How to Export Media From WhatsApp Chat and Group
WhatsApp lets youbackup chatsto 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.
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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:
1. Export Media From WhatsApp Chat on Android
1.DownloadSolid Explorer file managerfrom 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.Tapthree dotson the top right and chooseMore>Export Chat.
4.ChooseInclude 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.SelectSolid Explorerfrom the list andchoose the folderwhere 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 namedWhatsApp Chat with . 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 thecontact or group nameat the top. Scroll down and chooseExport chat.
3.TapAttach mediawhen prompted.
4.The share sheet will open automatically. TapSave to Files.
5.Choose the desired folder in the Files app and tapSave.
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 thethree dotsin the top-right corner and chooseSelect. Choose all the photos and videos in the folder. Finally, tap theSharebutton at the bottom and chooseSave 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 may’t do that now.
It only works on Android 9.0 and older devices, as stated on theWhatsApp support page. If you’re using Android 10 or newer versions, here are some alternative options:
Parth Shah
Parth previously worked at EOTO.tech covering tech news. He is currently freelancing at TechWiser, Android Police, and GuidingTech writing about apps comparisons, tutorials, software tips and tricks, and diving deep into iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows platforms.
