You can archive or permanently delete conversations in Beside to keep your conversation list organized. Archiving hides a conversation without removing it, while deleting removes it permanently.
📌 Archive and delete are mobile-only. You can only archive or delete conversations from the Beside mobile app (iPhone or Android). The web app at app.beside.com doesn't have these controls yet - but once a conversation is deleted from the mobile app, it's removed on every device you're signed in to, including web.
Archive a conversation
Archiving hides a conversation from your main view without deleting it.
Long-press the conversation you want to archive in the Chats tab
Tap Archive
On Android, you can also swipe a conversation to archive it (swiping the other way pins it).
To view archived conversations, open the Chats tab, tap the filter at the top (default: All), and select Archived.
Pin a conversation
Pinning keeps a conversation at the top of your Chats tab, above everything else, so you don't have to scroll to find the people you talk to most.
On iPhone
Swipe right on the conversation and tap Pin, or
Long-press the conversation and select Pin
On Android
Swipe the conversation in the opposite direction to archiving, or long-press it and select Pin
To unpin, repeat the same action and choose Unpin.
📌 You can pin up to 5 conversations:
The limit is 5 on iPhone and Android, on the latest version of the Beside mobile app. If you pinned more than 5 before updating, they all stay pinned - you just can't add a new one until you drop below 5.
Pinning is not available on 📖 Beside on the web yet.
🟡 Pinned conversations count even when you cannot see them:
A pinned conversation still counts towards the 5 when it is archived, marked as spam, or on another line - so your list can look almost empty while you are still at the limit.
To find them, check the Also archived and Also spam filters, and each of your lines.
💡 Pins are saved on your device: They stay on the phone where you set them. They do not carry over to another phone or tablet, and they are cleared when you sign out.
Delete a conversation
Deleting removes a conversation and all history with that contact - call transcripts and summaries, voicemails, voice notes, and text messages. On a shared line, it is removed for everyone on that line, not just for you.
The steps differ depending on your phone:
On iPhone
Swipe left on the conversation and tap Delete, or
Long-press the conversation and select Delete
On Android
Long-press the conversation and select Delete
⚠️ On Android, swiping does not delete. Swiping a conversation archives it (or pins it, depending on the direction). The conversation leaves your list but is not deleted, so it comes back. To delete on Android, always long-press.
⚠️ Important:
Once deleted, the conversation cannot be recovered.
On a shared line, deleting removes the conversation for the whole team, not just for you.
You cannot delete individual messages - only entire conversations.
Act on several conversations at once
On iPhone and Android, you can select multiple conversations and apply one action to all of them.
In the Chats tab, open the menu at the top right and tap Select conversations
Tap each conversation you want to include, or tap Select all (Deselect all clears your choice). The header shows how many are selected.
Pick an action from the bar at the bottom
The available actions are Archive (or Unarchive), Read (or Unread), Pin (or Unpin), Block, and Delete. Which ones sit in the bar and which are folded into the More menu depends on what you're looking at - on a line or your combined view, Block and Delete live under More. Deleting or blocking asks you to confirm first.
💡 Good to know:
An action greys out if any selected conversation can't take it - Beside never applies an action to only part of your selection.
Whether the button reads Archive or Unarchive (and Read or Unread, Pin or Unpin) follows the majority of what you selected.
You can pin up to 5 conversations. If your selection would take you over, Beside pins none of them and tells you the maximum - see Pin a conversation.
Filter what you see
On iPhone, the Chats tab also has filters so you can narrow the list before acting on it. Under Status, choose Active (the default), Also archived, or Also spam, and you can limit the list to unread conversations. A line above the list shows what you're currently filtered to, and Clear resets it.
Mark conversations as read
To mark a single conversation as read without opening it in the Beside mobile app:
Long-press the conversation in your Chats tab
Tap Mark as Read
To clear several at once, use Select conversations, tap Select all, then tap Read - see Act on several conversations at once.
Archive voice memos
Voice memos can currently be archived only, not permanently deleted. More control over voice memo management is planned for a future update.
