How to export a WhatsApp chat on Android

On Android, the export option sits behind the three-dot menu inside the chat. WhatsApp then hands the file to whichever app you choose.

1. 1

   Open the chat

   Open the one-to-one or group chat you want to export.

2. 2

   Tap the three dots

   Tap “More options” (the three vertical dots) in the top corner.

   
3. 3

   Tap “More”, then “Export chat”

   In the menu, tap “More”, then “Export chat”.

   
4. 4

   Choose media or not

   Tap “Without media” or “Include media”.

   
5. 5

   Save it to Google Drive

   WhatsApp on Android has no “Save to phone” option, so tap “Drive” in the share list, then “Upload”. Nothing is sent to anyone.

   
6. 6

   Open HeyMarco and tap the upload box

   On heymarco.co, tap “Upload a chat”, pick the kind of chat and WhatsApp, then tap the upload box.

   
7. 7

   Open your Drive or Downloads

   In the file list, tap ☰ and choose your Google Drive account, or “Downloads” if you saved the file there.

   
8. 8

   Pick the export

   Tap the file called “WhatsApp Chat with …”. It is a ZIP file.

   
9. 9

   Marco reads it

   The file is read in your browser and Marco tells you how many messages and people he found.

   

• Faster: on heymarco.co in Chrome, tap ⋮ and then “Install app” (some versions say “Install and create shortcut”). HeyMarco then shows up in WhatsApp’s share list: tap it and the chat goes straight to Marco, with no saving or picking.
• With “Include media”, WhatsApp attaches the most recently sent media, not necessarily every photo in the chat.
• The export is a text file, not a backup, so it can’t be imported back into WhatsApp.