back archived chats are stored before they get deleted.
| Chat App | How to View Archived Chats |
|---|---|
| Chats tab > Menu > Archived chats | |
| Telegram | Chats tab > Hamburger menu > Archived chats |
| Messenger | Chats tab > Menu > Archived threads |
| Snapchat | Chat tab > Archived chats |
| Bookmarks tab (after bookmarking messages) | |
| Teams | Teams icon > Archived (for Teams) Manage Team > Channels > Archived (for Channels) |
| Slack | Manage Channels > Archived channels DMs icon > Menu > Archived DMs |
| Discord | Manage Server > Channels/Voice Channels > Archived |
| Skype | Manage > Archived conversations |
| Hangouts | Scroll down chats list |
| Signal | Scroll down chats list |