WhatsApp has a simple trick for finding old messages: Here’s how to quickly search your chats by date

Trying to find an old WhatsApp message can feel like searching through a digital attic. You may remember roughly when the conversation happened, but scrolling through months or years of messages is hardly practical.

WhatsApp offers a simpler option: you can jump directly to a specific date in an individual or group chat. The feature can save time when you are looking for an old message, photo, link or conversation from a specific day.

Here is how to use WhatsApp's date search feature on Android, iPhone and the web.

How to search WhatsApp chats by date on Android

If you use WhatsApp on an Android phone, you can search within an individual or group chat and jump to a particular date.

1. Open the WhatsApp chat you want to search.
2. Tap the three-dot menu.
3. Tap Search.
4. Tap the calendar icon.
5. Select the date you want to check.
6. Tap OK.

WhatsApp will take you to that point in the conversation, allowing you to look through messages from that date.

How to search WhatsApp chats by date on iPhone

The process is slightly different on iPhone.

1. Open the individual or group chat.
2. Tap the chat name at the top.
3. Tap Search.
4. Tap the calendar icon.
5. Select the date you want to find.
6. Tap Jump to date.

WhatsApp will then take you directly to the selected date in the conversation.

On iPad, WhatsApp's instructions say to open the chat, tap the More menu, then tap Search and finally select the date.

How to search WhatsApp chats by date on the web

WhatsApp Web also lets you search within a conversation by date.

1. Open the WhatsApp chat you want to search.
2. Open the chat's Search option.
3. Select the calendar icon.
4. Choose the date you want to find.
5. WhatsApp will jump to that point in the conversation.

This can be particularly useful when you remember approximately when something was discussed, but cannot remember the exact words used in the message.

You can also search WhatsApp by keyword

If you remember a word or phrase from the conversation, you do not necessarily need to search by date. From the Chats tab, tap or click the search field and enter the word or phrase. Select a result to open the corresponding message.

You can also search for a keyword inside an individual or group chat. WhatsApp additionally lets users search for media such as photos, videos, links, GIFs, audio, documents and polls using its search filters.

What if you cannot find an old chat?

If a group seems to have disappeared, WhatsApp recommends checking the Archived Chats section. You can also search for groups by typing a contact's name. WhatsApp can show Groups in common, allowing you to find groups that you and that contact both belong to.

One thing to remember is that WhatsApp's search database may take some time to rebuild after you restore a chat history from a backup. WhatsApp advises users not to force-close the app while this process is taking place.

The quickest way to find an old WhatsApp message

If you remember the date but not the message, use the calendar search inside the chat. If you remember the words but not the date, use keyword search.

And if you are looking for an old photo, video, link or document, use WhatsApp's media filters from the Chats tab.

Instead of endlessly scrolling through an old conversation, you can use the date-search feature to jump much closer to the message you are actually looking for.