How do you get archived messages back on whatsapp
How to Recover Deleted or Missing WhatsApp Messages
Do you need to recover deleted or missing WhatsApp messages? It's certainly possible, depending on the situation.
Below, you'll learn how to recover deleted WhatsApp messages on your iPhone or Android device. We'll then teach you how to set up an advanced WhatsApp backup plan to ensure you never lose any of your WhatsApp messages again.
Understanding WhatsApp Chat Backups
In order to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages, you must have enabled Chat Backup in the app's settings. To reach this, tap the Settings tab. It's on the bottom bar of the iPhone app; on Android, open the three-dot menu at the top-right and choose Settings.
From there, head to Chats > Chat backup. Here (under Auto Backup on iOS and Back up to Google Drive on Android), the app offers several backup frequencies (along with the option to encrypt your WhatsApp backups):
- Daily
- Weekly
- Monthly
- Off
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On Android, WhatsApp makes a local backup every night, but this won't help you if you lose your phone. This is why cloud backups are vital.
WhatsApp deletes older backup files as you create new ones. The iPhone app only keeps the latest backup file, while the Android version keeps "up to the last seven days' worth" of backup files. Keep that in mind as you choose the right backup frequency for your needs.
By having daily auto-backups, you'll be able to easily recover WhatsApp messages soon after deleting them. On the other hand, weekly auto-backups will allow you to go further back in time to recover deleted WhatsApp messages, at the expense of losing recent chat messages.
For a more advanced backup plan for Android devices, scroll down to the "An Advanced WhatsApp Backup Strategy for Android" section below.
How to Recover Archived Chats in WhatsApp
Before we look at recovering deleted WhatsApp messages, there's a chance that you might have just archived a missing chat, not deleted it. But what's the difference?
Archiving removes the chat from your list, allowing you to hide conversations that you're done with for now.
You can unarchive a chat at any time to access it again, and archiving doesn't delete anything in the chat. Conversely, deleting a chat erases its contents, so they're no longer accessible to you.
On iPhone, when you archive a chat, you can immediately reverse the archival by shaking your device and choosing Undo to recover the archived chat. But even if you miss this, it's easy to retrieve archived WhatsApp chats later.
To unarchive a WhatsApp chat on iPhone:
- Scroll up in the chat list (swipe from top to bottom) until Archived Chats appears.
- Tap on it, then swipe from right to left on the chat you want to restore.
- Hit the Unarchive button that appears.
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To unarchive a chat on Android:
- Scroll to the bottom of the chat list and tap Archived chats (X).
- Press and hold on the chat you want to recover.
- Tap the unarchive icon at the top-right, which looks like a box with an upward-facing arrow.
How to Recover Deleted WhatsApp Messages
Wondering how to get back deleted WhatsApp messages after backing them up? You can restore your WhatsApp backup by simply uninstalling and reinstalling WhatsApp on your device.
When you reinstall the app, you will be prompted to restore your message history from the backup file. Tap Restore and you'll retrieve everything from the latest backup. Make sure to do it when prompted, as you can't restore the backup file later.
This method of recovering deleted WhatsApp messages works on both Android and iPhone, as long as you have a backup. Keep in mind that you can only recover backed-up messages within your selected auto-backup frequency, however.
For instance, if you've set the app to back up daily, you can recover any deleted chats before the next daily backup occurs.
But if the app has made a new backup since you deleted certain messages, they're lost for good.
How to Recover Deleted Media on WhatsApp
Hopefully, restoring your backup file allowed you to retrieve any deleted media from your chats. If that didn't work, however, read our guide to recovering deleted photos from WhatsApp.
On Android, you can simply open a file explorer app and navigate to /WhatsApp/Media. From there, simply sift through the folders until you find the deleted photos you want to recover.
On iPhone, you should have a backup copy of images saved to your device if you have the Save to Camera Roll option enabled at Settings > Chats in WhatsApp.
Check the above guide for additional methods of media recovery.
How to Recover Older Deleted Chats in WhatsApp
Getting deleted messages back after a new WhatsApp backup has run is slightly more difficult. Your success will depend on your selected auto-backup frequency.
