How To Hide Messages on iPhone Without Deleting Them

By default, all your messages and notifications can be seen by everyone having access to your iPhone. You see the problem here?

It can compromise on your privacy, and give those nosy friends a glimpse into your private chats.

Luckily, it's super easy to hide messages on your iPhone without deleting them. Hiding messages isn't just about privacy. It offers several benefits:

• Keeps your lock screen clutter-free.
• You can manage notifications more effectively.
• Helps you focus by reducing distractions.

Let's find out how to hide messages on iPhone without deleting them forever.

How to Hide Messages on iPhone?

We'll discuss different ways and scenarios to hide text messages iPhone—Lock Screen Previews, hiding specific contacts, as well as hiding specific messaging apps.

Here are some easy ways to hide your messages:

1Hide Notifications From Lock Screen

First things first, let's keep those message previews off your lock screen.

Depending on your iPhone's lock screen settings, message previews and notifications might appear right on your lock screen.

This is not ideal if you get a sensitive message or if someone's looking over your shoulder. Here's how to disable it:

Now your messages won't show up on your lock screen for everyone to see.

Tip: You can also choose When Unlocked (Default) instead of completely turning off previews. This way, you'll still see message previews when your phone is unlocked, but they'll be hidden when it's locked.

2Hide Messages From a Specific Person or Phone Number

There are multiple ways to hide messages from an individual contact on your iPhone, such as blocking the number and filtering out unknown senders.

But the easiest method that doesn't require deleting or blocking a contact is using Focus filters on iPhone. Plus you get a lot more customization when it comes to allowing or silencing notifications.

Here's the trick:

This way, you can hide messages from specific people without turning off all your notifications.

The best part is that you can schedule your Focus modes to activate automatically at certain times. For example, you could set up a Work focus that hides personal messages during your work hours. Similarly, you could set up focus modes for “Sleep,” “Driving,” “Study time,” etc.

3Hide Text Messages From Specific Apps

Sometimes you need to hide text messages from specific apps, like iMessage or WhatsApp, rather than hiding them across all platforms.

From iMessage:

Here's how to hide iMessages on iPhone:

If you want to hide all iMessage notifications (but still receive messages when you open the app manually), open "Settings" > "Notifications" > "Messages" and toggle off "Allow Notifications."

From WhatsApp:

In WhatsApp, you have a few options to choose from. You can either disable chat notifications, archive chats, or mute specific chats or groups.

First, here's how to disable notifications:

To mute a chat, just swipe left on the chat and tap "More" > "Mute." You can choose to mute for 8 hours, 1 week, or always.

Remember, these methods only hide messages and notifications. The messages are still there if you open the app.

If you want to completely hide a conversation in WhatsApp, you can swipe left and select "Archive." To find it later, scroll to the top of your message list and tap "Archived Messages."

Ways To Monitor Kid's Hidden Messages

So far, we've learned that hiding iPhone messages is a great way to keep your conversations personal. But as a parent, you might be concerned about your child hiding inappropriate messages on their phone.

Use AirDroid Parental Control to Monitor Hidden Messages

Kids today are tech-savvy and might use various methods to hide their messages, from using secret messaging apps to deleting conversations. This makes it challenging for parents to keep track of potential online risks.

To overcome that, you'll need a comprehensive parental control software like AirDroid Parental Control.

It's an all-in-one solution to monitor and manage your child's online activities, including their messaging habits.

Monitor hidden messages from multiple social media platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, WhatsApp) simultaneously to ensure children's online safety.

Conclusion

Now you know how to hide messages on iPhone. It's easy and can help you manage your privacy and clutter on your phone.

Just remember, hidden doesn't mean deleted—your messages are still there if you need them.

Also, if you need to keep an eye on your kid's messaging activities, consider using a comprehensive monitoring software like AirDroid Parental Control.

FAQs

How To Increase iPhone’s Privacy and Security Function?

Elsa

To further increase iPhone’s privacy and security—Use a strong passcode, turn on Face ID/Touch ID depending on your device model, enable two-factor authentication, and regularly update your iOS version.

Apart from that, you should always be cautious about which apps you grant permissions to, and try to use a VPN when on public Wi-Fi networks.

Will Others Know You Are in Focus/DND Mode?

Elsa

By default, Focus/Do Not Disturb status is not shared. However, you can choose to share your Focus status with specific apps or contacts (by turning on Share Focus Status). When shared, others may see that you have notifications silenced.

How Do I Recover Hidden Messages?

Elsa

If you've hidden messages using the methods above:

1. Step 1. Reverse the steps you took to hide them
2. Step 2. For Focus modes, simply turn off the Focus or adjust its settings
3. Step 3. For app-specific settings, re-enable notifications in Settings

Remember, these methods don't delete messages, so recovery is straightforward.