How to export a WhatsApp chat step by step
Complete guide to export conversations as a .txt file on Android, iPhone and the desktop app. With troubleshooting for the most common errors and an explanation of the resulting file format.
How to export a WhatsApp chat on Android
- 1. Open WhatsApp and go to the conversation or group you want to export.
- 2. Tap the three vertical dots ⋮ in the top-right corner.
- 3. Select More from the dropdown menu.
- 4. Tap Export chat.
- 5. Choose Without media if you only need the text (recommended for analysis).
- 6. Pick where to save or share the .txt: Drive, email, Telegram, Bluetooth, etc.
How to export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone (iOS)
- 1. Open WhatsApp and tap the conversation or group.
- 2. Tap the contact or group name at the top to open the info screen.
- 3. Scroll to the bottom and tap Export chat.
- 4. Choose Without media.
- 5. Pick where to share: AirDrop, Mail, Messages, Notes, Drive, etc.
How to export on WhatsApp Desktop (Windows / Mac)
The official desktop app (not WhatsApp Web) does support exporting:
- 1. Open the WhatsApp app on Windows or Mac (downloaded from the official site).
- 2. Go into the conversation.
- 3. Click the three-dots menu in the top right of the conversation.
- 4. Select Export chat → Without media.
- 5. Choose where to save the .txt on your computer.
With media vs without media: which to choose?
✅ Without media
Generates only the .txt file with text messages.
- · Small file (typically under 5 MB)
- · Up to 40,000 messages
- · Ideal for AI analysis and statistics
- · Faster to export and share
📦 With media
Includes photos, videos, audio and documents in a ZIP.
- · Large file (can be several GB)
- · Up to 10,000 messages
- · Ideal for full memory backup
- · Slower to export and transfer
What the .txt file looks like inside
Each message becomes one line with this format:
12/3/26, 2:30 PM - Maria: hi, how are you?
12/3/26, 2:31 PM - John: good, finishing some work
12/3/26, 2:32 PM - Maria: lunch today?
12/3/26, 2:32 PM - John: sure, what time?The date varies a bit between Android and iOS and between regions (12 vs 24 hour format, date separator, language of the "[Media omitted]" marker), but the structure is always the same. ChatAnalyzer auto-detects all common formats.
Common problems and fixes
The .txt file appears empty
The chat has no messages in the current app. WhatsApp only exports what it sees on screen, not what's in Google Drive or iCloud backups. Restore the chat before exporting.
The "Export chat" option doesn't show up
Make sure your WhatsApp is up to date. In some enterprise or regional versions the option may be disabled by policy. It can also be hidden in chats with disappearing-messages enabled.
Emojis don't render when opening the .txt
The file is in UTF-8 but some Windows apps open it as Latin encoding. Open it with Notepad++ (Windows), TextEdit (Mac) or any editor with explicit UTF-8 support. ChatAnalyzer handles UTF-8 natively.
The beginning of the chat is missing
WhatsApp has a 40,000-message limit per export without media. If your chat is longer, the older messages are left out. There's no way to extend this limit from the official app.
What you can do with the .txt once exported
Beyond keeping it as a backup, you can analyze it with ChatAnalyzer for:
- 📊 Complete statistics: messages per person, top words and emojis, peak hour, records.
- 🧠 Psychological analysis: OCEAN traits, attachment styles, emotional maturity.
- 💕 Relational analysis: compatibility, chemistry and relationship future.
- 🎭 Vibes analysis: red flags, green flags and internet personality types.
- 🔮 Social analysis: narcissism, manipulation and power dynamics.
- 💼 Professional analysis: communication, soft skills and leadership.
Frequently asked questions
Why export a WhatsApp chat?
The most common reasons: keep a personal backup of important conversations, analyze the chat with tools like ChatAnalyzer (statistics, psychological analysis, relational, etc.), preserve evidence in legal or workplace contexts as digital proof, or save conversations from loved ones. WhatsApp supports native export in all its official clients.
What's the difference between exporting 'with media' or 'without media'?
'Without media' generates only the .txt file with text messages and produces a small file (typically under 5 MB for chats spanning several years). 'With media' includes photos, videos, audio and documents in a compressed folder — can weigh several GB. For text and statistical analysis the right option is 'without media'. For full backup, 'with media'.
Is there a message limit when exporting?
WhatsApp allows up to 40,000 messages without media and up to 10,000 with media per chat. If your conversation is longer, WhatsApp exports only the most recent ones up to the limit. For analysis with ChatAnalyzer, the Free plan supports up to 500 messages and the Pro plan up to 2,000 messages — if your chat is bigger, you can filter it or upload it in parts.
Does WhatsApp Web allow exporting chats?
Not directly from the web version. Native export is only available in the Android and iOS mobile apps and in the desktop app for Windows and Mac. If you only have access to WhatsApp Web, you'd need to use the linked phone's mobile app to do the export, then transfer the resulting .txt to your computer.
What does the exported .txt file look like inside?
Each line has the format 'date, time - Name: message'. For example: '12/3/26, 2:30 PM - Maria: hi, how are you?'. iOS and Android have slightly different date formats but the general structure is the same. ChatAnalyzer detects all common variants automatically.
Is the export safe? Does WhatsApp keep a copy?
The export is done locally on your device — WhatsApp does not send the file to any server during the process. The destination of the .txt depends on which app you share it to (email, Drive, Telegram, etc.). If you're concerned about privacy, you can export directly to a local folder without going through cloud services. Once exported, the file is yours.
I exported the chat but the .txt is empty or incomplete
Usually one of three causes: (1) the chat has fewer messages than you thought — WhatsApp only exports what's in the app, not what's in old backups; (2) you chose 'with media' and the ZIP didn't decompress well — repeat with 'without media'; (3) the app you used to open the file doesn't show all content — open it with a plain-text editor (Notes, TextEdit, Notepad) instead of Word.