Note that the below strategy only works on Android devices, since the OS lets you access local backup files. If you're using an iPhone, your only other method is to restore an iPhone backup that you made before deleting the WhatsApp chats. There are third-party apps that claim to help you recover WhatsApp chats, but they aren't cheap and offer no guarantees. Whether you use these is up to how much you value the missing messages.
Before we dive into the process, here's an overview of restoring older WhatsApp chats on Android:
- Open a file explorer app on your Android device.
- Navigate to /WhatsApp/Databases.
- Rename msgstore.db.crypt12 to msgstore-latest.db.crypt12.
- Rename msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 to msgstore.db.crypt12.
- Uninstall WhatsApp.
- If Google Drive backups are enabled, open Google Drive, slide out the left menu, tap Backups, and delete the WhatsApp backup file.
- Reinstall WhatsApp.
- When prompted, restore from the backup file.
How to Restore Older Deleted WhatsApp Chats on Android
As mentioned before, WhatsApp on Android retains several days of chat backup files. One is, of course, the latest chat backup. The others, depending on your auto-backup frequency, could be one day or many days old. In addition to the Google Drive cloud backup, WhatsApp stores these backups on your device's local storage.
Open your device's file explorer app (Files by Google is a good option if you don't have one installed), and navigate to /WhatsApp/Databases. Depending on your device, the WhatsApp folder may appear under /sdcard/, /storage/, Internal Memory, or similar.
Within that WhatsApp folder, you'll find the various chat backup files. The latest one is named msgstore.db.crypt12, while the others look like msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.
1.db.crypt12. As you'd expect, YYYY-MM-DD represents the year, month, and date (respectively) that the backup file was created.
To retrieve WhatsApp messages deleted sometime between two backups, simply do the following:
- Rename msgstore.db.crypt12 to msgstore-latest.db.crypt12. This changes the latest backup file, since you're about to give an older backup its name in order to restore it.
- Next, rename the msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 file that you want to restore to msgstore.db.crypt12.
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After this, uninstall WhatsApp. If you've enabled Google Drive cloud backups, open the Google Drive app, slide out the left menu, and select Backups. You'll see a WhatsApp backup file with your phone number in it. Tap the three-dot Menu to the right of this and choose Delete backup to erase it.
Doing this prevents WhatsApp from using the backup file in Google Drive instead of the local file you want to restore.
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Now, reinstall WhatsApp from the Play Store. During the setup process, you'll be prompted to restore from the backup file you've just tweaked—it will show as X days old instead of the most recent backup file. Confirm restoration from this file.
That's all you have to do in order to retrieve deleted WhatsApp messages from older backups. Once you've restored those messages, feel free to start using WhatsApp as normal again.
How to Export Retrieved WhatsApp Messages and Return to the Latest Backup
When you walk through the above, you'll lose any messages created since the backup you restored. If you only performed that process to restore a few deleted messages, and don't want to lose recent messages, you can export the retrieved chat messages and then restore WhatsApp to the latest backup.
You'll have to run through the entire process again, but it's not difficult.
To export messages, open the chat containing the messages you want to save. Tap the three-dot Menu button at the top-right, followed by More > Export chat. If the chat has media, you'll see an option to export Without media or to Include media.
Including media will add all recent images as attachments, which obviously increases the size of the export file. You can export up to 10,000 messages with media, or 40,000 messages without media.
After you make your choice, choose an app on your phone to share the text file (and attachments, if applicable) containing your messages. You can email this to yourself, add it to cloud storage, or similar. Repeat this for any other chats with messages you want to save.
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Once you're done exporting, follow the steps in the above section again to access your WhatsApp backups.
When you come to renaming the backup files, reverse the process:
- Rename the existing msgstore.db.crypt12 (which contains the messages you retrieved) to msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12, using today's date. In case there's already a file with today's date, use DD.2 instead.
- Next, rename msgstore-latest.db.crypt12 (the latest backup created when you started) back to msgstore.db.crypt12.
Uninstall WhatsApp, delete your Google Drive backup again if needed, and reinstall the app. After you restore from backup, your latest chats will reappear. The messages you exported won't appear inside WhatsApp, but you can at least see them in the text file whenever you need them.
