Chat to Evidence

How to export a WhatsApp chat

Updated

WhatsApp can export any individual or group chat as a text file, optionally bundled with photos, videos and voice notes. Here are the steps for both phones, what you get, and how to turn the export into something you can read, print or submit.

Export on iPhone

Full walkthrough with screenshots: export on iPhone.

  1. Open the chat and tap the contact or group name at the top.
  2. Scroll down and tap Export Chat.
  3. Choose Attach Media (a .zip with photos, videos and voice notes) or Without Media (a smaller text-only file).
  4. In the share sheet, choose Save to Files so you can find the export again.

Export on Android

Full walkthrough: export on Android.

  1. Open the chat and tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner.
  2. Tap More, then Export chat.
  3. Choose Include media or Without media.
  4. Save it to Google Drive, Downloads or a file manager.

With or without media?

  • Without media: a small .txt file. Photos and voice notes appear as placeholders. Best when you only need the words.
  • With media: a .zip that includes attachments. WhatsApp includes fewer messages when media is attached, so very long chats may be cut short.

Why Export Chat is missing

  • Advanced Chat Privacy is on. When it's enabled in a chat, participants can't export it. In a one-to-one chat either person can turn it on; in a group, admins can.
  • You're in a newer or older version of WhatsApp that has moved the option; update the app and look in the chat's contact or group info screen (iPhone) or the ⋮ > More menu (Android).

Make the export readable

The exported .txt is hard to read and hard to print. Drop the .txt or .zip into Chat to Evidence to get a clean, paginated PDF with dates, names and page numbers. It runs entirely in your browser: the chat is never uploaded to our servers.

Frequently asked

Can I export a WhatsApp chat from my computer?

Use the phone app: Export Chat is in the chat's info screen on iPhone and in the ⋮ > More menu on Android. Then move the file to your computer.

Why are some old messages missing from my export?

WhatsApp limits how many messages an export includes, and the limit is lower when media is included. Try exporting without media to get more of the history.

Can I export a group chat?

Yes, the same steps work for groups, unless an admin has turned on Advanced Chat Privacy.

Chat to Evidence is a document-formatting tool, not a law firm. Nothing on this page is legal advice; rules and app menus change, so check current official guidance.