WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. One of the handy features it offers is the ability to archive chats – this removes the chat from your main chat list, while still keeping the conversation available for you to access when needed.
However, a common question many WhatsApp users have is whether archiving a chat notifies the other person or not. In other words, if you archive a chat with someone, will they know you’ve done so?
In this article, we’ll provide a detailed overview answering the question “Does the other person know if you archive a chat in WhatsApp?”. We’ll cover:
- What happens when you archive a chat
- Does archiving a chat notify the other person?
- When the other person won’t know you’ve archived the chat
- Instances when the other person can find out the chat is archived
- How to hide the archived chats status
- Conclusion
So if you’ve ever wondered about whether the other user gets notified when you archive your chat with them on WhatsApp, read on for the full low-down.
What happens when you archive a chat
Archiving a chat is a way to organize your WhatsApp chats by removing conversations from the main chat screen. Here’s what happens when you archive a chat:
– The chat disappears from your Chats tab, where all your conversations are listed.
– The chat will now be accessible only if you specifically look under Archived Chats.
– Your entire chat history remains intact and is not deleted.
– You can still look up old messages, photos, videos in the archived chat.
– You can reply to any new messages received in an archived chat. It will simply appear unarchived again.
– Archived chats remain archived even if the other person sends you additional messages. You have to manually unarchive it for access.
So in summary, archiving a chat just removes it from your main view for organizational purposes. It does not delete or mute the conversation.
Does archiving a chat notify the other person?
The short answer is no – archiving a chat does not directly notify the other person or send any indication to them.
When you archive a chat, it is an action taken only within your WhatsApp interface. The other user will have no idea that you have archived the chat from your app.
There will be no messages saying the chat has been archived or anything similar sent to the other person. So archiving a chat is a private action that others are not informed about.
Why the other user is not notified
Here are some key reasons why the other person is not notified when you archive a chat:
- Archiving does not actually mute, delete or affect the chat for the other user. So there is no need to inform them.
- It keeps WhatsApp’s interface clean and private. Notifications about chats being archived could lead to unwanted friction.
- The focus is to declutter your own WhatsApp usage, not notify others about your organizational habits.
- Putting archived chats out of sight helps you avoid distractions and focus on important conversations.
WhatsApp’s philosophy is to minimize notifications that are irrelevant to actual conversations. Archiving is considered a UI adjustment that does not impact messaging functionality.
When the other person won’t know you’ve archived the chat
In most cases, the other person will remain unaware that you have archived your chat with them on WhatsApp. Here are some typical situations:
You don’t open their new messages
If the other person sends you a new message in a chat you’ve archived, you simply won’t see it on your Chats tab.
As long as you don’t open the message, the other user has no way of knowing the chat is archived from your side. They will just assume you haven’t seen the message yet.
You let new messages accumulate
Even if the other person sends multiple follow-up messages, as long as you don’t look at the archived chat, they will remain unaware it is archived.
The other user cannot tell if their messages are going through to an archived chat or an active one.
You reply from notifications
When you receive a new message in an archived chat, you get a notification as usual. If you directly reply to this notification without opening the chat, the other person remains unaware it is archived.
As long as your reply reaches them, the chat looks normal from their end. They have no signs it is archived on your side.
You briefly unarchive to reply
You can momentarily unarchive a chat, send your reply, and re-archive it without the other user finding out.
As far as they can tell, you received and responded to their message normally in an unarchived chat.
So unless you explicitly tell the other person, archiving your chat can be a private action without any external indicators.
Instances when the other person can find out the chat is archived
That said, there are some cases where the other user might be able to deduce that you have archived your chat with them:
You don’t reply to messages
If the other person messages you and gets no reply, they may figure out the chat could be archived if you’re actively using WhatsApp otherwise.
However, they cannot be certain – you may have just missed the notifications.
You change how quickly you reply
If previously you were responding quickly to messages, and now your replies don’t come through, the other user may feel the chat is now archived.
But again, this doesn’t give definitive proof you’ve archived the chat.
You tell them you’ve archived the chat
This is obvious – if you directly tell the other person you’ve archived the chat, then they’ll know.
Short of this explicit confirmation, they can only make guesses based on changes in your messaging behavior. But there are no certainties.
They see your chat settings
The only way the other person can know for sure your chat is archived is if they physically look at the Chat Settings on your device.
The Chat Settings screen shows “Archived” clearly for chats that are archived. But of course, others cannot randomly check your phone.
So the possibilities of the other user finding out about your archived chat are quite limited. In most cases, it remains your private information.
How to hide the archived chats status
If you still want to be extra cautious about hiding your archived chats, there are a couple settings you can tweak:
- Turn off Read Receipts – This stops showing the other person when you’ve read their messages.
- Turn off your Last Seen status – This will stop displaying when you were last online on WhatsApp.
With these disabled, even if you read or reply to an archived chat, the other person has no way of detecting it through WhatsApp’s indicators.
You can find these options in WhatsApp Settings > Account > Privacy. Toggle off Read Receipts and Last Seen.
However, bear in mind disabling Read Receipts and Last Seen applies to all your WhatsApp chats, not just specific ones you archive.
Conclusion
To summarize the answer to whether the other person knows if you archive a chat in WhatsApp:
- Archiving a chat does not directly notify the other user in any way.
- It is typically a private action they are unaware of unless you tell them.
- They may guess a chat is archived based on messaging behavior changes.
- But there are no definitive signs or confirmations shown to them.
- You can take extra measures like disabling Read Receipts and Last Seen to be more discreet.
So feel free to archive WhatsApp chats to organize your conversations better. In most cases, the other person will not know about it unless you explicitly inform them.
Archiving is intended as a local tool to manage your own WhatsApp experience. Use it freely and don’t worry about others finding out!