How to convert a WhatsApp chat to PDF

WhatsApp can’t save a chat as PDF by itself. It exports a plain text file. Here are the realistic options, from free to polished.

1. Screenshots → PDF (free)

Fine for a handful of messages. For anything longer it gets painful, and screenshots of a conversation are easy to question because they can be cropped or edited.

2. Print the exported .txt file (free)

Export the chat (iPhone, Android), open _chat.txt on a computer and print to PDF. It’s complete, but it’s a wall of text: no page structure, no photos, and attachments show as file names.

3. Print from WhatsApp Web (free)

Scroll up to load the whole chat and use the browser’s print dialog. It often breaks on long chats, cuts off bubbles and misses images.

4. Use a converter

A converter reads the export and lays it out properly: dates, names, page numbers, photos in place. Before you choose one, check where your chat goes. Many converters upload your file to their server. Paperthread doesn’t: the PDF is built in your browser, so your messages stay on your device.

Which should I pick?

• A few messages for a friend: screenshots.
• The full history, just for you: printing the .txt is fine.
• Something readable to keep or print: a converter with the chat layout.
• For a lawyer, employer, landlord, insurer or court: a numbered, page-referenced record. See our guide.