An Advanced WhatsApp Backup Strategy for Android
Because you can easily view and edit WhatsApp chat backup files on Android, it's easy to manipulate them. Renaming them allows you to keep as many backup files as you want.
All you need to do is rename a backup in the msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12 format to something else, such as oct11.db.crypt12 or 2021-June-Backup. Because this file doesn't use WhatsApp's naming convention, it's now protected from WhatsApp overwriting it.
Consider creating your own backup file in this way once every month or so. That way, you won't lose tons of messages if you have to restore from an older backup. For even more safety, you should copy these backup files to cloud storage or your computer so that they're safe in case your phone stops working or you lose it.
Recover WhatsApp Messages to Preserve Memories
As you can see, it's fairly easy to recover deleted WhatsApp messages. However, this is only the case if you've backed up your messages ahead of time. This is why the advanced backup strategy is worth setting up if you're an Android user. iPhone owners don't have as many options.
Now that you know you won't lose any WhatsApp messages in the future, it's a good idea to discover some of WhatsApp's other cool features that aren't immediately visible.
How to Recover Deleted and Archived Messages on WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a multi-platform messaging app owned by Meta that was launched in 2009.
With just a Wi-Fi connection, users are able to have voice and video conversations, make calls, send text messages, and share photos and files.
It can also utilize your phone's cellular data to make one-on-one or group calls, which eliminates the requirement for costly long-distance calling fees.
According to Digitaltrends, WhatsApp is a free app that is compatible with multiple platforms. It does not charge its users any fees and does not require subscriptions.
It is compatible with a variety of phones and computer operating systems. You may carry on a discussion whenever and wherever you choose, making it one of its numerous advantages.
How WhatsApp Backups Work
For users who want to recover their messages on the app, they must first ensure that they have enabled Chat Backup in the app's settings.
To enable the chat backup, just go to the Settings, then head to Chats and select Chat Backup.
Under the auto backup in the settings, there will be different options provided for the frequency of backup. The choices are: daily, weekly, monthly, and off.
When the app generates new backup files, WhatsApp's existing backup files are automatically deleted.
The Android version of the software stores backup files for "up to the last seven days' worth," in contrast to the iPhone app, which only stores the most recent backup file.
When you select from the options, keep this in mind as you select the appropriate backup frequency for your requirements.
You'll be able to restore WhatsApp messages quickly after deleting them if you have daily auto-backups.
Weekly auto-backups, on the other hand, will allow you to go back to further conversations to recover deleted WhatsApp messages.
How to Recover Archived Messages on WhatsApp
There is a difference between deleting a message and archiving a message.
When you delete a chat, it deletes its contents, making them inaccessible to you.
On the contrary, archiving removes the conversation from your list, allowing you to hide messages that you're no longer interested in. You can unarchive a chat at any moment, and archiving does not remove anything from the conversation.
To unarchive WhatsApp messages on iPhone,
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First, find the message by scrolling up to the chat list until the archived messages appear, then click on it.
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Secondly, after tapping on it, you will need to swipe from right to left on the conversation you wish to bring back.
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Lasly, to unarchive the file, click the Unarchived button on the screen display.
To unarchive WhatsApp messages on Android:
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Go to the chat list and select archived chats.
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Press and hold on to the messages you wish to retrieve.
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Tap the icon that looks like a box with an arrow pointing upwards, which is located in the top-right corner of the screen.
Read Also: iPhone Invisible Ink Lets You Hide Your Text Messages From Snooping Strangers: How to Use
How to Recover Deleted Messages on WhatsApp
According to MUO, removing WhatsApp from your device and then reinstalling it will allow you to restore your WhatsApp backup on that device.
There will be a prompt in the app with a request to restore your message history from the backup file when you reinstall the app. Click Restore to restore everything from the most recent backup.
However, you must do this right away when prompted, as you will not be able to restore the backup file afterward.
As long as you have a backup, this method of restoring deleted WhatsApp messages works on both Android and iPhone.
Depending on your settings, you can only recover backed-up messages within your chosen auto-backup frequency.
For example, if you have the app settings set to weekly, you can retrieve any deleted chats before the next weekly backup occurs.
