WhatsApp’s archived chats feature allows you to organize your chats by removing conversations from your main Chats tab without deleting them. Archiving a chat hides it from view in your Chats list, but the entire chat history remains saved so you can access it later if needed.
How do I archive a chat in WhatsApp?
Archiving chats is easy to do in WhatsApp. Here are the steps:
- Open WhatsApp and go to your Chats tab.
- Tap and hold the chat you want to archive.
- Tap “Archive” in the popup menu.
The selected conversation will now be removed from your main Chats list and added to your Archived chats. You’ll see “Archived chats” at the top of your Chats list – tap it to view your archived conversations.
Does archiving a chat delete the messages?
No, archiving a chat does not delete any messages. The entire chat history remains saved in WhatsApp when you archive a conversation. You can still view all messages, photos, videos and files exchanged when you open the archived chat.
Why would I want to archive a chat?
Here are some common reasons you may want to archive chats in WhatsApp:
- To organize your chats list and hide conversations you don’t need regular access to.
- To reduce clutter by removing chats you don’t use often but want to keep.
- To store conversations you want to reference later, like important info or documents.
- To hide conversations you don’t want others to see if they access your phone.
How do I view my archived chats?
Archived conversations do not appear in your main Chats tab, but are easy to access when needed:
- In your Chats list, tap “Archived chats” at the top of the screen.
- This will open your Archived chats list where you can tap any conversation to view it.
- Once opened, you can unarchive the chat to move it back to your main Chats list if desired.
Can I unarchive a chat?
Yes, it’s easy to unarchive a chat in WhatsApp to restore it to your main Chats tab:
- Go to Archived chats and tap the conversation you want to unarchive.
- Tap “Unarchive” in the chat header at the top of the screen.
- The chat will now be removed from Archived and appear again in your Chats list.
Will new messages go to an archived chat?
If you archive a conversation, any new messages received will still continue to the archived chat. The chat will be automatically unarchived when a new message comes in so you can see it in your Chats tab.
Can I mute notifications from an archived chat?
Yes, muting an archived chat will disable notifications so you do not get alerted to new messages received in that conversation while it is archived.
To mute notifications from an archived chat:
- Go to Archived Chats and open the conversation.
- Tap the contact’s name at the top and select “Mute notifications”.
- This will mute notifications so you no longer receive them for this chat.
What is the difference between archiving and deleting a chat?
The main difference is that deleting a chat permanently erases the conversation and its messages. Archiving simply hides the chat from view in your Chats list while retaining the history.
So archiving is a way to organize and tuck away conversations you still want access to, while deleting removes chats completely that you no longer need to keep.
| Archiving | Deleting |
|---|---|
| Hides chat from Chats list | Permanently erases chat |
| Retains entire message history | Deletes entire message history |
| Chat can be unarchived later | Deleted chats cannot be recovered |
Can I archive group chats?
Yes, the archiving feature works for both individual and group conversations. You can archive any chat in WhatsApp regardless of whether it’s a one-on-one or group chat.
Will group members know if I archive a group chat?
Archiving a group chat does not notify other participants or indicate your status within the group. Only you as the user archiving the chat will see it moved to your Archived chats.
Can I archive chats automatically?
WhatsApp does not currently have an auto-archive feature to archive chats automatically after a certain time. However, there are some workarounds:
- You can manually archive chats you don’t engage with frequently, such as old groups or contacts you rarely chat with.
- On Android, you can use automation apps to schedule archive rules, like archiving chats older than a specified date.
- You can periodically sort your chats by Last updated and archive older conversations you don’t need.
Is there a limit to how many chats I can archive?
No, there is no limit on the number of conversations you can archive in WhatsApp. You can archive as many chats as you want to better organize your Chats list.
What happens if I restore my WhatsApp backup?
Restoring your WhatsApp backup from Google Drive or iCloud will retain your archived chats structure. Chats you had archived on your old backup will remain archived after restoring the backup.
Can I search my archived chats?
Unfortunately, WhatsApp’s built-in search does not currently index archived chats. So you cannot directly search for messages within archived conversations.
However, you can search your archived chats in a couple ways:
- Unarchive a conversation, perform search, then re-archive it after.
- Use a third party app like WAMR or Notification History that indexes archived chats.
Are my archived chats encrypted?
Yes, messages in archived chats remain encrypted end-to-end, just like regular WhatsApp conversations. Archiving simply organizes your chats locally on your device without impacting their privacy or security.
Can I back up my archived chats?
The Messages and Chats backup in WhatsApp’s built-in backup includes your archived conversations. So backing up your chats to Google Drive or iCloud will store your archived message history.
You can also use apps like WAMR to independently back up your archived chats along with your other WhatsApp data.
Conclusion
Archiving chats is a useful organization feature in WhatsApp that lets you hide conversations from view while retaining their message history. It enables you to reduce clutter and focus on more important chats while still having access to older conversations if needed. Key Points:
- Archiving removes chats from your main list but stores all messages.
- It helps declutter your chats without losing them permanently.
- Archived chats remain encrypted and can be unarchived anytime.
- New messages will unarchive a chat automatically.
- Archiving is different from deleting which erases chats forever.
So if you need to organize and manage your expanding chats list, make sure to use WhatsApp’s archiving feature to your advantage.