Here’s What Archiving Chats in WhatsApp Actually Does

Almost every mobile Internet user has WhatsApp – 1.5 billion people from all corners of the globe use this app. Its popularity has grown even more with the introduction of another among many fantastic features – the archive feature.

The primary purpose of this feature is, quite simply, to allow you to keep all your messages. Also, it’s a great way to make sure no third party will be able to snoop around your private threads.

You’ve probably seen this feature in your settings and are aware of it, but are you aware of all the options and benefits they bring? Let’s explore it.

Simple Steps

If you still haven’t tried out the archive feature because you feared it might be complicated, you should know that it’s quite simple. It all comes down to merely hitting the Archive icon. It will appear on Android after you tap and hold the chat, and on iPhone, you’ll need to swipe from right to left on the chat.

Individual or Group

You can archive an individual chat as well as a group of conversations. The only condition is that you need to archive full chat threads, so archiving a single message or a particular media file inside the chat is not possible.

You can even archive all your chats simultaneously, clearing your entire inbox without deleting anything. On Android, you’ll need to tap on the three-dot icon at the top right corner, then choose consecutively: Settings – Chats – Chat history – Archive all chats. On the Settings tab on iPhone, you should tap on Chats, then Archive all chats.

Accessible Disappearance

Now, what happens when you archive a chat? Pretty much the same thing this feature does on Instagram or Gmail – the chat will disappear from the list of conversations in the main window, but it will remain completely accessible. You can check your archived messages and unarchive them whenever you feel like it.

Merely Hidden

Since archiving a chat does nothing else apart from hiding it from the main view, you can receive messages from all archived chats. If you’re worried that you might miss them, know that you’ll receive a notification or every new message, although you’ve archived the chat. After the message arrives, the conversation thread reappears in the main list, so it gets unarchived automatically.

Two-Way Secrecy

Archiving is about a clear view and keepsakes. WhatsApp won’t notify the other person if you archive the conversation, as it doesn’t inform them if you’ve deleted it. It also doesn’t have any effect on your online status – all archived chats will still show if you’re online. Nevertheless, it’s two-way secrecy: there’s also no way to know if someone else archived your chat.

They’re Not Gone

If you’re using this feature for the first time, you might be worried that you won’t be able to find the archived chats. There’s no need to worry. It’s only possible that you’re looking in the wrong places.

On Android, you’ll find the archived conversations by scrolling down to the bottom of the Chats screen. On iPhone, archived chats are right at the top of the Chats tab.

Back to Inbox

Moving an archived chat back to your inbox is equally simple. On Android, you’ll have to tap and hold on to a particular chat, then tap on the Unarchive option. That will immediately move that chat back to the inbox. On the iPhone, you should swipe left on the chosen chat and tap on Unarchive.

Delete Is Still an Option

There’s no need to unarchive a chat if you wish to delete it. The process is the same as unarchive, though you select Delete instead. Android will give you a pop-up to confirm. On iPhone, you’ll need to tap on More after the swipe, then Delete.

Just keep in mind that Archive is just about hiding messages and decluttering, while Delete is a more permanent step. There are workaround ways to bring back a deleted trap, but it’s an unnecessary complication, so be careful when it comes to this choice.

Archive Your Chats to Declutter the Inbox

That’s everything that can happen when you archive a chat in WhatsApp, as far as we know. If you’ve come across some other side effects, we’d certainly want to hear about it in the comments section below.