How to export a WhatsApp group chat

Group chats export the same way as private chats. The result is one text file with every message and its sender, plus photos if you choose.

iPhone

1. Open the group.
2. Tap the group name at the top.
3. Scroll down and tap Export Chat.
4. Choose Attach Media or Without Media, then Save to Files.

Android

1. Open the group.
2. Tap ⋮ → More → Export chat.
3. Choose with or without media, then save to Drive or your phone.

You can only export a group you’re still in. If you leave or get removed, export first.

Making it readable

Raw group exports are hard to read: hundreds of “Name: message” lines. Paperthread lays them out with a colour per person, day dividers and system lines (“Anna added Ben”) shown in grey. In the Records layout, the cover page lists all participants and how many messages each sent.

Very large groups

Busy groups can have tens of thousands of messages. Use the date filter to make a PDF of just the period you need, and use a computer rather than a phone for speed.