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Export guides & troubleshooting

How to export WhatsApp chat on iPhone — step by step, with or without media.

Best settings for analysis. Where the .zip goes, how to find the _chat.txt. Then upload to ThreadRecap and get your recap.

Analyze your chat
  • Photos stay on your device; from a video, only the audio track your browser extracts is sent.
  • Analysis from $5

How to export on iPhone

1

Open the chat

Open WhatsApp → open the chat you want.

2

Choose Export Chat

See the exact price on the upload screen. Unlock the full conversation only when it is worth it.

3

Save or share the export

Choose “Export without media” or “Attach Media”. Tap Export → Save to Files or share.

Now that you have the export

Upload the .zip and get a summary, a timeline you can follow, and every voice message in writing. The preview and the price are free to look at, so nothing is spent before you decide.

Upload the export

Now that you have the .zip, here’s what to do with it

The export is the input. Once the .zip is on your iPhone, the same file feeds every use case below — a recap, action items, a meeting summary, a transcript of voice messages, or an update to an existing analysis.

Best settings for analysis: export without media

For summaries and action items, you often don’t need media.

  • Export without media — smaller file, faster upload, and it usually reaches further back in the conversation. Use this when you only need the text.
  • Attach Media — use this when you want voice messages transcribed. The file is heavier, so it may not reach as far back. Good for 1:1 or shorter threads.

Where the .zip goes, how to find the _chat.txt

After export, WhatsApp creates a .zip. On iPhone it’s usually in Files or shown in the sharing panel.

  • Files app — if you picked “Save to Files”, look in On My iPhone → WhatsApp or in iCloud Drive.
  • Sharing panel — if you chose “AirDrop” or “Save to Files”, the .zip is the file you shared. Open it to see “WhatsApp Chat - Contact.txt” or _chat.txt inside.
  • Upload that .zip to ThreadRecap. We parse it in the browser and show you the chat preview before analysis.

Why export for ThreadRecap

One export → summaries, action items, meeting minutes

Export without media to stay under size limits

Voice messages supported when you include media

Parsing happens in your browser — we don’t see your raw file until you confirm

Works for 1:1 and groups (focus on 2–5 participants)

Re-export later to update the same conversation

What you can do after export

Summarize the chat

Decisions, action items, open questions. Run it through the WhatsApp chat summarizer.

Get meeting-style minutes

Agenda, decisions, actions. Use the WhatsApp meeting notes flow.

Transcribe voice messages

Include media, get transcript + summary via WhatsApp voice to text.

Keep it current

Update an existing analysis when the conversation continues.

Questions? Answered.

If you choose “Save to Files”, it goes to Files (On My iPhone or iCloud). If you use AirDrop or another app, it’s in that app’s download or export folder. The file is usually named “WhatsApp Chat - [Contact or Group].zip”.

Export without media does not include voice message files. To transcribe voice messages with ThreadRecap, export with “Attach Media” and upload that .zip. It is heavier, so it may not reach as far back in the conversation.

On some group chats, “Export Chat” can be turned off by the admin (Advanced chat privacy). See our guide on “WhatsApp advanced chat privacy export blocked” for what to do.

ThreadRecap accepts files up to 5 GB. Upload the intact ZIP to see its date range in preview, then choose the part you need to analyze.

We parse the .zip in your browser. The text is used for analysis, and so is the audio of every voice message the export contains. Your chat is stored on our servers so your analysis stays accessible, and you can delete anytime from your dashboard. See our Privacy Policy.

The standard WhatsApp .zip: it should contain a _chat.txt or “WhatsApp Chat - [Name].txt” file. We support the usual date/message format. If export fails or looks wrong, check our “WhatsApp export chat not working” page.

Privacy and security

Parsing happens in your browser; only necessary data is sent.

Stored on our servers. Delete anytime from your dashboard.

Photos, video files, and their visual content never leave your device. For transcription, we send chat text and the audio of every voice message, including the audio track your browser extracts from each video.

Related

How to Export WhatsApp Chat on Android

Step-by-step, with the sharing panel step that decides whether you can find the file afterwards.

WhatsApp Export Chat Not Working

Quick fixes for export missing, failed, or stuck. Size limits and workarounds.

WhatsApp Chat Summarizer

Turn long WhatsApp chats into a short brief: decisions, dates, owners, next steps. Ask follow-up questions with AI or export results to Notion and Trello.

Print a WhatsApp Chat

WhatsApp has no print button: a paginated PDF of the export, free in your browser, with the voice messages written out if you want them.

Use cases

Organized by theme and relevance: core workflows, disputes, voice, export guides, and group use cases. Pick what you need.

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Upload the export