How to discover hidden WhatsApp chats

WhatsApp lets you hide chats from prying eyes. Here's how to archive conversations on the messaging app

Is it possible to hide WhatsApp chats so you never have to read them again? Of course yes: among the many features in the messaging app there is also the possibility to archive "dead" conversations or that we need to hide from prying eyes. WhatsApp chats hide unspeakable secrets that are better not to end up in the wrong hands: a simple joke could be misunderstood and give rise to an unnecessary discussion. This happens especially in groups and chats with friends. What to do in this case?

The best solution is to archive the WhatsApp chat. Doing it is very simple: you just need to know some simple tricks of the messaging application and follow the step-by-step directions. Archiving WhatsApp conversations, however, will not ensure that you hide them forever: just receive a new message to bring it back up. That's why you have to use the "archive WhatsApp chats" feature in the right way and only with conversations that you are sure are permanently dead.

How to archive WhatsApp chats on Android

To hide Android conversations from prying eyes, the procedure to follow is very simple: it only takes a few seconds to make a chat disappear from our sight. You have to open the application, press on Chat and then select the chat you want to archive. Once this step is complete, icons will appear in the upper right corner: click the one in the shape of a mailbox and the chat will be archived, ending up in an ad hoc section of the application.

How to archive WhatsApp conversations on iOS

If you have an iPhone, the procedure to follow is practically the same. Open the app, select the conversation and then press on the mailbox icon. This will hide the WhatsApp chat and move it to an ad-hoc section called "Archived Chats".

How to discover hidden WhatsApp chats

Where do archived WhatsApp chats end up? Very simple: at the bottom of the "Chats" section of the application. By scrolling down, you will find the words "Archived". Pressing it will open a section called "Archived Chats" with inside all the conversations you have hidden. Selecting a chat and clicking on the mailbox icon, the conversation will be de-archived and will be back among those in the "Chat" section. Remember, too, that if we receive a message in an archived chat, it will automatically be brought back up, effectively making archiving unnecessary.