Related Article: Top 5 Best Fitness Trackers in 2022: Fitbit, Garmin, Apple Watch, and More
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2021 All About Whatsapp Archives You Must Know
Some unimportant chats messing up your chat list can be a little annoying. WhatsApp introduced a feature - Archive chat. According to the patch notes, the WhatsApp archives help us organize our inbox. Just like archives help us organize our files in the real world, the purpose of an archive in WhatsApp is to hide a private or group chat from our chat list in order to better organize our list. Let's move on to what exactly is happening with your archived chat!
- Part 1: What happens when you archive a WhatsApp chat
- Part 2: How to Archive WhatsApp Chat on Android and iPhone
- Part 3: How to know if someone archived you on WhatsApp
- Part 4: How to delete archived chats in WhatsApp
- Part 5.
How to retrieve archived messages on WhatsApp
Part 1: What happens when you archive a WhatsApp chat
You may often wonder what happens when you archive a WhatsApp chat. Obscure knowledge leads to unnecessary rumors. Contrary to popular belief, archiving a particular chat does not mean that you block or delete the content of the chat. You just take messages out of sight.
You don't have to worry about how to find archived WhatsApp chats. Chat archives can be easily accessed by scrolling to the bottom of the chat list. The Archived Chats (number) option shows the number of chats you have archived so far. By clicking on this particular option, you will see the contents of the archived chats.
Part 2: How to Archive WhatsApp Chat on Android and iPhone
If you are new to WhatsApp archives and want to use this feature, follow the steps below to learn how to archive a WhatsApp chat.
For Android users
1) If you want to archive one or more chats.
2) If you want to archive all your chats instead of manually selecting them and repeating the above steps, follow these steps.
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While still in the CHATS tab, tap on the three dots and then tap on Settings at the top of the screen.
- Now follow the path "Chats - Chat History". In this section there will be a button for creating a hide of all correspondence.
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Whatsapp archive on Android can be easily restored. To do this, scroll to the end of the general list of correspondence. At the very bottom is the column "Archived chats". From there, the dialogues can be returned. Select the ones you need and click on the restore icon.
For iPhone users:
1) If you want to archive any number of chats,
- Go to a specific chat.
- Swipe left on this chat and click Archive.
2) If you want to archive all your chats,
Go to Settings. In Settings, click Chats and then Unarchive All Chats.
Part 3: How to know if someone archived you on WhatsApp
WhatsApp has a strict two-way privacy policy whereby the other user is not informed of your activities. WhatsApp does not tell you if someone archived your chat on their mobile device or not.
WhatsApp archives - it's all for memory. Chat archiving does not affect the user's online status. This means that the person whose chat you have archived can still see whether you are online or not.
Part 4: How to delete archived chats in WhatsApp
Users sometimes panic when they don't find an important chat and assume they've deleted it. However, there is a chance that you archived the chat. Don't worry, chats can be easily found at the bottom of the chat list.
Scroll down and click Archived Chats. All chats that have been archived are shown here.
Searching for "how to retrieve archived messages on whatsapp" returns too many results. However, an archived chat is automatically unarchived after something is received in that chat.
If you want to unarchive chats from the WhatsApp archive, iPhone users need to swipe left on the chat and tap "Unzip". For Android users: Tap and hold on a chat. Now click on the "Unzip" icon at the top of the screen.
Sometimes you may want to delete archived chats that you no longer need. We also have instructions on how to delete archived chats on WhatsApp. After going to Archived Chats, select the chat you want to delete and click the "Delete" icon at the top to permanently delete the chat.
Part 5: How to retrieve archived messages on WhatsApp
Having learned what "archive" means in WhatsApp, you probably know that archiving a chat is just using the accessible disappear feature to your advantage. People mistakenly delete important chats instead of archiving them to regret later. Now Tenorshare has successfully solved this problem.
Tenorshare UltData WhatsApp Recovery allows users to recover deleted messages, audio recordings, videos, pictures and documents for Android/iOS.
The step by step guide below will help you recover deleted messages.
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After installing the software, launch UltData. Select Restore WhatsApp Data.
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Connect the device on which WhatsApp is installed to your computer with a USB cable.
