Telegram is one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 500 million active users. Its cloud-based platform offers robust privacy and allows users to access messages across multiple devices.
One handy Telegram feature is the ability to archive chats. Archiving removes conversations from your main chat list without deleting them. This helps declutter your interface and focus on current conversations.
However, as chats get archived, many users forget where they are stored or how to access them. This article will guide you through retrieving and managing your archived Telegram chats.
Table of Contents
Locating the Archived Chats Folder
The first step is finding where Telegram stores your archived conversations. Here’s how to locate the folder:
On Mobile
- Open the Telegram app on your phone.
- Swipe down on the main chat list. This reveals additional menu options at the top.
- Look for the “Archived Chats” folder. On Android, it has a small archive icon. On iOS, it shows the number of archived threads.
- If you don’t see the folder, continue swiping down to refresh. The app needs to sync the archive from Telegram’s cloud server.
On Desktop
- In the desktop app, your archived chats have a dedicated sidebar.
- By default, this sidebar is visible on the far left. If hidden, click the “+” button at the bottom to reveal it.
- The top section shows your archived chats. Click any conversation to open it.
Viewing Archived Conversations
Once you’ve located the Archived Chats folder, tap or click any conversation to view it.
You can scroll through messages, view media, or continue chatting:
- Read Messages: Scroll up to read through your archived history. Content is preserved identically to when you archived.
- View Media: Photos, videos, and files sent in archived chats remain available. Tap any attached media to view, save, or forward it.
- Continue Chatting: Send new messages in an archived chat. The thread automatically gets unarchived and moves back to your main list.
Unarchiving Conversations
You may wish to restore an archived chat back to your main list for easy access. Here’s how to unarchive Telegram conversations:
On Mobile
- Open your Archived Chats folder.
- Swipe left on the chat you want to unarchive.
- Tap “Unarchive” to move it back to your main list.
On Desktop
- Right-click the chat in your archive list.
- Click “Unarchive Chat” from the menu.
The conversation immediately gets removed from your archive and added to your main chat list.
Muting Archived Chats
Unarchiving chats each time you get a new message can be annoying. Fortunately, you can mute archived Telegram conversations:
On Mobile
- Open Archived Chats and tap the chat you want to mute.
- Tap the mute icon in the top-right corner.
- Choose to mute for 8 hours, 2 days, 1 week, or forever.
Muted threads stay archived even when receiving new messages.
On Desktop
- Right-click a chat in your archived chats list.
- Click “Mute” and select a duration to mute notifications.
Organizing Your Archive
As your archive grows, keeping it organized can be tricky. Here are tips for managing your archived Telegram chats:
Pin Important Chats
Pin up to 10 archived conversations to the top of the folder. This keeps important threads easily accessible:
- Open Archived Chats on mobile or desktop.
- Swipe left (mobile) or right-click (desktop) the chat.
- Choose “Pin to top” to pin the thread.
Pinned chats show at the top with a small pin icon.
Use Custom Notifications
Set custom notification sounds for important archived chats on desktop:
- Right-click the chat and choose “Custom Notifications”.
- Pick a unique sound to assign to that conversation.
You’ll then hear that custom sound when receiving messages in the archived chat.
Search Archives
Use Telegram’s search bar to quickly find archived conversations:
- Open the app and bring up the search bar.
- Type any keywords, names, or phrases associated with the chat or messages.
- Tap the result to open the archived thread.
This allows retrieving archives without scrolling through your full list.
Backing Up Your Archive
While Telegram archives get stored in the cloud, backing them up provides an extra layer of protection.
Here are two ways to backup your Telegram archive:
Telegram Desktop Data Export
The desktop app offers full data exports including your chat archives:
- In Telegram desktop, open Settings > Advanced > Export Telegram data
- Choose whether to export messages only or include media
- Select a folder to save the export file
This exports your full Telegram data including archives to a single downloadable file.
Third-Party Backup Tools
Dedicated Telegram backup tools also archive your chat data:
- iMyFone iTransor: Backs up all Telegram data including chat history, contacts, and media.
- Syncios: Creates accessible archives of your Telegram data and messages.
These tools provide user-friendly interfaces to backup and restore your full Telegram account.
Final Words
Archiving chats is a great way to organize your conversations in Telegram. Learning how to retrieve and manage archives allows you to access old messages without cluttering up your main chat list.
Following the tips above, you can easily view archived Telegram chats, unarchive threads, keep your archive organized, search through it quickly, and create backups.
With these best practices, your Telegram archived messages remain at your fingertips! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about managing your archived chats.
