WhatsApp Chat Archive: A Complete Guide for iOS and Android Users

WhatsApp archive is a feature that allows you to hide messages from your Chat screen so that you can retrieve and read them later. Archiving messages can be a good option when you want to hide old chats but don't want to delete them. Here's how to create a WhatsApp archive for individual and group chats.

What Is Archiving in WhatsApp?

Archiving messages in WhatsApp moves chats from the Chat screen into the WhatsApp archive. Archiving doesn't delete your messages. Instead, it hides messages from view. This can help you organize better while keeping the messages you want to save.

The process of archiving messages is different depending on whether you have an iPhone or Android device.

How to Archive a WhatsApp Chat on iPhone

Archiving messages in WhatsApp can be done from the Chats screen. These instructions apply to individual and group chats.

1. Open WhatsApp on your iPhone.

2. Select the Chats icon at the bottom of the screen.

3. Select the chat you want to archive, slide the message to the left, and choose Archive.

4. The chat is archived and removed from the Chats view.

   

How to Unarchive a WhatsApp Chat on iPhone

The Archived Chats option is hidden from view when you have open chats. Instead, access Archived Chats either by swiping or searching. You can also unarchive all chats through the WhatsApp settings.

Unarchive Chats by Swiping

A simple swipe is all you need to unarchive chats you've sent to the archive. This allows you to view archived chats, just as you would active chats.

1. From the Chats screen, swipe down from the top of the screen.

2. Choose Archived Chats.

3. From the Archived Chats screen, select the chat you want to unarchive, slide your finger to the left, then choose Unarchive. This action restores the message to Chats.

   

Unarchive Chats by Searching

In addition to swiping, you can access archived messages by searching for a person's or group's name.

1. From the Chats screen, select the Search bar and enter the name of the person or group you want to find.

   If it's not visible, you may have to swipe down on the screen to access the Search bar.

2. If there's an archived message matching your search criteria, the name appears in the search results below. Archived messages have an Archived tag next to them.

3. Tap the name of the person or group you want to unarchive, slide your finger to the left, then choose Unarchive. This action restores the message to Chats.

   

Unarchive All Chats Through the Settings

It's also possible to unarchive your chats through the WhatsApp settings. Doing this can be helpful if you don't remember which chats you archived.

To do so, select Settings > Chats > Unarchive All Chats. This restores all archived chats to the Chats window.

How to Archive and Unarchive a WhatsApp Chat on Android

Archiving and unarchiving a WhatsApp chat on Android is straightforward, involving only a few steps. Here's how to do it.

1. Open WhatsApp on your Android.

2. Select the Chats tab, then tap and hold the chat you want to archive until the green bubble appears.

3. Select the three vertical dots in the upper-right corner, then choose Archive chat. This sends the chat to the archived location.

How to Unarchive a WhatsApp Chat on Android

If you archived a chat on WhatsApp and want to put it back into plain view, you can unarchive it. Here's how it's done on Android.

1. In the Chat screen, scroll to the bottom of the screen and select Archived to open the Archived Chats folder.

2. Tap and hold the chat you want to unarchive, then select the Unarchive icon in the toolbar. The unarchive option looks like a floppy disk with an upward pointing arrow on it.