How to Export a WhatsApp Chat (With or Without Media)

Sometimes you need a conversation outside the app: an agreement with a supplier, a customer's order details, or a family chat you'd like to keep safe. WhatsApp has an Export chat feature for exactly that. It sends a copy of one conversation to whichever app you choose. It isn't a backup, though, and that difference is where most of the confusion starts. Here are the steps from WhatsApp's help centre for Android and iPhone, what you get, and what an export can't do.

Export a WhatsApp chat on Android

1. Open an individual or group chat.
2. Tap the three dots, then More, then Export chat.
3. Tap Without media or Include media.
4. Choose how you'd like to export it. WhatsApp's examples are Quick Share, Gmail or Chat.

WhatsApp adds that if you choose Include media, the most recent media sent is added as attachments to be sent from your share sheet.

Export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone

1. Open an individual or group chat.
2. Tap your contact's name or the group name, then tap Export chat.
3. If the chat contains media, choose With all media, With selected media, or Without media.
4. Choose how you'd like to export it. WhatsApp's examples are Message, Save to Files or Notes.

The wording varies by app version, but the route is the same: open the chat, find Export chat, choose your media option, then choose where it goes.

Export chat with media or without media?

Choice	What you get	Good for
Without media	The conversation as text	A quick record of what was said
With media (Android: Include media)	The text plus recent media as attachments	Keeping order photos or documents with the chat
With selected media (iPhone)	The text plus only the media you pick	Keeping the file small while saving what matters

The help pages don't say how big an export can get, so I won't give you a limit. If a large export won't send by email, try another route from the share menu, or choose Without media.

Where does an exported WhatsApp chat go?

WhatsApp doesn't keep the export for you. It hands the file to the app you pick from the share menu, so where it lands depends on your choice. Email puts it in an attachment. Save to Files or Notes on iPhone saves it on your phone. WhatsApp's help centre says that on iPhone the chat is exported as a ZIP file, and that view once messages aren't exported.

Once the file has left WhatsApp, anyone with access to that email or storage can read it, so think about where you send it.

Export a WhatsApp chat vs back up WhatsApp

People mix these up all the time. WhatsApp's help centre says an exported chat can't be re-imported, because it's a text file and not a backup file. So treat an export as a copy to read or keep, not a way to restore your chats.

	Export chat	Backup
Purpose	A text copy of one chat, shared to an app of your choice	A saved copy of your chat history made for restoring
Restore into WhatsApp?	No, it can't be re-imported	That's what a backup is for
Covers	One chat at a time	Your chat history

If you're moving to a new phone, an export won't bring your chats across. My guide to moving WhatsApp messages to a new phone without a backup covers that job, and getting a stuck WhatsApp backup moving again helps if the backup itself is the problem.

Exporting a WhatsApp chat for business records

If you run a small business, an exported chat can be a tidy record of what a customer agreed to or of the thread behind a job. A few habits help: export soon after the job closes, name the file with the customer and date, and store it somewhere organised rather than leaving it in your inbox. Think about privacy as well. A chat holds other people's words and perhaps their address, so keep it private and don't share it wider than you need to.

If you're exporting because you'd like a chat out of sight afterwards, hiding or locking a chat is a gentler option than deleting it.

If you can't find Export chat on WhatsApp

• Open an individual or group chat first. The option lives inside a chat, not on the main chat list.
• On Android it's under the three dots, then More. On iPhone, tap the contact or group name at the top.
• Update WhatsApp. An older version may place things differently, and menus vary by app version.
• If an export with media won't send, try Without media.
• Choose a share method you've got installed, such as email or Notes.

Can you export a WhatsApp chat without the other person knowing?

The export happens on your phone, and I haven't seen anything in WhatsApp's help pages saying the other person is told. Please don't read that as permission to pass on someone else's private messages. A chat belongs to everyone in it, and sharing it without a good reason can be unfair or, in some situations, a legal problem. I can't give legal advice, so for a serious dispute, speak to a solicitor.

Frequently asked questions

How do I export a WhatsApp chat?

Open the chat. On Android, tap the three dots, then More, then Export chat. On iPhone, tap the contact or group name, then Export chat. Choose your media option, then where to send it.

Is exporting a chat the same as a backup?

No. WhatsApp's help centre says an exported chat can't be re-imported because it's a text file and not a backup file.

Can I export a chat with photos and videos?

Yes. On Android choose Include media, and on iPhone choose With all media or With selected media. WhatsApp says on Android the most recent media sent is added as attachments.

Where is my exported chat saved?

WhatsApp passes it to the app you choose from the share menu, such as Gmail, Quick Share, Message, Save to Files or Notes. On iPhone the chat is exported as a ZIP file.

Are disappearing view once messages exported?

No. WhatsApp's help centre says view once messages won't be exported on iPhone.