Messenger Viber has long ceased to be just a means for communicating with friends and colleagues, having turned into a powerful platform for business interaction with clients. However, many users are faced with a situation where their personal space is clogged with intrusive mailings, promotional offers and automatic messages from various companies. These so-called business chats can take up space in the main list of dialogues, distract with notifications and create visual noise.
Fortunately, the developers have provided several mechanisms to control these dialogues. You can not only delete correspondence, but also completely hide account activity, move it to a separate folder, or block receiving messages. In this article we will analyze in detail all the available methods for managing business accounts on devices controlled by Android. Understanding the difference between deleting, archiving and blocking will help you customize the messenger to suit your personal needs.
It is important to immediately note that the concept of “remove” can be interpreted in different ways: someone wants to delete the history of correspondence, and someone wants to forever get rid of the ability to receive messages from a specific brand. We'll look at both scenarios, focusing on privacy settings and spam filtering. This will allow you to restore the cleanliness of the interface and peace of mind.
The concept of a business account and differences from regular chat
Before you start deleting or hiding, you need to clearly understand what exactly you are dealing with. Business Account in Viber - this is the official company profile, verified by the platform. Unlike a regular contact, such a chat has a special label, often an expanded menu of actions, and the ability to receive automatic replies. These conversations are often created automatically after you scan a QR code in a store, call customer support, or place an order online.
The main problem is that these chats can continue to send notifications even after your interaction with the company has ended. These could be promotions, surveys, or just reminders about yourself. Visually, they are no different from ordinary dialogues in the list, unless you look closely at the icon or name. Therefore, the first step to putting things in order is identification unwanted interlocutors.
Users often confuse business chats with regular groups or channels. However, the mechanism for controlling them has its own characteristics. For example, you cannot simply “leave” a chat with a bot in the same way as a group; this requires either blocking or specific notification settings. Understanding this architecture will help you avoid mistakes when trying to clear your contact list.
⚠️ Warning: Not all messages from companies are spam. Some of them contain important information about your orders or tickets. Before deleting, make sure that the conversation does not contain critical data that you may need in the future.
Basic deletion of correspondence and clearing the list of dialogues
The simplest and most obvious way to remove a chat from view is to delete the conversation itself. This method is suitable if you need to quickly clear the list of completed conversations that are no longer relevant. However, it is worth remembering that simply deleting a conversation from the list does not always guarantee that the company will not write to you again if they have your number and permission to send mailings.
To perform this operation on Android you need to hold down the icon of the unnecessary chat in the general list with your finger. Hold down until the context menu or highlight mode appears. A toolbar will appear at the top of the screen, where you need to select the trash can icon. The system will ask you to confirm the action, since this process irreversible is for the local history on your device.
If you want to delete several business chats at the same time, the selection mode allows you to check off multiple dialogs at once. This saves time during mass cleaning. After confirmation, all selected conversations will disappear from the main screen. The message history will be erased without the possibility of recovery if you do not have backup configured to the cloud.
☑️ Check before deleting the chat
It is important to distinguish between deleting a chat and blocking a contact. Deleting only removes the conversation history from your screen, but technically leaves the communication channel open for incoming messages from the business if they initiate the conversation first. Therefore, for complete isolation, this method is often only the first step.
Archiving chats as a way to hide without deleting
If you are not ready to completely delete the chat history, but want to remove visual noise from the main screen, the function Archivewill be the ideal solution. Archived chats are hidden from the main list, but are saved in a special folder. This is an excellent compromise for those who want to keep their finger on the pulse, but not see constant notifications in the general feed.
To send a business chat to the archive, swipe (move your finger) across the dialogue from right to left. On most versions Viber for Android This action instantly moves the chat to the archive. An alternative method is to long press on the chat and select the down arrow box icon from the top menu. After this, the dialogue will disappear from the general list.
The archive is accessed through the main menu of the messenger. Typically, the archive icon is located at the top of the chat list or in the side settings menu, depending on the interface version. Inside the archive, chats behave like normal ones: if a new message arrives, the conversation can automatically return to the main list, unless special restrictions are configured.
How to prevent a chat from leaving the archive?
To prevent an archived business chat from returning to the general list when a new message is received, you must first disable notifications for this specific contact. Go to your chat settings and select "Mute" or "Mute notifications." Then new messages will arrive quietly, without pulling the chat out of the archive.
Using the archive allows you to structure the messenger space. You can create a system for yourself where active personal dialogues are at the top, and all interactions with stores, delivery services and banks are neatly stored in an archive. This increases productivity and reduces the level of stress from constantly flashing notifications.
Blocking business accounts and protecting against spam
The most radical and effective method of combating unwanted mailings is a full blocking business account. When you block a contact, the company can no longer message you, call you, or see your online status. This creates an impenetrable barrier between you and the source of spam.
