Possible innocent reasons for this? Tbh, any reason would be welcomed because I actually can't think of any...

[AlwaysTimeToGoSomewhere]

With the exception that there have been messages he wouldn't want me to see and doesn't want a message to pop up when I'm with him that I might see.

I'm 47. My boyfriend is 59. I love him but I think it's fair to say he's not the sort of man that a much younger woman would be attracted to 🤷🏻‍♀️ He's also not the sort of man to give me reason to mistrust him. He's open with everyone about he feels about me etc. I'm not a secret etc etc.

Anyway, I noticed the other day that he had created an 'archived' folder on WhatsApp. I don't know why but it rang huge alarm bells. I've never archived a chat, I've only ever seen them mentioned on here in terms of being suspicious because it allows someone to receive a message without it being seen at the top of their message screen - the sort of thing you might be bothered about if you were doing something you shouldn't be.

He isn't protective about his phone at all and leaves it lying around.

I'm not proud of it but I looked.

There was an archived chat in there but there were no messages in it. Only the initial notification about the messages being encrypted.

The profile pic was of a woman who I doubt was older than 20. Certainly young looking if older than that. No make up, not a provocative photo in anyway, nothing special about her. Just a normal looking girl. First name only. It's just not what I expected to see.

Is there any way this can be innocent?

So I can see people archive for all sorts of reasons that mean nothing. But none of them explain why he might have a recently created archive folder with one contact in it - an empty chat from much younger woman.

It obviously isn't a work colleague (he works in a completely male environment); isn't someone he's bought something from; isn't a daughter or a niece; isn't an estranged family member; not someone from online dating...

It's clearly someone he felt the need to delete the chat with but doesn't want to block.

But lots of people are telling you you don't have to create an archive folder. If you go to delete something then it is very easy to archive it by mistake. The lack of messages and the still intact encrypted message makes it sound like a spam message he deleted.

But if you intended to block, and archived by accident when you had no other archived messages, you'd immediately see the archive messages folder you'd inadvertently created and correct your mistake.

The archived message folder is at the top of the screen.

All WhatsApp messages are encrypted

I have loads of archived chats. Usually because I try to swipe to delete them but it auto stores them in Archie that way. Very annoying

He doesn't have loads though. He has 1.

Maybe it's nothing but the fact it has bothered me so much may be an indicator that I'm not really at peace with this relationship after all.

I think that’s really the crux of the matter. I would do nothing while you think what you really want and if you’re truly happy. No point having this out with him if you’re not happy and want to leave anyway.

I think I trust that he wouldn't cheat on me physically but I don't trust him to not cross my boundaries in other ways.

I don't think I trust him to protect the relationship. And that's why this has bothered me.

I think I trust that he wouldn't cheat on me physically but I don't trust him to not cross my boundaries in other ways.

I don't think I trust him to protect the relationship. And that's why this has bothered me.

Most likely spam.

So why not block or delete?

Because like everyone has said, the option to delete a chat on WhatsApp isn’t readily available. Many times I’ve gone to try and delete something and the archive option is what presents where you’d expect delete to be when you swipe.

Well yes, exactly.

Deleting might not be obvious. But blocking is easy.

Archive is a pre installed folder, that you swipe one way to archive a chat or the other to delete. I've ended up archiving chats instead of deleting them. I'd say it's likely its a contact saved in his phone if you can only see the profile and no messages, he probably accidently clicked on the contact and went ti write the message, realised it was for the wrong person, went to delete it but archived instead. Anyone saved in your phone comes up on your WhatsApp if they have WhatsApp installed too.

Blimey...I'm always archiving messages! I can assure you there's absolutely nothing dodgy about them 🤣 I simply don't need to access them anymore 🤷‍♀️