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Open the developer option on your mobile phone and enable USB debugging. If you are not familiar with the section, follow the instructions displayed on the screen.
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If the window does not appear, click Show Again in the program.
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Now click "Start" to continue restoring messages.
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Sign in to your WhatsApp and back up your WhatsApp data to prevent data loss. Once the backup is complete, click "Backup! Proceed".
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After a few minutes, click Back Up My Data.
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Your wait is almost over now. Preview the displayed media and messages to recover the data you need. Once selected, click Restore.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of the WhatsApp archived chat article.
You are now expected to know everything there is to know about archived chats and how to find archived chats on WhatsApp and even how to recover deleted data.
Where is the chat archive in WhatsApp - Dudom
Whatsapp is an application that we all actively use and thanks to which we save significant amounts on calls and SMS. Not surprisingly, the number of people who have downloaded it to their phones has already exceeded one billion. Today we will learn where the messages sent and received by us are stored, how to hide them from the screen, and also how you can view the archive in WhatsApp.
What does it mean to archive data in WhatsApp?
All messages received and sent using this service are exclusively on devices, and are deleted on the company's servers immediately after they reach the addressee. But what to do when there are too many chats on the screen? They can be archived, that is, temporarily hidden from the screen.
It's very easy to archive a WhatsApp chat.
You can remove those chats that you do not use very often, as well as some group correspondence. Then, when necessary, you can view the archived chats and return them to the main page of the application again.
You should know that archiving in this case means only temporary hiding of correspondence with any person. In this way, you can neither save your correspondence as a backup copy, nor delete it.
You can read about how to delete an archive in WhatsApp in our other article.
How to archive a chat and find the archived messages in WhatsApp?
On different phone models, archiving is carried out with slight differences. Below we will provide ways to archive and then search for archives on iPhone and Android. Keep in mind that when you receive a new message from a hidden contact, the archived chat will reappear on the screen.
Android
Select the chat you want to hide and long press on it to bring up the menu at the top of the screen.
The archive icon looks like a white square with a green arrow pointing down inside. Touch it and the correspondence with this contact will be hidden.
To hide all chats at once, go to the WhatsApp menu and select settings. After opening the "Chats" item, tap the "Chat History" line, then "Archive all chats".
To find out what kind of conversations are hidden in your application, scroll to the end of your chat list and, when you see the inscription "Archived chats", tap it.
iPhone
To hide all conversations from the WhatsApp screen, go to the application settings and tap the "Chats" line. Select the "Archive all chats" option.
If you want to hide a conversation with a specific person from the screen, select the chat you want to hide and swipe it from right to left with your finger. From the options provided, select the "Archive" option.
You can understand where the WhatsApp archive is on your iPhone by simply scrolling through the list of chats to the end, and then sliding your finger down the screen.
When you see the inscription "Archive", click on it.
Several chats can be distinguished:
To learn how to transfer WhatsApp archive to another phone, you can read our other article.
How to restore messages from the WhatsApp archive?
If you want to extract the chat from the WhatsApp archive again, then the following instruction will be relevant for the iPhone:
- On the page with your correspondence in WhatsApp, tap the "Search" line and enter the name of the contact in it, the correspondence with which you would like to open. Also, you can enter the content of this chat, the application itself will search.
- Swipe parallel to the desired chat and tap Archived.
Another method can be used:
- Enter the "Archive" and, scrolling to the end of the list of messages, drag down the screen with your finger.
- Swipe along the chat you want to restore.
- Click on Archived.
To understand how to open and read the message archive in WhatsApp on Android, follow the instructions below:
- Scroll to the very end of the correspondence page.
- When you see the inscription "Archived chats", tap it.
- Long press the chat you want to restore.
- A menu will appear at the top of the screen, in which the unzip icon looks like a white square with a green arrow pointing up. Touch it and the correspondence will be opened.
To find out if you can access WhatsApp from another phone, read our other article.
good morning! Can I track the child's correspondence in WhatsApp as well as see the details in my personal account? Reply ↓
Users often have questions after activating the Archive function in WhatsApp, how to view the correspondence and how to return it to the main screen.
The procedure, as well as instructions for deleting messages, differ depending on the operating system of the gadget.
