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.
How to export on iPhone
Open WhatsApp → open the chat you want.
Tap the chat name (top) → Export Chat.
Choose “Export without media” or “Include media”. Tap Export → save to Files or share.
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 notes, or a shareable Group Award.
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, stays under WhatsApp’s 40k-message limit. Use this when you only need text + (optionally) voice notes via a separate flow.
- •Include media — use when you want voice notes transcribed. Larger file; WhatsApp limit is 10k messages with media. Good for 1:1 or short 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 share sheet.
- •Files app — if you picked “Save to Files”, look in On My iPhone → WhatsApp or in iCloud Drive.
- •Share sheet — 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
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 notes — include media, get transcript + summary via WhatsApp voice to text.
Generate Group Awards — shareable recap with optional expiry.