WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world, with over 2 billion active users. It allows you to easily communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and more through one-on-one and group chats. One helpful WhatsApp feature is the ability to archive chats you don’t need cluttering up your main chat list.
What does archiving a chat do?
When you archive a chat in WhatsApp, it removes the chat from your main messages screen and stores it in a separate Archived Chats section. Archiving a chat does a few key things:
- Removes the chat from your main chat list to declutter your messages
- Stores the chat in a separate Archived Chats section
- Mutes notifications from the chat so you don’t get alerted to new messages
- Keeps the entire chat history intact in case you need to refer back to it
Archiving is useful for chats you don’t need constant access to but don’t want to delete either. It gets them out of your way while still letting you access the full history if needed.
How to archive a chat
Archiving a chat is easy to do right from the WhatsApp app. Here are the steps:
- Open the WhatsApp app and go to your Chats tab
- On an iPhone, swipe left on the chat you want to archive. On Android, long press on the chat.
- Tap Archive (iOS) or Archive chat (Android)
That’s all there is to it! The chat disappears from your Chats list and is now stored in your Archived Chats. You’ll follow the same steps to unarchive a chat when needed – just tap Unarchive from the Archived Chats section.
What happens when a chat is archived
Archiving a WhatsApp chat does a few key things:
- Removes the chat from your main Chats list
- Stops notifications from that chat
- Stores the full chat history in Archived Chats
- Keeps the chat archived if you log out/log back in
So archiving cleans up your active chat list while still preserving your message history. Here are some specifics on what happens when archiving a chat:
Chat disappears from Chats tab
The chat will immediately disappear from your main Chats list once archived. This removes clutter and trims down your active conversations.
Notifications are muted
You will stop getting notifications for any new messages sent in the archived chat. This prevents archived chats from distracting you with alerts.
Chat stays archived after logging out
Chats stay archived even if you log out of WhatsApp and log back in later. So you won’t have to re-archive conversations every time.
Full message history stored
Archiving does not delete or remove any messages. Your entire chat history remains intact in the Archived Chats section.
Media and files are preserved
Any photos, videos, documents, links, or other media shared in the chat remain accessible in archived messages.
You appear offline to archived chat
To the people in an archived chat, it will appear like you are offline and haven’t been active on WhatsApp.
Where archived chats are stored
Archived WhatsApp chats live in their own dedicated Archived Chats section. To access it:
- Open WhatsApp and tap on the Chats tab
- At the top, tap on the Archived Chats button
This will open your full list of archived conversations. From there you can tap into any chat to view messages or unarchive it back to your main chat list.
Differences between Android and iPhone
The Archived Chats section looks slightly different between Android and iPhone, but works the same:
| Android | iPhone |
|---|---|
| Archived Chats appears as its own tab across the top | Archived Chats is accessed by tapping a button at the top of the Chats tab |
| Swipe left/right to switch between Archived and Active chats | Archived Chats opens in a separate screen |
While visually a bit different, archived chats work identically. Tap into any chat to open it or unarchive it back to your main chat list.
Is there a limit to how long chats stay archived?
There is no limit on how long a chat can remain archived in WhatsApp. An archived conversation will stay in your Archived Chats forever until you either:
- Unarchive the chat, which returns it to your main chat list
- Delete the chat entirely, which erases the message history
So feel free to archive old chats you don’t need regular access to but want to keep around just in case. They’ll stay archived indefinitely unless you decide to unarchive or delete them.
Can you pin archived chats?
Unfortunately, you cannot pin or favorite archived chats in WhatsApp. The pin feature only works for active unarchived conversations in your main Chats tab. There is no way to pin an archived chat.
Do archived messages still count towards storage?
Yes, archived WhatsApp chats still take up the same amount of storage space even while archived. Archiving simply removes the chat from view – it does not delete messages or compress storage.
So if you have very large chats taking up a lot of storage space, archiving them will not free up room. You’d need to delete the chats if you want to regain storage capacity.
Can you archive group chats?
Archiving works exactly the same way for group chats as it does for one-on-one conversations. Just use the same steps to archive a group chat:
- Long press the group chat
- Tap Archive chat
The group will now be archived and disappear from your Chats tab while still being accessible in Archived Chats. Everything works the same as archiving a regular chat.
Do mentions/replies unarchive a chat?
If someone mentions you or replies to a message in an archived chat, it will not automatically unarchive it. The chat will remain archived until you manually unarchive it.
However, you will receive a notification of the mention/reply so you know there is new activity in the archived conversation. But it remains archived until you choose to unarchive it.
Can you archive chats on WhatsApp Web/Desktop?
WhatsApp Web and Desktop apps have the same archiving abilities as the mobile apps. You can archive and unarchive chats right from WhatsApp Web or Desktop by:
- Right-clicking the chat
- Choosing Archive chat
The chats sync across mobile and desktop, so archiving on one archives it on all platforms.
How does archiving chats help you?
Here are some of the ways archiving chats can be useful for cleaning up your WhatsApp experience:
- Removes old or unimportant chats from your main view
- Stops distracting notifications from chats you rarely use
- Declutters your messages so active chats are easier to find
- Lets you access older chat history without clogging up your messages
- Keeps work/family chats separate from your daily conversations
Overall, archiving gives you more control over organizing your WhatsApp communication while still preserving your message history.
Tips for effectively using chat archiving
To take full advantage of archiving chats, keep these tips in mind:
- Archive older chats you don’t use often instead of deleting them
- Mute notifications from distracting group chats by archiving them
- Clean up your main chat list by archiving conversations with the same person/group together
- Remember to check Archived Chats for important info from old chats
- Unarchive chats when you need frequent access again
Archiving is especially useful for muting old group chats while keeping them available for searching. Take advantage of it to optimize your messaging experience!
Conclusion
Archiving chats is a simple but powerful WhatsApp tool for organizing your messages. By removing old or unimportant chats from your main view while retaining their message history, it allows you to declutter your Chats list and mute distracting notifications.
Keep your daily WhatsApp strategy running smoothly by frequently archiving the conversations you don’t need regular access to. You can always unarchive or refer back to them anytime you need. With billions of active users, archiving helps keep WhatsApp’s signature messaging experience from becoming overwhelming.