WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. As you continue conversations over weeks, months and even years, your chat history can contain meaningful memories and important information. Having a backup of your WhatsApp chats is crucial to prevent losing your chat history if you lose your phone or switch devices.
Fortunately, WhatsApp provides multiple ways to export and backup your chat history archive. This guide will walk you through the different methods to:
- Export WhatsApp chats to your computer as a text file
- Back up WhatsApp chats to Google Drive or iCloud
- Use third party apps for WhatsApp backup and export
Table of Contents
Export WhatsApp Chats to Your Computer
Exporting WhatsApp chats allows you to save your chat history as a text file on your computer. Here are the steps:
On Android
- Open the individual or group chat you want to export
- Tap on the three vertical dots in the top right corner
- Select More > Export chat
- Choose whether to Export with media or Export without media
- Select the destination folder on your computer and tap Export
On iPhone
- Open the individual or group chat you want to export
- Tap on the contact’s name on top
- Scroll down and select Export Chat
- Choose whether to Export with media or Export without media
- Your chat history will be emailed as a text file attachment
The exported text file contains the entire chat history, but media files like photos and videos need to be saved separately.
Back Up Chats to Google Drive or iCloud
WhatsApp also provides cloud syncing to automatically back up your chats to Google Drive (Android) or iCloud (iOS).
On Android
- Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat backup
- Select Back up to Google Drive and choose backup frequency
- Tap Back up to manually backup chats via Google Drive
On iPhone
- Go to iPhone Settings > [your name] > iCloud
- Ensure WhatsApp is enabled under Apps using iCloud
- Go to WhatsApp > Settings > Chats > Chat Backup > Auto Backup
- Choose backup frequency (daily, weekly etc)
Backups happen automatically based on the frequency you choose. You can also manually trigger a backup anytime.
Use Third Party Apps for Backup
Several third party apps like iMyFone iTransor, dr.fone and iSkysoft also allow exporting WhatsApp chats from iPhone or Android. These tools provide more flexibility compared to the native chat export feature:
- Export chats with full media
- Save in multiple formats (TXT, HTML, PDF)
- Export chats by date range
- Preview chats before exporting
- Encrypted backup for privacy
However, third party tools typically require a one-time purchase or subscription compared to the free native options.
Best Practices for Backing Up Chats
To prevent losing your chat history, follow these best practices:
- Set up auto backup to Google Drive or iCloud based on your device
- Trigger manual backups before a major OS update or factory reset
- Occasionally export important chats to your computer
- Use third party tools for more flexibility and encryption
- Store backups across multiple locations in case a single backup fails
By exporting and backing up your WhatsApp chats via multiple methods, you can have peace of mind knowing your chat history is safe.
Conclusion
WhatsApp chat history contains meaningful conversations and memories you won’t want to lose. Thankfully, WhatsApp provides multiple ways to export and back up chats either natively or through third party apps. Follow the best practices outlined above depending on whether you use iPhone or Android. With comprehensive chat backups, you don’t have to worry about ever losing your WhatsApp chat history.
