How to export a WhatsApp chat on Android
Want to save a conversation off your phone, move it to your computer or turn it into a book? Here is how to export a WhatsApp chat on Android in two minutes, without installing anything. Each step gets a ✓, just like in WhatsApp.
How to export a WhatsApp chat on Android
To export a WhatsApp chat on Android, all you need is your phone and a Google account. Follow these steps:
Open the chat
Open WhatsApp and go to the conversation or group you want to keep.
Menu ⋮ › More › Export chat
Tap the three dots in the top right corner, then “More” and choose “Export chat”. More details in the official WhatsApp guide.
With or without media
WhatsApp will ask whether you want to include media. For a book, include it:
Save it to Google Drive
Choose Google Drive in the share menu: on Android it is usually the easiest option. A .zip file with the whole chat will be saved.
Shortcut: if it is under 2 GB, send it to yourself on WhatsApp
WhatsApp lets you send files of up to 2 GB. In the share menu choose WhatsApp and send it to your own chat (search for your name, it shows as “You”). Then open WhatsApp Web on your computer and download it from there.
Download it to your computer
Go to drive.google.com on your computer and download the file. It is now safely off your phone.
WhatsApp Web and the desktop app cannot export chats. Always do it from your phone, then move the file to your computer.
What is inside the exported file?
A .zip with a text file (_chat.txt) containing every message with its date and time and, if you chose to include media, the photos, videos and voice notes from the conversation. You can keep it as a copy off your phone, hold on to it when you switch phones, or turn it into a printed book to give or keep.
From chat to book
You can open the file and print it at home, but you will get hundreds of loose pages, with no photos and dates everywhere. If you upload it to Mi Libro de Mensajes, the conversation lays itself out: bubbles like on your phone, printed photos, chapters and voice notes turned into QR codes.
Print it (and get it delivered)
Upload the file, check the pages, remove anything you do not want and choose a cover and dedication. It arrives at your door in a few days. For more detail, here is how to print a WhatsApp chat step by step.
Frequently asked questions
Can you export a WhatsApp chat from a computer?
No. WhatsApp Web and the desktop app cannot export chats. You have to do it from your phone and then move the file to your computer.
Where is the exported chat saved on Android?
Wherever you choose when exporting it: Google Drive, your email or your phone’s downloads folder. It is a .zip file with a .txt of messages plus the chat’s media.
Are voice notes and photos exported too?
Yes, if you choose “Include media”. If you choose “Without media”, only the text messages are exported.
Can I export a group chat?
Yes. It exports just like a one-to-one chat, and in the book each person appears with their name.
