How to export a WhatsApp chat

The short answer

1. Open the chat in WhatsApp.
2. iPhone: tap the contact or group name at the top, scroll down and tap Export Chat. Android: tap ⋮ → More → Export chat.
3. Choose Without Media (faster and smaller) or Attach Media.
4. Save the file to Files, Google Drive or your e-mail. That’s your chat export.

Export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone

1. Open WhatsApp and go into the chat or group you want to save.
2. Tap the name at the top of the screen to open the chat info.
3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Export Chat.
4. Pick Without Media unless you really need the photos.
5. In the share sheet, tap Save to Files (or AirDrop it to your Mac, or mail it to yourself).

You get a ZIP file named like WhatsApp Chat - Sara.zip. Inside is _chat.txt with every message, plus the media files if you attached them.

Export a WhatsApp chat on Android

1. Open the chat or group.
2. Tap ⋮ (More options) in the top-right corner, then More → Export chat.
3. Choose Without media or Include media.
4. Pick where to send it: Google Drive, Gmail, or another app. To keep it on the phone, share it to a file manager.

Android usually gives you a .txt file named like WhatsApp Chat with Sara.txt, sometimes zipped together with the media.

How many messages does the export include?

WhatsApp limits exports by size. According to WhatsApp’s own help pages, an export without media holds up to about 40,000 of the most recent messages, and an export with media up to about 10,000, because the media makes the file so large. For long chats, always choose “Without media”.

Can I export from WhatsApp Web or Desktop?

No. Export Chat only exists in the phone apps. WhatsApp Web and the desktop app show your messages, but they can’t save a chat as a file. Export on your phone and send the file to your computer.

What you can do with the file

• Keep a copy of an important conversation before you change phones or leave a group.
• Search it in any text editor, years back, without scrolling.
• See the stats: drop it on the WhatsApp chat analyzer to see who texts more, who replies faster, your most active hours, top words and emojis, and your longest streak. For two-person chats you also get a “Who cares more?” score.

Unwrapped reads the export in your browser. The chat, and every name in it, stays on your device.

Keep the file private

Chats are end-to-end encrypted inside WhatsApp, but an export is a plain, readable file. Delete it from shared folders and e-mail drafts when you’re done, and be careful with apps that ask you to upload a chat to their servers: once it’s uploaded, you don’t control it any more.

FAQ