Archive, restore, and delete chats
Updated Oct 16, 2026 · Applies to Web, iPhone, and Android · All plans
Archiving moves a chat out of your sidebar without deleting it, and you can restore it at any time from Data controls. Deleting removes a chat from your account at once, and a deleted chat cannot be restored.
Archive a chat
On the web
Point to the chat in the sidebar, select Chat options (the three dots), then select Archive. In an open chat, select More options at the top right, then Archive.
On iPhone and on Android
Touch and hold the chat in the menu, then tap Archive. In an open chat, tap More options, then Archive.
An archived chat leaves the sidebar but stays in your account until you delete it. It still appears in Search chats, so you can open it there without restoring it.
Archive every chat at once
On the web
- Select your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then select Settings.
- Select Data controls.
- Next to Archive all chats, select Archive all, then select Archive all again to confirm.
On iPhone and on Android
- Open the menu and tap Settings, then Data controls.
- Tap Archive all chats, then tap Archive all to confirm.
Restore an archived chat
On the web
In Settings, select Data controls. Under Archived chats, select Restore next to the chat. It goes back to your sidebar.
On iPhone and on Android
In Settings, tap Data controls, then Archived chats. Tap the chat, then tap Restore to sidebar.
Delete a chat
On the web
- Point to the chat in the sidebar and select Chat options, or open the chat and select More options.
- Select Delete.
- Select Delete again to confirm.
To delete an archived chat, select Delete next to it under Archived chats in Data controls, then confirm.
On iPhone and on Android
- Touch and hold the chat in the menu, or tap More options in an open chat.
- Tap Delete, then tap Delete again to confirm.
To delete an archived chat, open Archived chats in Data controls, tap the chat, then tap Delete.
Delete every chat at once
On the web, in Data controls, select Delete all next to Delete all chats, then select Delete all again to confirm. On iPhone and on Android, in Data controls, tap Delete all chats, then tap Delete all. This removes every chat, archived ones included, and cannot be undone.
What deleting does
- The chat leaves your account at once. It is gone from the sidebar, search, and Archived chats, and it cannot be restored.
- ChatPEP keeps a copy of the chat's text for safety review.
- Files attached to the chat are deleted within a day.
- A shared link made from the chat keeps working. To take one down, contact support with the link. See Share a chat with a link.
- Anything the chat saved to your profile or My Stack stays until you change it there.
See What ChatPEP stores, and for how long for how long everything else is kept.
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Related articles
- Data controls, explainedEvery setting in Data controls, what it does, and where to find it on the web, iPhone, and Android.
- Share a chat with a linkShare a frozen, read-only copy of a chat by link: what the copy includes, what it leaves out, and how long the link works.
- What ChatPEP stores, and for how longThe account, profile, chat, file, and usage data ChatPEP keeps, and when each is deleted.
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