How to export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone and Android
Every chat appendix starts with WhatsApp's own export. It takes a minute, and a few choices matter.
On iPhone: open the chat, tap the contact or group name at the top, scroll down and tap Export Chat, then choose Attach Media or Without Media. On Android: open the chat, tap the three dots, then More and Export chat, then choose Include media or Without media. Send the file to yourself by email or save it to your files. According to WhatsApp's help pages, an export with media can include fewer recent messages than one without media, so for a long chat check that the period you need is in the file.
On iPhone
- Open the chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap the contact's or group's name at the top.
- Scroll down and tap Export Chat.
- Choose Attach Media or Without Media.
- Save the .zip to Files, or send it to yourself by email.
On Android
- Open the chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap the three dots (⋮) at the top.
- Tap More, then Export chat.
- Choose Include media or Without media.
- Send it to yourself by email or save it to Drive or your files.
Menu names can differ slightly between WhatsApp versions and phone languages.
With media or without?
With media, the export holds photos, voice notes, videos and documents, so the appendix can show photos in place and index the rest. Without media, the file is smaller and faster to send, and each media item remains as a placeholder line with its time. WhatsApp's help pages state that exports with media include fewer recent messages than exports without, so for a long chat you may need both: one without media for the full text, and one with media for the period that matters.
Before you export
- Contact names. Senders appear as saved on the exporting phone. Make sure the names are ones you are happy to see in a court document.
- Keep the original file. Do not open and re-save the .txt; keep it exactly as exported. Its hash goes on the appendix cover page.
- Deleted messages appear as "This message was deleted" and are kept as such.
Turn the export into an appendix
Drop in the WhatsApp export and preview the first three pages for free. The chat stays on your computer.
Start with your email
Email only. We send the link to start and nothing else.
FAQ
Can I export a chat from WhatsApp Web or the desktop app?
Chat export is done from the phone app.
Which file do I give Nispach?
The .zip or .txt exactly as WhatsApp produced it. No unzipping or editing needed.
Can I export a group chat?
Yes. Group chats export the same way, and you can choose which participants appear in the appendix.