How to bring archived chat back in whatsapp


Accidentally archived your WhatsApp chat? Here’s how to unarchive

By: Tech Desk New Delhi | Updated: November 24, 2022 09:04 IST

WhatsApp lets users hide conversations using the 'Archive' feature. (Express Photo)

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging platforms. With billions of users worldwide, people use it for both personal and office work. But at times, some of us might accidentally end up adding a group or individual chat to the ‘archived’ feature.  The end result: Finding that chat can prove to be a challenge, especially if you are a senior citizen or someone who is not familiar with all of these features. We explain how to take these chats out of the archive and ensure they appear in the main tab once again.

First, what is WhatsApp archive?

WhatsApp will let users ‘Archive’ a chat when they no longer wish to receive alerts from a person or a group. The ‘archive’ button hides the conversation from the main chat window without deleting it. However, you can view them by simply scrolling to the top of the ‘Chats’ tab and tapping on the ‘Archived’ section. By default, archived chats will stay archived even if you get a new message from that individual or group chat.

Also Read |10 Android apps that will change how you use WhatsApp

But you can change this behaviour by heading over to ‘Settings’, tapping on ‘Chat’ and toggling the ‘Keep chats archived’ option. This automatically unarchives the chat when you receive a new message.

How to archive and unarchive chats

If you want to hide a particular chat or don’t want group messages to pop up in the chats tab, you might find the archive feature useful. However, the process to archive and unarchive chats differs on Android and iOS.

If you are using an Android device, long press on the chat you want to hide and tap on the box-like icon with a downward arrow next to the sound icon. This will move the conversation to the archived section.

To unarchive the chat, simply head over to the archived section at the top of the conversation list, long-press on the chat you want to unarchive and press the box icon with the upward arrow and you are good to go.

Also Read |WhatsApp desktop beta gets a screen lock feature to improve user security

For those on iOS, swipe left on the chat or group and tap on the box icon with a downward arrow to archive the conversation. Unarchiving a chat requires users to head to the archive section and swipe left on the chat. Here, tap on the box icon with an upward arrow and your chat will again appear in the WhatsApp chats tab.

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Alternatively, you can also search for the conversation you want to archive or unarchive, long press it and WhatsApp will let show you the option to archive or unarchive it.

Also Read

In case you want to archive all chats, simply head over to the app settings, tap on ‘Chats’, navigate to ‘Chat History’ and you will see an option that says ‘Archive all chats’.

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First published on: 23-11-2022 at 18:14 IST

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  • Whatsapp
  • WhatsApp Messenger

How to archive or unarchive a chat in WhatsApp

Unless you like chaos, it’s always good practice to keep your online chats organized. This means archiving old conversations when they are no longer needed to make your messaging inbox look cleaner and easier to look at. But what does it mean to archive something on WhatsApp? How do you archive WhatsApp messages on Android and iPhone?

Read more: How to use WhatsApp — a step-by-step beginner’s guide

QUICK ANSWER

To archive a message in WhatsApp, select it. On Android, tap the Archive icon at the top of the screen. On iPhone, select it by sliding left on the message and choosing Archive.


JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS

  • How to archive a WhatsApp chat on Android
  • How to archive a WhatsApp chat on iPhone
  • How to find your archived chats again and unarchive them
  • How to change the default archive settings on iPhone and Android

How to archive a WhatsApp chat on Android

Archiving messages on Android WhatsApp is extremely easy. Long-press on the chat you want to archive until you see a small green tick appear next to the user picture. Then tap on the Archive button at the top of the screen.

The chat will now disappear from the screen. If this is the first time you have archived something, a new Archived section will appear below. This is where all of your archived chats will now live. Simply tap on it to open it.

How to archive all chats on WhatsApp Android

To archive all chats on WhatsApp Android simultaneously, long-press on one until you see the green arrow appear. Then tap all of the others one at a time. Then tap the Archive button at the top of the screen for all conversations to be moved to the Archived section.

How to archive a WhatsApp chat on iPhone

Archiving a WhatsApp conversation on an iPhone is slightly different, but the method is still easy.

Go to the main WhatsApp screen and slide from right to left the conversation you want to archive. This will make two buttons appear, one of which is Archive. Tap that, and the conversation will disappear from the screen.

How to archive all chats on WhatsApp iPhone

To archive all chats on the iPhone, tap the Edit button in the top-left-hand corner.

This will make small check circles appear next to each name.

Tap all the ones you want to be archived, then tap Archive at the bottom of the screen. When done, tap Done at the top to return to the normal screen.

Another way is to go to Settings >Chats and select Archive all chats.

How to find your archived chats again and unarchive them

As we’ve previously explained, you can find your archived conversations in the Android app by tapping on the Archived link on the main screen. Find the conversation you want and simply continue it to bring it back to the main screen.

You can unarchive a message on the iPhone by going to the main screen and pulling it down. This will reveal the Archived section just below the search bar. Alternatively, you can search for the person.

When you have found the conversation, either send a message to pull it out of the Archive or slide left on it to reveal the Unarchive button.

How to change the default archive settings on iPhone and Android

On Android and iPhone, you can change the settings, so the conversation stays archived, even if that contact sends a new message. You can find this setting at Settings >Chats >Keep chats archived.


Read more: How to delete WhatsApp messages

FAQs

Yes, you can archive a WhatsApp group. It works on the same principle as archiving a normal chat.

Deleting it removes the message entirely, never to be seen again. Archiving the chat is just like filing it away in a cabinet. You can pull it out in the future if you need to refer to it again or continue the conversation.

How to unzip a WhatsApp chat: all the ways

Hello everyone! Today in the article we will talk about how to archive, unarchive a chat in WhatApp, what it is in general and why this function is needed. This option is often confused with a backup that is automatically saved to the cloud when connected to Wi-Fi. In fact, this feature hides the chat from prying eyes a bit and turns off notifications. Why a little? Yes, because the correspondence can be viewed at any time by clicking on the archive.

Below in the article I have described three methods for Android phones, iOS phones and for the computer Web version. I highly recommend starting with the first chapter, where I go into detail about this feature. Next, look at the content - there we select the device that you need.

Contents

  1. What is an archive in WhatsApp (Usage details)
  2. Android
  3. Archiving
  4. Method 1: One chat
  5. Method 2: All chats
  6. Unarchive
  7. Method 1: One chat
  8. Method 2: all chats
  9. iPhone
  10. One chat
  11. All chats
  12. WhatsApp Web (on a computer or laptop)
  13. Ask the author of Article