What an export gives you
An export is a plain text file. Each line holds one message, with the date, the time and the sender's name. On an iPhone the file arrives inside a zip folder. If you include media, photos and voice notes come as separate files beside it.
The file doesn't look like the chat on your phone. It has no bubbles, colours or ticks. That's why it works best alongside a few screenshots. The export shows the full conversation, and the screenshots show how the key moments looked.
Export a chat on iPhone
- Open the chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap the contact's name or the group name at the top.
- Scroll down and tap Export chat.
- Choose Without media or Attach media.
- Choose where to send it. Saving to Files or emailing it to yourself both work.
Open the zip folder on a computer to see the text file. Check that the oldest messages you need are in it.
Export a chat on Android
- Open the chat in WhatsApp.
- Tap the three-dot menu in the top corner.
- Tap More, then Export chat.
- Choose Without media or Include media.
- Send it to your email or save it to your Google Drive.
Open the text file on a computer and check the dates run as far back as you need.
What the export can leave out
WhatsApp limits how many messages one export holds. A very long chat can lose its oldest messages. If you need something from early on, check it's in the file, and screenshot that part too.
Messages that already disappeared aren't included. Deleted messages show only as "This message was deleted". Voice notes come as audio files, not words. Write down what each one says, with its date.
If the other person turned on Advanced chat privacy for the chat, exporting is switched off. Screenshots are then your main record. Scroll steadily and keep the overlap.
Print it in a way a judge can follow
Open the text file on a computer and print it, or save it as a PDF. A text editor or word processor both work. Leave the wording as it is. Don't tidy spelling or remove lines.
Then pick out the moments that matter. Screenshot each one on your phone, with the date visible. Put them in date order, number the pages and label each one as an exhibit. A short list at the front, giving each exhibit's date and one neutral line about it, helps the reader most.
Courts in England and Wales
Since March 2026, texts and screenshots go into a family court bundle in England and Wales only if the judge directs it. The timeline is what you usually file. Keep the export and your screenshots ready for your solicitor, or for when the court asks to see them.
In the US, Australia and Canada, messages are often attached to a declaration or affidavit. Check your court's rules, or ask a lawyer, before you file.
Keep the original chat
The export is a copy. Keep the chat on your phone, and don't clear or delete it. Turn on WhatsApp's chat backup. Then a lost or broken phone won't take the messages with it.
If you change phones, move your chats across and check they arrived before you reset the old one.
Export, screenshots or both?
Most people need both. Use this to decide where to start.
Do you need the whole conversation?
Export the chat. It holds every message with its date, time and sender.
Do a few messages matter most?
Screenshot them with the date visible. They show the court how the messages looked.
Is Export chat missing or greyed out?
The chat probably has Advanced chat privacy turned on. Take overlapping screenshots instead.
Is the chat years long?
Export it, then check the oldest messages you need are in the file. Screenshot any that aren't.
Are there voice notes?
Export with media to keep the audio. Write down what each note says, with its date.
WhatsApp export checklist
Check each point before you print or send anything.
Keep the original chat on your phone and turn on WhatsApp's chat backup.
Court timeline
Turn your screenshots into a court timeline
Have the messages and receipts as screenshots? Casewell reads them, puts them in date order and turns them into a neutral court chronology with an exhibit pack. Try it free, and pay once if you download the documents.
Or keep a dated record as things happen in the Casewell app.
Does the other person know if I export a WhatsApp chat?
WhatsApp doesn't tell the other person when you export a chat. The file is created on your phone and goes only where you send it.
Why can't I export a chat on WhatsApp?
If the other person turned on Advanced chat privacy for that chat, the Export chat option is switched off. Take screenshots instead. Keep the contact's name in the first one, and overlap each with the last.
Can I export a WhatsApp group chat?
Yes. The steps are the same. Tap the group name at the top on iPhone, or use the three-dot menu on Android, and choose Export chat.
Should I include media in the export?
Choose Without media first for a smaller file you can print. Export again with media if a photo or voice note matters, and keep it with the text file.
Are WhatsApp messages evidence in family court?
Courts often see WhatsApp messages. The judge decides how much weight they carry. A full export, clear dates and the original phone all help.
Sources
Legal steps and terms vary. These official sources were checked for the general points used in this guide.