If you have archived a WhatsApp group and want to retrieve it, don’t worry, it’s easy to find and unarchive archived groups on WhatsApp. In this article, we’ll walk you through the simple steps to find and unarchive an archived WhatsApp group on both Android and iOS devices.
What does archiving a WhatsApp group do?
When you archive a WhatsApp group, it gets removed from your main WhatsApp chats list and goes into your Archived chats. Archiving a group doesn’t delete it or remove you from the group. It simply hides the group from your main chat list to help declutter your inbox.
The archived chats list acts as storage for your old or inactive chats and groups that you don’t need regular access to but don’t want to delete. All incoming messages to archived chats and groups are muted.
How to find and unarchive an archived WhatsApp group on Android
If you have archived a WhatsApp group on your Android phone and want to retrieve it, just follow these steps:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the 3-dot menu icon in the top right.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Archived chats.
- Here you will see the list of all your archived individual and group chats. Scroll through the list to find the archived group you want to unarchive.
- Tap on the group and then tap Unarchive.
This will unarchive the selected WhatsApp group and move it back to your main Chats tab. You’ll be able to access this group normally again.
How to find and unarchive an archived WhatsApp group on iPhone
On iOS, the process of finding and unarchiving a WhatsApp group is very similar:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on Settings at the bottom right.
- Go to Chats > Archived.
- Here you will see all your archived chats. Browse the list to find the required archived group.
- Tap on the group chat you want to unarchive.
- Hit the Unarchive button at the top.
The selected group will now be restored in your main WhatsApp Chats tab on iPhone.
How to find an archived WhatsApp group by searching
If you don’t want to browse your entire archived chats list to find a specific group, WhatsApp allows you to search for groups within your Archived chats.
- Open Archived chats on WhatsApp.
- Tap on the Search bar at the top.
- Type in the group name or a keyword that you think might be in the title.
- WhatsApp will display results matching your search term from your archived chats.
- Select the relevant group chat and tap Unarchive to restore it.
This is an easy way to find a particular archived WhatsApp group quickly without having to scroll through your entire archive.
Extra tips for managing archived WhatsApp groups
Here are some additional tips to help you effectively use WhatsApp’s Archive feature for groups:
- Mute notifications from archived groups so you’re not disturbed by old chats.
- Use archived chats as a storage for important groups you don’t regularly need.
- Remember archived chats are not deleted, they can be retrieved easily.
- Clear out your archived chats periodically to remove old unwanted chats.
- Star important archived chats so they appear at the top of your archive.
- Name your groups appropriately so they are easy to search and find.
Conclusion
Archiving is a great way to organize your WhatsApp groups and hide inactive chats from view. Whenever you need to access an archived chat, just head over to Archived Chats, search for the group by name, select it and tap Unarchive. This will restore the group back to your main chat list.
Archiving chats doesn’t delete them, so don’t worry about losing any important data. Your archived WhatsApp groups are stored safely until you decide to delete them manually. Use archiving liberally to keep your WhatsApp inbox clutter-free and easy to manage.
| Platform | Steps to Find Archived Group |
|---|---|
| Android |
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| iPhone |
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Benefits of Archiving WhatsApp Groups
- Declutter your main chat list
- Mute notifications from inactive groups
- Store important groups you don’t regularly need
- Easily retrieve archived chats
- Keep useful data without deleting
- Organize your WhatsApp inbox better
What Happens in Archived WhatsApp Groups
- Group is removed from main chat list
- All incoming messages to group are muted
- You remain a participant of the archived group
- New messages, media still goes to the group
- Admins can still modify group info and participants
WhatsApp’s archive feature provides a place to store your inactive groups without having to delete valuable conversations. Follow the steps outlined above to easily unarchive any archived WhatsApp group back to your main chat list. With over 2 billion users worldwide, WhatsApp has become the communication hub for many. WhatsApp groups in particular allow effective collaboration, updates and engagement for teams, families, friends and communities.
While WhatsApp groups are useful, over time many groups may become inactive or irrelevant to your daily needs. Archiving such groups helps you declutter your WhatsApp inbox and keeps only your frequently used chats easily accessible. At the same time, archived groups are securely stored within WhatsApp in case you ever need to refer to old messages or revive the group.
Your WhatsApp groups contain valuable memories, information and conversations. Archiving gives you the flexibility to organize your inbox and retrieve old chats anytime. Use WhatsApp’s archiving capabilities to your advantage and maintain a streamlined, clutter-free messaging experience.
WhatsApp has completely transformed personal communication since its launch in 2009. It has made staying in touch with family, friends and even professional networks incredibly easy through one-on-one messaging and group chats. WhatsApp is now owned by Meta Platforms Inc. and has over 2 billion users globally as of 2022.
Some key milestones in WhatsApp’s growth:
- Launched in 2009 by Jan Koum and Brian Acton
- Acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014 for $19 billion
- 2016 – 1 billion active users
- 2018 – 1.5 billion active users
- 2020 – 2 billion active users
WhatsApp is free to use, with the company generating revenue through optional business features. WhatsApp’s easy group messaging capabilities have made it exceptionally popular across the world. Groups allow people to come together around shared topics, interests, projects and more.
WhatsApp group communication is end-to-end encrypted for security. Users can create groups with up to 256 participants, name groups, mute notifications, and share messages, photos, videos and documents.
While WhatsApp group chats are very useful, they can also clutter up your inbox over time, especially groups you are no longer active in. Fortunately, WhatsApp provides a simple archiving tool to help organize your chats.
By archiving inactive or old groups, you can clear up your WhatsApp interface while still retaining the valuable conversations, memories and information stored in those groups. In this article, we looked at how to find and unarchive archived WhatsApp groups across Android and iOS devices.
Key highlights include:
- Archived chats are stored safely but hidden from your main chat list.
- Easily browse all archived chats and groups from Settings.
- Search for a specific archived group by name.
- Tap and unarchive a group to restore it to the main chat list.
- Mute notifications from archived chats.
WhatsApp’s archiving feature strikes a great balance between keeping your inbox organized and retaining your message history. Use it frequently to take control of unwieldy group message streams!