How to Export a WhatsApp Chat on iPhone (PDF, CSV, or TXT)

WhatsApp has a built-in export feature that lets you save any conversation as a file directly from your iPhone. The process takes under a minute, and once you have the file, you can email it, archive it, or run it through a tool like TextPort to turn it into a properly formatted PDF, CSV, or plain-text document.

This guide covers every step: what the export actually produces, how to trigger it, what the two media options mean, where the file ends up, and how to fix it when something doesn't go as expected.

What "Export chat" does (and what it doesn't)

The "Export chat" function in WhatsApp saves the conversation you're currently viewing as a text file. It's designed for reading, sharing, and archiving. It is not the same as WhatsApp's account-level chat backup, which stores your message history in iCloud so you can restore it after reinstalling the app. That backup is restorable; an export is not. You can't re-import an exported chat back into WhatsApp.

What you get from an export depends on the option you pick:

• Without media: A single .txt file containing the full message thread, with sender names and timestamps.
• Attach media: A .zip bundle that contains the same .txt transcript plus any photos, videos, or voice notes shared in the conversation.

The .txt file on its own is readable but not particularly polished. If you need something you can print, file with a court, or sort in a spreadsheet, a second step is required.

Step-by-step: export a WhatsApp chat on iPhone

According to the WhatsApp Help Center, the export flow works as follows.

1. Open WhatsApp and navigate to the specific chat you want to export.

2. Tap the contact's name (or group name) at the top of the screen to open the chat info page.

3. Scroll down and tap "Export chat."

4. Choose "Without media" (text only) or "Attach media" (adds photos, videos, and voice notes).

5. The iOS share sheet appears. Select a destination — Mail, Notes, Save to Files, or an app like TextPort.

The export triggers immediately after you make your media choice. If you don't see the iOS share sheet, check that you're inside the actual conversation and have tapped the contact name at the top first, not the back button.

Choosing between "Without media" and "Attach media"

The right choice depends on what you need the export for.

Without media produces a compact .txt file. It's faster to generate, easier to email, and sufficient for any situation where you only need the written record: a quick personal backup, a reference log, or input for TextPort's PDF/CSV workflow. Text-only exports from long chats stay small enough to attach to an email without issue.

Attach media bundles the transcript with every photo, video, and voice note from the conversation. The resulting .zip file can be large, especially if the chat is media-heavy. This option makes sense when the attachments themselves are part of the record you need to preserve, such as photos shared during a business transaction or voice notes in a dispute.

One thing worth noting: as the WITNESS organization documented in December 2018, once you download a message or media file to your phone, it's no longer protected by WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption. Keep that in mind when deciding where to send or store the exported file.

Turn the export into a PDF, CSV, or TXT with TextPort

WhatsApp's .txt export is readable, but it doesn't look like a formatted document. Line breaks, timestamps, and sender names are all present, but the structure isn't clean enough to hand to an attorney, file with an agency, or open in a spreadsheet without further processing.

TextPort handles that conversion directly on your iPhone. After tapping Export chat in WhatsApp and seeing the iOS share sheet, tap TextPort as the destination. TextPort reads the file, rebuilds the conversation with sender names and timestamps preserved in the correct order, and gives you three output options:

• PDF: Paginated, formatted, and ready to print or share. Best for court filings, business records, or any situation requiring a document someone else will read. You can also use it to print WhatsApp chat history for USCIS and similar official submissions.
• CSV: An Excel-compatible spreadsheet where each message is a row. Useful for searching, filtering, or analyzing a conversation by date, sender, or keyword.
• TXT: A clean plain-text file. Good for a quick backup or importing into another tool.

No computer, cable, or desktop software is needed. The entire workflow runs on your iPhone or iPad. If your goal is specifically to put the conversation on paper, our guide to printing WhatsApp messages from iPhone walks through the same import and covers the AirPrint step.

If you need to understand how this fits into broader iPhone text message archiving, the same export-and-convert logic applies across messaging apps.

Where exported files go on iPhone

The file's destination depends entirely on which option you selected in the iOS share sheet.

• Save to Files: The file appears in the Files app under "On My iPhone" or in your iCloud Drive, depending on your settings. Open the Files app and check the location you chose.
• Mail: The file arrives as an attachment in your sent email. You can access it from any device where you're signed into that email account.
• Notes: A new note is created containing the transcript text (for text-only exports).
• TextPort: The file is processed inside the app, and the resulting PDF, CSV, or TXT can be shared or saved from there.

If you're not sure where it went, open the Files app and search for the chat participant's name or the date of the export.

Troubleshooting: export option or share sheet not showing

A few things can prevent the export from working as expected.

"Export chat" doesn't appear in the menu: This almost always means you haven't reached the right screen. You need to tap the contact or group name at the top of the chat window to open the chat info page. The export option won't show if you're viewing the main chat list or a settings screen.

WhatsApp's "Advanced Chat Privacy" is enabled: WhatsApp introduced a feature that allows participants to lock down a specific chat, which disables the export function entirely for everyone in that thread. If export is grayed out, this may be why.

TextPort (or another app) doesn't appear in the share sheet: iOS restricts which apps appear in the share sheet based on file type and app permissions. If TextPort isn't visible, try saving the file to Files first, then opening it from there and sharing it to TextPort manually.

The .zip file from "Attach media" is too large to email: Switch to a Files-based workflow. Save to Files, then share from there, or use AirDrop to move the file if you need it on another device.

Which approach fits your situation

Situation	Recommended path
Quick personal backup of one chat	Without media + TextPort TXT
Printing or filing a conversation	Without media + TextPort PDF
Need photos/videos included	Attach media + TextPort PDF
Spreadsheet analysis or keyword search	Without media + TextPort CSV
Court filing or formal documentation	Without media + TextPort PDF (see text messages as legal evidence)

WhatsApp's built-in export gets the data out. What you do with it after that determines whether it becomes a usable document or just a .txt file sitting in your Files app.