Known limitations
⚠️ Deleting from a shared line you don't own doesn't work yet. If you are an invited member rather than the account owner, conversations you delete come back to your list - refreshing, signing out or reinstalling the app won't help, because the deletion never reaches our servers. We have identified the cause and a fix is on the way.
What to do in the meantime: ask the account owner to delete the conversation. Deleting works from their account and clears it for the whole team.
📌 Note: If you don't see the option to delete a conversation, it's likely because the contact is also a Beside user. Archiving and deleting conversations with Beside contacts is not yet supported - this will be improved in a future update.
FAQ
Can I unarchive a conversation?
Can I unarchive a conversation?
Yes. In the Chats tab, tap the filter at the top and select Archived. Find the conversation, then long-press it and tap Unarchive. It will return to your main conversation list. You can also select several archived conversations at once and tap Unarchive.
Can I mark all conversations as read at once?
Can I mark all conversations as read at once?
Yes. Open the menu at the top right of the Chats tab, tap Select conversations, tap Select all, then tap Read.
Can I delete individual messages instead of the whole conversation?
Can I delete individual messages instead of the whole conversation?
No. Beside currently only supports deleting entire conversations. Individual message deletion is not available.
Can I bulk-archive or bulk-delete multiple conversations at once?
Can I bulk-archive or bulk-delete multiple conversations at once?
Yes. Tap Select conversations in the Chats tab menu, choose the conversations you want, then pick Archive or Delete (Delete may sit under More). You can also bulk Read, Pin, and Block.
Why can't I delete a conversation with a specific contact?
Why can't I delete a conversation with a specific contact?
If the contact is also a Beside user, the delete option may not appear. This is a known limitation that the team is working to resolve in a future update.
Why is an action greyed out when I've selected several conversations?
Why is an action greyed out when I've selected several conversations?
Because at least one conversation in your selection can't take that action - Beside greys it out rather than applying it to only some of them. Deselect the conversation that doesn't fit and the action becomes available again. Delete, for example, isn't supported on conversations with another Beside user.
How many conversations can I pin?
How many conversations can I pin?
Up to 5, on the latest version of the Beside mobile app. Pinning is not available on the web app yet. If you had more than 5 pinned before updating, they all stay pinned - you just need to drop below 5 before you can pin a new one.
I unpinned conversations but still cannot pin a new one
I unpinned conversations but still cannot pin a new one
You need to be at 4 or fewer pinned conversations, not exactly 5. At 5, Pin is greyed out in the long-press menu and does not appear at all when you swipe. Remember that pinned conversations still count when they are archived, marked as spam, or on another line, so check the Also archived and Also spam filters and each of your lines. Unpin one more and the option comes back.
I'm on the web app. How do I delete a conversation or its call recording?
I'm on the web app. How do I delete a conversation or its call recording?
You can't delete directly from the web app - these controls are only available in the Beside mobile app today. Open the conversation on your phone, then long-press it and select Delete (on iPhone you can also swipe left and tap Delete). Once deleted, the conversation and its call recordings are removed across all your signed-in devices, including web.
I swiped to delete on Android and the conversation came back. Why?
I swiped to delete on Android and the conversation came back. Why?
On Android, swiping a conversation archives it rather than deleting it, so it returns to your list. To delete a conversation on Android, long-press it and select Delete. Swipe-to-delete is only available on iPhone.
I deleted conversations and they came back. Why?
I deleted conversations and they came back. Why?
Two things can cause this. On Android, swiping archives a conversation rather than deleting it - long-press and select Delete instead. On a shared line you do not own, deleting does not take effect yet and the conversations return to your list; this is a known issue and a fix is on the way. Signing out or reinstalling the app will not change either case. If you are an invited member, ask the account owner to delete the conversations - it works from their account and removes them for the whole team.
If I delete a conversation, does my teammate lose it too?
If I delete a conversation, does my teammate lose it too?
Yes. On a shared line, deleting removes the conversation for everyone on that line, not just for you. It cannot be recovered afterwards.