To analyze a WhatsApp chat, export the conversation as a `.zip` file and keep that file intact. The export preserves the message order, dates, and participants. That gives a recap tool the context it needs to answer useful questions instead of guessing from a pasted fragment.
Already have your .zip? That is exactly what ThreadRecap reads.
Analyze your chatThe whole process is short: export one chat, save the `.zip`, then upload it to ThreadRecap. The only decision that needs thought is whether voice messages are important enough to include media.
For the labels on your phone's current WhatsApp version, check the official WhatsApp export instructions.
The file may take a moment to prepare for a large conversation. Keep WhatsApp open until the share panel appears, then choose a destination. If you close the panel before saving, export the chat again.
The share panel is the important part. WhatsApp does not automatically put every export in a folder you can browse later. On a Samsung phone, look for Save as file; it usually saves the ZIP in Downloads. On other Android phones, choose Google Drive. The upload picker can select the ZIP directly from Drive, so you do not need to send it through another messaging app.
If you cannot find the file after exporting, see where a WhatsApp export is saved on Android.
You do not need to inspect every message. Just make sure you saved a file ending in `.zip` and that it came from the chat you meant to export. After you upload it, ThreadRecap's preview shows the date range and message count, and lets you choose the period to analyse. If the file is very small, open it on your phone or computer and check that it contains a chat text file.
When you chose Include media, you may also see voice-message files, photos, or videos. That does not mean every attachment in the chat is present. WhatsApp decides what to include based on the export option and its own limits. Use the upload preview to confirm the dates and messages that made it into the export.
If the ZIP is not where you expected, do not send it through another chat app to find it later. Export again and save it directly to Files, Downloads, or Google Drive from WhatsApp's share panel. That keeps the archive together and avoids making extra copies.
Choose Include media when voice messages contain important decisions, explanations, or context. The ZIP may include voice-message files alongside the chat text, and ThreadRecap can transcribe supported voice messages into the conversation order.
Choose Without media when the written chat is enough. The file is smaller and WhatsApp can include more text messages this way. How much WhatsApp includes varies by device, app version and free space, so the no-media option is often better for a very long written history.
Neither option is always better. Ask what you need to learn:
Photos and videos are not uploaded for analysis. The conversation can still show where they appeared. If you include a video and choose to process its audio, only the audio track is used for transcription.
Do not unzip the file, move individual voice messages out of it, or replace the chat text file. The original ZIP keeps the text and media in the format WhatsApp produced.
Before uploading, it is useful to check only two things:
You do not need to read thousands of lines first. If you want to inspect the text file, this guide shows how to open a WhatsApp chat TXT export.
An export can contain a lot of personal context. Before you upload it anywhere, check that you have the right to use the conversation for the purpose you have in mind and that you understand what the tool will process.
ThreadRecap uses the chat text and supported audio that you choose to include. Photos and video files are not uploaded for analysis. Keeping the original ZIP lets you decide exactly what you share and gives you a source file to return to when you need to check a detail. If you select a video, your browser extracts and sends only its audio track for transcription. The video and its visual content stay on your device.
If your main concern is what happens to the data after you upload, read whether it is safe to upload a WhatsApp chat to AI before you continue.
ThreadRecap works from the messages and supported audio that are actually in the export. It can make that material easier to read by organizing a summary, timeline, decisions, or next steps. It cannot retrieve messages that WhatsApp did not export, fill gaps in a missing period, or tell you what was said in an attachment that was not included.
That limit is useful to remember when you read the result. If a date or decision matters, check that it appears in the source chat. A recap is there to help you find and understand the conversation faster; the original export remains the record of what WhatsApp provided.
For the best result, export the one conversation that contains the context you need. Mixing copied messages from other chats into the file makes dates and participants harder to understand. One intact export gives the clearest starting point and is easier to review later.
First, update WhatsApp and try the chat again. If the option is still missing, look for Advanced Chat Privacy in that chat's settings. When it is on, WhatsApp intentionally blocks chat exports. The setting can apply to individual chats and groups.
Do not try to work around someone else's privacy setting. Ask the participant who can change the setting, or a group administrator when group permissions are restricted. The Advanced Chat Privacy guide explains the practical next step.
After uploading, start with the question that made you export the chat:
A focused first question gives you a clear recap. You can then ask follow-up questions on the same conversation without preparing the file again. Upload your WhatsApp export when you are ready.
Upload the .zip you just created and get a full recap, insights, and voice message transcriptions in minutes.
Export a WhatsApp chat as a ZIP file, choose whether voice messages should be included, and keep the conversation ready for a clear, useful recap.
Upload the .zip you just created and get a full recap, insights, and voice message transcriptions in minutes.