James Harper
How To Archive Conversations in Signal in 2025
If your Signal chat list is getting out of control or just looking messy, archiving chats can be a lifesaver. It hides those conversations you’re not actively using but still want to keep around, without deleting anything. Honestly, it’s pretty straightforward, but sometimes Signal behaves unexpectedly or the options aren’t super obvious, especially if you’re switching between iOS and Android. This guide is about making that process a little clearer and more reliable, so your messaging interface stays tidy. By the end, you’ll be able to archive and unarchive chats without breaking a sweat.
How to Archive Conversations in Signal
Method 1: Using the built-in archive feature on iOS & Android
Archiving a chat in Signal is mostly about knowing where the archive button is and using it correctly. On iOS, it’s usually a matter of swiping left on a conversation and hitting archive. On Android, you’ll hold the chat in your list and then tap on an archive icon or menu. Sounds simple, but Signal decided to hide this a bit in the UI, so here’s a quick rundown:
Swipe or long-press to find the archive option
- On iPhone: Swipe left on a chat until you see options pop up. Tap the Archive icon (a box with a downward arrow) or whatever label it has on your version. Sometimes it just says Archive.
- On Android: Long-press on a chat. A menu pops up at the top or bottom — look for the Archive icon (could be three dots or a box with a downward arrow). Tap that.
Why it helps: This keeps your main list clean and uncluttered. When a chat is archived, it’s out of sight but not gone, so no worrying about losing important info.
Accessing archived chats
When those archived chats are out of sight, you can find them at the top or bottom of your chat list — depends on your app version. Look for the Archived Conversations section, tap it, and boom, all your hidden chats are there. Otherwise, it’s usually an option in the menu or swipe-down gesture on some newer versions.
When you get new messages in an archived chat, Signal will bring the chat back into your main list automatically — kind of weird, but on some setups, it takes a second or requires a force-refresh. Happens to me sometimes.
Unarchiving a conversation
If you decide you want the chat back in your main feed, just go to Archived Conversations, swipe left or long-press again, and choose Unarchive. Bam, it’s right back where it was. Easy peasy. Sometimes Signal doesn’t update instantly, so closing the app and reopening can speed things up.
Extra tips & common pitfalls
- Keep Signal updated. Older versions sometimes don’t behave quite right when archiving or unarchiving.
- If it refuses to archive, try restarting the app — sometimes the cache gets wonky, and a refresh fixes it.
- Archived chats are still searchable, so don’t worry if you can’t find a conversation later; just search directly.
- Beware: If you’re part of a group chat and archive it, you’ll still get notifications unless you mute the group.
On some phones or versions, the archive button doesn’t show up consistently or requires doing things differently. Patience is key — Signal can be a little finicky sometimes. And of course, because Signal’s UI isn’t always super obvious, trial and error might be needed.
Wrap-up
Archiving in Signal isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s a handy tool to keep your chat list manageable. Knowing where to swipe or long-press can save a lot of hassle and keep important messages out of sight but not lost. Just remember, if a chat seems stubborn, try restarting the app or checking for updates. Sometimes Signal’s UI quirks demand a restart or cache clear (or just patience). Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours of clutter for someone.
Summary
- Swipe left (iPhone) or long-press (Android) to find the archive option
- Access archived chats at the top/end of your chat list
- Archiving doesn’t delete or mute the chat by default
- New messages in archived chats will bring them back to the main list
- Keep app updated — Signal can be a little buggy