To block, you need to go inside the dialogue itself. Tap the company name or profile picture at the top of the screen to open the contact's profile. Scroll down to the very bottom of the page, where the red button or menu option "Block" is usually located. Confirm your decision in the pop-up window. After this, the chat will be moved to the black list.
In Viber's privacy settings there is a separate section for managing the black list. All blocked users and business accounts go there. You can unblock them at any time if you change your mind or if the blocking was made by mistake. However, it is worth considering that unblocking may again open access to mailing.
| Action | Influence on notifications | Saving history | Possibility of repeated contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deleting a chat | Notifications are possible | No (locally) | Yes, with a new message |
| Archiving | Depends on settings | Yes | Yes, the chat will return to the list |
| Blocked | Completely disabled | Yes (hidden) | No until you unblock |
| Unsubscribe | Disabled | Yes | Only if you subscribe again |
Blocking is especially relevant for aggressive marketing campaigns. If a business account continues to send messages even after asking you to stop sending messages, blocking becomes the only legal way to protect your borders in the digital space.
Unsubscribing from mailings within a business chat
Many official business accounts in Viber provide a legal opportunity to unsubscribe from the mailing list right inside the chat interface. This is a softer method than blocking, which allows you to maintain a communication channel for important service notifications (for example, order status), but cuts out advertising noise.
To use this feature, open a dialogue with your business account. Often at the bottom of the screen, under the message input field, or in the attachment menu (paperclip or plus sign), you can find the “Unsubscribe” or “Unsubscribe” button. In some cases, this option is hidden in the contact's profile under the "Notification Settings" or "Subscriptions" item.
After clicking the button, the system may ask for a reason for unsubscribing or offer to select the type of notifications you want to receive. For example, you can leave only delivery notifications, but disable promotions. This gives you flexible control over what content gets to your smartphone.
If the “Unsubscribe” button is not explicitly displayed, try sending the bot a message with the word “STOP” or “Cancel”. Many automated systems recognize these key commands and automatically unsubscribe.
Using the built-in unsubscribe is the preferred method for loyal brands. This signals to the company that you are still a customer but are not interested in ongoing marketing exposure. Blocking can be perceived as a complete severance of relations with the brand.
Setting up global notifications and filters
In addition to working with each chat separately, Viber allows you to set up global rules for processing incoming messages from unfamiliar contacts and business accounts. This is a preventative measure to help prevent belt clogging in the future. The settings are located in the general section of the messenger parameters.
Go to the menu More → Settings → Notifications. Here you can find options regarding messages from unknown senders. Although Viber doesn't have a strict "friends only" filter like some other instant messengers, you can turn off sounds and vibration for all chats except selected ones. This will create a silent mode for all new business conversations.
It is also worth paying attention to the section Privacy. There you can limit the ability to add you to groups and configure profile visibility. The less information about you is publicly available, the less likely it is that your number will end up in databases for automatic distribution of business accounts.
⚠️ Attention: The Viber application interface is updated regularly. The location of the "Unfollow" or "Block" menu items may vary slightly depending on the Android OS version and the app itself. If you do not find the described buttons, use the search in the settings inside the application.
Regularly reviewing notification settings helps keep your smartphone in working order. Don't let your phone vibrate every five minutes because of a promotion at a clothing store you visited a year ago. Proactively setting up filters saves battery power and nerve cells.
A comprehensive approach to cleaning: a combination of archiving for old dialogues, unsubscribing for loyal brands and blocking for aggressive spam gives the best result in the fight for a clean interface.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Is it possible to restore a deleted business chat in Viber?
If you deleted a chat without first creating a backup copy in Google Drive or locally, it is impossible to restore the correspondence. Deleting is an irreversible action for the message history on the device. However, the business account itself will remain in the system, and you can start a new dialogue with it by finding it through a search or scanning the QR code again.
Why does business chat return from the archive after a new message?
By default, the messenger architecture is designed so that any new incoming message brings the dialogue to the top of the list of active chats, pulling it out of the archive. To avoid this, before archiving, you need to go to the settings of a specific chat and completely turn off notifications (set the mode to "Silent" forever). Then messages will arrive hidden, without disturbing the archive.
Will the company see that I have blocked their business account?
The company does not receive direct notification of blocking. However, they may indirectly know this if they stop receiving read receipts (checkmarks) or if their messages stop being delivered (delivery status changes). For the user, this is a safe action that does not entail fines or sanctions.
How to distinguish an official business account from scammers?
Official business accounts in Viber have a special blue checkmark or briefcase icon next to the name. Also, the profile of such a contact usually describes the company’s activities in detail and contains links to the official website. Fraudsters often use regular avatars and names that imitate brands, but without platform verification. Always check these details before clicking on links.
Is there a mass way to delete all business chats at once?
The built-in function “Delete all business chats with one button” does not exist in Viber for security reasons, so that the user does not accidentally lose important correspondence. You will have to delete or archive dialogs one by one or in groups, selecting them with a long press. It is not recommended to use third-party cleaning applications, as this may disrupt the operation of the messenger.