What does it mean to archive in Whatsapp
The term "archive" in WhatsApp has a different meaning than the generally accepted one. Activating this function does not compress the data, which frees up space in the device's memory. This action only allows you to hide the dialog from the main page of the application.
Archiving in WhatsApp is useful when many chats have been created in the application. It makes it possible to remove rarely used conversations, which makes it easier to find the necessary dialogues. At the same time, the text of the hidden correspondence is saved, it can be returned to the active list at any time.
Where archived data is stored
The contents of the conversations hidden in the WhatsApp archive remain in the gadget's memory. They are not transferred to cloud servers, so the correspondence can be pulled out even when offline.
Videos and other files that were downloaded from this conversation will still be available in the media gallery.
Archiving a single chat in WhatsApp
On Android
To archive a conversation when using a gadget on Android, you need to:
- Go to the first screen of the messenger.
- Press and hold the dialog until a menu appears at the top of the screen.
- Tap on the archive icon, which is a square with an arrow pointing down.
For iPhone
For iPhone owners, the sequence is as follows:
- Open the application.
- Find the desired dialogue and swipe (swipe) over it from right to left.
- In the menu that appears, select "Archive".
In addition, on Apple gadgets, you can tap the "Chats" icon, select several conversations and click "Archive".
Archiving all chats
To remove all groups and individual conversations from the main screen on Android, you need to:
How to restore messages from the WhatsApp archive
You can read hidden messages without extracting them to the main screen. It is enough to go to the section containing hidden conversations and open the one you need.
If the person with whom the chat was archived sends a new message, the conversation will be automatically retrieved by the messenger and moved to the active list.
How to unarchive a chat in WhatsApp on iPhone
To independently transfer the archived correspondence to the list of active ones, the iPhone user needs: ;
On Android
If a user wants to return an archived conversation to the WhatsApp home screen, they need to:
- open the application;
- scroll through the list of conversations to the very end;
- click on the blue inscription "Archived" to enter it;
- in the list of dialogs that appears, click on the one you need, hold until the menu appears;
- click on the icon with the arrow pointing up.
How to delete the archive
Deleting conversations moved to the WhatsApp archive and dialogues from the main screen is done according to the same principle.
If you want to delete the WhatsApp group chat, you must first exit it. This can be done through the main menu or through an open conversation. In both cases, you will need to click the ellipsis icon and select the desired item. After that, the "Delete group" button will be available in the same menu.
Android
To delete a conversation on a gadget with the Android operating system, you need to:
- go to the "Archived" section, where all hidden conversations are located;
- find the desired correspondence;
- press and hold until the menu appears;
- tap on the trash can icon;
- Confirm the action in the dialog box that appears by clicking on the "OK" button.
iPhone
Users of iOS gadgets can delete an unwanted chat as follows:
- find an unwanted conversation through the "Search" line or scroll through archived conversations;
- swipe on the chat to be deleted;
- click on the ellipsis sign;
- in the menu that appears, select the "Delete" section;
- confirm action.
Although the dialogue with this contact can be created again, the lost information cannot be recovered. Re-downloading it from the application servers will also fail. All data is deleted immediately after delivery to the addressee.
WhatsApp provides users with the "Archive Chat" feature, which will allow users to save conversations and read messages later. This will make it possible not to lose important information and received content. This function is offered to owners of iPhone devices (the operating system iOS 7 must be installed), Android, Windows Phone, Nokia S40, BlackBerry, Nokia S60, BlackBerry 10.
How to read the archive of messages in WhatsApp, and how to add new information there?
How to archive a chat and read the archive?
There are two ways to add information to the archive:
- Go to the "Settings" section and select the "Archive all chats" function. The application will automatically add all existing correspondence to the archive.
- Open Chats and swipe from right to left on the desired conversation, then click on the "Archive" item. This will save only one specific conversation.
To read archived messages, go to the Chats tab and find Search, then select the chat you want to extract from the archive. Swipe left on it and select Archived. Also, the archived chat will be unarchived automatically if fresh messages are added to it.
How to recover lost messages?
If you accidentally delete any important message, just reinstall the program. Every night WhatsApp makes backup copies of conversations and after reinstallation it will offer you to restore all chats.
