How to Save WhatsApp Chats, Photos, and Audio

Backups and exports are different

• Backup: A copy of all your chats saved to Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iPhone). It can only be restored in WhatsApp, making it useful when you switch phones or reinstall the app.
• Export: Turns a specific chat into a text file (with media files too, if you choose) that you can open on a computer, print, and save wherever you like.

To make sure you don’t lose anything, use both: turn on automatic backups and export the chats that matter most.

Turn on backups

1. Open Settings › Chats › Chat backup.
2. On Android, choose your Google account and backup frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly). On iPhone, turn on automatic backups in iCloud.
3. Choose whether to include videos—they can make your backup much larger.
4. Tap Back up to create your first backup now.

If you’re switching to a phone with the same operating system, WhatsApp also lets you transfer chats directly between devices using a QR Code. Find the option in Settings › Chats. Moving between Android and iPhone requires different steps, which are described in WhatsApp’s help center.

Export a chat

1. Open the chat or group.
2. On Android: tap the three dots › More › Export chat. On iPhone: tap the contact or group name at the top, then scroll down to Export Chat.
3. Choose Without media (text only) or Include media (text plus recent photos, videos, and audio, subject to a file limit).
4. Email it to yourself, save it to Drive, or save it in Files.

The result is a .txt file with the date, time, sender, and text of each message, plus separate media files. To bundle everything into one file, compress it with Create ZIP.

Audio: save it and make it playable anywhere

WhatsApp voice messages are .opus or .ogg files, which not all programs can play. To save an audio message from someone you care about, an important instruction, or proof of an agreement:

1. Export the audio: tap and hold the voice message, then choose Share (Android) or Forward › the share icon (iPhone) and save it to Files or Drive.
2. Convert it to MP3 with OGG to MP3 so it plays on any device.
3. If you also want the audio in text form, use Transcribe WhatsApp audio. The guide How to transcribe WhatsApp audio walks you through exporting audio on each system.

Photos and videos from a conversation

• In the conversation, tap the contact or group name, then open Media, links, and documents. Select the photos and videos, then choose Share or Save.
• Photos received as regular photos are compressed. If image quality matters, ask the sender to resend them as documents.
• On a computer, you can use WhatsApp Web to download multiple media files at once and organize them into folders.

Using a conversation as evidence

Screenshots and chat exports can help document what happened, but they may be challenged because they're easy to edit. For serious matters (threats, high-value agreements, employment disputes), seek legal advice about stronger ways to preserve records, such as a notarized document, and don't delete the original conversation from your phone.

Checklist before switching phones

1. Check the date of your last backup under Chat backup, then create a new one right away.
2. Make a note of the email address and two-step verification PIN you'll need on your new device.
3. Export your most important conversations and save them somewhere other than your phone.
4. Save any audio you don't want to lose as MP3 files.
5. Don't erase or hand over your old phone until you've confirmed everything is on the new one.

Frequently asked questions