How to archive chats on the Signal mobile or desktop app, and clear out your inbox without deleting important messages

• You can archive chats in the Signal messaging app to hide them from view if you don't need them clogging up your inbox anymore.
• To archive a chat on an iPhone, swipe it to the left and choose "Archive."
• On an Android, tap and hold the chat and then tap the Archive icon from the banner at the top of the screen.
• You can archive chats in the desktop app by using the three-dot menu.

If you regularly use Signal for its security and end-to-end encryption, you might occasionally have chats that you would like to keep around, but don't want to clutter your Signal inbox. You can archive these chats and unarchive them whenever you need to reference them again. The process of archiving is slightly different on iPhone, Android, and desktop.

How to archive chats in Signal on an iPhone, and unarchive them

1. Open the Signal app on your iPhone.

2. Find the chat you want to archive and then swipe it to the left.

3. You can swipe all the way to the left or stop and tap "Archive" when the swipe options appear.

The chat will now appear in the Archived Chats section at the bottom of the screen. If you want to unarchive a chat stored there, tap "Archived Chats" and swipe the chat to the left. Then choose "Unarchive."

How to archive chats in Signal on an Android, and unarchive them

1. Open the Signal app on your Android device.

2. Tap and hold the chat you want to archive until the banner appears at the top of the screen.

3. Tap the Archive icon, which is shaped like a folder with an arrow in it.

The chat will now appear in the Archived Conversations section at the bottom of the screen. If you want to unarchive a chat stored there, tap "Archived Conversations" and then tap and hold the chat you want to restore. Then tap the Unarchive icon in the banner, which is shaped like a folder with an arrow in it.

How to archive chats in Signal on a desktop, and unarchive them

1. Open the Signal app on your desktop.

2. Click the conversation you want to archive, and then click the three-dot menu icon on the right side of the window.

3. In the dropdown menu, choose "Archive Conversation."

The chat will now appear in the Archived Conversations section at the bottom of the screen in the pane on the left. If you want to unarchive a chat stored there, click "Archived Conversations" and then click the chat you want to restore. Click the three-dot menu on the right, and in the dropdown menu click "Move Conversation to Inbox."

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• What to know about Signal, the secure messaging app that keeps all of your conversations private
  

• How to block or unblock someone on the Signal secure-messaging app in just a few taps

• How to invite someone to Signal, the popular encrypted messaging app, via text message or email

• How to add someone to a Signal group chat or remove users

• How to create a Signal chat to talk with individuals or groups on the secure messaging platform