How to hide a friend in WhatsApp on Android on your phone?

How to hide a friend in WhatsApp on Android on your phone - briefly?

To hide a friend in WhatsApp on an Android device, follow these simple steps:

  1. Open WhatsApp and go to the chat with the contact you want to hide.
  2. Tap on the three dots (⋮) at the top right corner of the screen, select "View Contact," and then tap on the lock icon next to their name. This will hide their chats from your main WhatsApp screen.

How to hide a friend in WhatsApp on Android on your phone - in detail?

Hiding a specific contact or friend in WhatsApp on an Android device can be achieved through several methods, each serving different purposes and levels of privacy. Below is a detailed guide to help you manage the visibility of friends in your WhatsApp contacts list.

Archiving Chats

  1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android phone.
  2. Locate the Chat: Scroll through your chat list to find the conversation with the friend you wish to hide.
  3. Archive the Chat: Long-press on the chat to select it, then tap the archive icon (a downward-facing arrow) at the top of the screen. The chat will be moved to the "Archived Chats" folder.
  4. Access Archived Chats: To view archived chats, tap the three dots in the upper right corner of WhatsApp and select "Archived Chats."

Muting Notifications

  1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android phone.
  2. Locate the Chat: Find the chat with the friend you wish to mute.
  3. Mute the Chat: Long-press on the chat to select it, then tap the mute icon (a speaker with a slash) at the top of the screen. You can choose how long you want to mute notifications for: 8 hours, 1 week, or 1 year.
  4. Custom Mute Settings: For more control, tap on "More options" and select "Custom." Here you can choose whether to receive notifications with or without sound, and if the notification should show a preview.

Disabling Read Receipts

  1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android phone.
  2. Access Settings: Tap the three dots in the upper right corner to open the menu and select "Settings."
  3. Account Privacy: Navigate to "Account" > "Privacy."
  4. Read Receipts: Under the "Messages" section, toggle off "Read receipts." This will prevent your friends from seeing when you've read their messages.

Blocking Contacts (Last Resort)

  1. Open WhatsApp: Launch the WhatsApp application on your Android phone.
  2. Locate the Contact: Find the contact or friend you wish to block in your contacts list.
  3. Block the Contact: Long-press on the chat, then tap the three dots at the top right and select "More" > "Block." Confirm by tapping "BLOCK" again. This will hide all messages from this contact and prevent them from seeing your online status or any changes to your profile photo.

Conclusion

By using these methods, you can effectively manage the visibility of specific friends in WhatsApp on your Android device. Whether you choose to archive chats, mute notifications, disable read receipts, or as a last resort block contacts, these steps will help you maintain a level of privacy and control over your communications.