WhatsApp lets you backup chats to the cloud, but you can’t easily view individual media files without restoring the entire backup. While you can manually save photos and videos from a chat, it’s time-consuming. This is where the Export Chat feature comes to the rescue. Here’s how to easily export media files like photos, videos, and PDFs from your WhatsApp chats to your phone.
Table of Contents
What Is the Export Chat Feature in WhatsApp
WhatsApp’s Export Chat feature lets you take a copy of an entire conversation in a zip file. Here’s what the feature entails:
- Text messages: All the text within the chat, including emojis and formatting like bullets and fancy fonts.
- Media files: Photos, videos, audio files, and documents shared in the chat.
- Stickers: Any stickers used in the conversation.
- Voice messages: All voice messages exchanged in the chat.
- Contact cards: Any contact information shared through the chat.
- Location information: If any locations were shared during the chat, they will be included.
- Links: Any web links shared in the conversation will be included as well.
1. Export Media From WhatsApp Chat on Android
1. Download Solid Explorer file manager from Google Play Store. Open it and grant the storage access.
2. Open WhatsApp and head to the chat you want to export data from.
3. Tap three dots on the top right and choose More > Export Chat.
4. Choose Include media. You can also export the chat without media if needed.
5. WhatsApp will generate a chat file within a few seconds and automatically open the Share menu.
6. Select Solid Explorer from the list and choose the folder where you want to save your chats.
WhatsApp will export that conversation and save it on your phone’s storage as a ZIP file. Open that folder in any file manager, and you’ll find a ZIP file named WhatsApp Chat with <contact name>. Extract it to view all the photos, videos, PDFs, and documents exchanged with the other person.
Note: WhatsApp allows you to export the 10,000 latest messages with media. If you need to export more messages and media is not a priority, choose the export option without media to export up to 40,000 messages.
2. Export Media From WhatsApp Chat on iPhone
1. Launch WhatsApp on your iPhone. Open the chat you want to export data from.
2. Tap the contact or group name at the top. Scroll down and choose Export chat.
3. Tap Attach media when prompted.
4. The share sheet will open automatically. Tap Save to Files.
5. Choose the desired folder in the Files app and tap Save.
That will save all photos, videos, documents, and other files from the chat into a ZIP file. Tap the file to extract and access them in your Files app on your iPhone
Saving the Exported Media to the Photos App
The extracted photos and videos won’t automatically appear in the Photos app. To add them, tap the three dots in the top-right corner and choose Select. Choose all the photos and videos in the folder. Finally, tap the Share button at the bottom and choose Save Items.
The photos and videos will appear in the Photos app on your iPhone.
Can You Backup WhatsApp Chats and Media Locally?
Earlier, you could create local WhatsApp backups by disabling Google Drive backup. You could then transfer these local backups to a new phone or saved in a separate folder before uninstalling WhatsApp. Upon reinstalling it, you could restore the chats and media by placing the backup file back in the appropriate folder. Unfortunately, you can’t do that now.
It only works on Android 9.0 and older devices, as stated on the WhatsApp support page. If you’re using Android 10 or newer versions, here are some alternative options:
- Chat Transfer: WhatsApp has built-in Chat Transfer feature. It allows you to transfer your chat history and media directly between phones, even across different operating systems (Android to Android, Android to iOS, or iOS to Android), without using cloud storage.
This feature requires a Wi-Fi connection and is available on Android 5.0+ and iOS 15.5+ devices.
- Google Drive or iCloud Backup: This is the best way to back up and transfer your WhatsApp data. Enable cloud backup in WhatsApp settings (Google Drive for Android, iCloud for iOS) to back up your chats and media automatically to the cloud.
When you install WhatsApp on a new phone (or uninstall and reinstall the app) and verify your number, you can restore your data from the cloud backup.
- Third-Party Apps: Several third-party apps allow you to transfer WhatsApp data or back up and view it locally on your computer. However, using them is generally not recommended as they may not be as secure or reliable as official methods. Plus, such apps mostly require paid subscriptions.
- Export as PDF: If you prefer to save your chat history as a document, you can also export your WhatsApp chat in PDF format.
