Android: start inside the chat
- Open the individual or group chat.
- Tap More options (⋮) > More > Export chat.
- Choose Without media or Include media.
- Choose how to send or save it (Gmail, sharing, etc.).
iPhone: tap the chat name
- Open the chat.
- Tap the contact or group name at the top > Export chat.
- If the chat contains media, choose With all media, With selected media…, or Without media.
- Choose where to send it (Message, Save to Files, Notes…).
The export is a .zip file.
WhatsApp Web: from your computer
- Open the individual or group chat.
- Click ⋮ > Export chat.
- Choose All messages or Custom date range.
- Click Export.
The exported file is a .zip, without media.
Official notes worth knowing
The FAQ says view-once messages are excluded on iPhone and Web. Web exports also exclude disappearing messages. Your export contains the content WhatsApp makes available for export, rather than a copy of every message format.
An export cannot be re-imported into WhatsApp. It is a text file for reading or using elsewhere, not a backup you can restore inside the app.
What next? Meet Michel.
Choose Without media for Michel: the app analyses text only. Accepted formats are a .txt file or a .zip containing the chat’s .txt file. Keep that file handy; it contains the exchanges you will upload.
On your phone, if you chose Files, find the archive in the location where you saved it. If you chose Gmail, download the message attachment and save it on your phone. Then open Create my report and select that file using the file picker at the upload step.
You need at least 300 parseable messages. Pick a conversation where people actually exchange messages: flatmates, birthday preparations or a holiday group. The export brings the lines; you then select the participants and report language.
After uploading, you can read the free preview. The full report combines portraits, nicknames, statistics and shareable cards, with a PDF download. A different future for the group still arguing about Saturday’s restaurant.