# How to turn a chat into a spreadsheet

## Quick answer

1. In TextPort, open the chat. Export it as **Spreadsheet**.
2. Save the CSV file, or send it to yourself.
3. Open the file in Excel, Numbers, or Google Sheets.

Each message is then one row, with its date, sender, and text.

## What you need

- TextPort on your iPhone, Mac, or Windows PC, with the chat in it
- Excel, Numbers, or a Google account

## Steps

### iPhone

1. Export the chat as **Spreadsheet**

   Follow [Export a chat to CSV](https://textport.com/guides/export-a-chat-to-csv.md). Tap **Files** to save the file.

### Mac

1. Export the chat as **Spreadsheet**

   Follow [Export one chat on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/export-one-chat-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-mac.md). Click **Spreadsheet**. Pick a folder.

### Windows

1. Export the conversation as **Spreadsheet (CSV)**

   Follow [Export a conversation on Windows](https://textport.com/guides/export-a-conversation-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-windows.md). Check **Spreadsheet (CSV)**. Pick a folder.

### After that, on every path

Numbers continue from iPhone.

2. Open the file

   On a computer, double-click it. On iPhone, tap it in **Files**, tap the share button, then tap Excel or Numbers.

   Tip: For Google Sheets, click **File**, then **Import**, then **Upload**. Pick the file.

3. Read the rows

   Each row is one message. The columns differ a little between iPhone, Mac, and Windows.

## Done

The chat is in a spreadsheet. You can sort it, filter it, and count it there.

## Problems

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| Emoji or accents look wrong in Excel. | Open a blank sheet. Click **Data**, then **From Text/CSV**. Pick the file. Set **File Origin** to **65001: Unicode (UTF-8)**. |
| A date shows as ####. | The column is too narrow. Make it wider. |
| A cell starts with an apostrophe. | On iPhone, TextPort adds it to text that starts with =, +, -, or @. The spreadsheet app then keeps it as text. You can leave it. |
| You need more than one chat. | On iPhone, tap **…** in **Saved Chats**, then **Select**. Tap the chats, then tap the export button. On a computer, see [many chats on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/export-many-or-all-chats-on-mac.md) or [all conversations on Windows](https://textport.com/guides/export-all-conversations-on-windows.md). |
| You need only some dates. | See [Export only a date range](https://textport.com/guides/export-only-a-date-range.md), or [only some dates on Windows](https://textport.com/guides/export-only-some-dates-on-windows.md). |
| The chat is not in TextPort yet. | See [Pick a way to import a chat](https://textport.com/guides/pick-a-way-to-import-a-chat.md). |
| None of these match. | Email [support@textportapp.com](mailto:support@textportapp.com). Say which step you were on. Say what you saw. We usually reply within a day. |

## Questions

### What is a CSV file?

A plain text file laid out in rows and columns. Excel, Numbers, and Google Sheets all open it.

### Are photos in the spreadsheet?

No. On iPhone and Mac, a column names each file. On Windows, the **Attachment** column says only if there is one.

### Does editing the spreadsheet change my chat?

No. The file is a copy. TextPort and your messages stay as they are.

## Next guides

- [How to export a chat to a CSV spreadsheet](https://textport.com/guides/export-a-chat-to-csv.md): You will have a CSV file of the chat, with one row for each message.
- [How to export one chat to PDF, CSV, or TXT on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/export-one-chat-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-mac.md): You will get a file of one chat on your Mac, as a PDF, a spreadsheet, or plain text.
- [How to export a conversation to PDF, CSV, or TXT on Windows](https://textport.com/guides/export-a-conversation-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-windows.md): You will get a file of one conversation on your PC, as a PDF, a spreadsheet, or plain text.
- [How to export only a date range](https://textport.com/guides/export-only-a-date-range.md): Your export will hold only the messages between the dates you pick.

## On other platforms

- On Mac: [How to export one chat to PDF, CSV, or TXT on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/export-one-chat-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-mac.md)
- On Windows: [How to export a conversation to PDF, CSV, or TXT on Windows](https://textport.com/guides/export-a-conversation-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-windows.md)

TextPort guide for iPhone, Mac, and Windows. Updated 2026-11-05. Web page: https://textport.com/guides/turn-a-chat-into-a-spreadsheet