Exporting from WhatsApp

With media or without media: which WhatsApp export to choose

When you export a WhatsApp chat, you are asked whether to include media. The choice decides what is inside the file and what your finished PDF can show. This guide explains both options so you can pick the right one first time.

What the two options produce

Without media creates a plain text file with a .txt extension. It contains every message, with dates, times and sender names, but not the files that were shared. Wherever a photo, video or document was posted, the text holds a short placeholder such as <Media omitted> so the timeline stays intact.

With media creates a .zip archive. Inside it is the same chat text, plus the media files that were shared in the conversation. The archive is usually much larger, and it takes longer to upload and convert, but nothing is left out.

What each option means for the PDF

A PDF made from a without-media export is a faithful record of the words. The conversation reads in order, the dates are intact, and the placeholders show where media used to be. This is the right result if you want a clean, searchable document for the text itself.

A PDF made from a with-media export can include the attached files, but only on a higher tier of ChatIntoPDF. On the standard tier, the media stays represented by placeholders. Check the pricing on the site before you export if the pictures matter to you.

Size, speed and storage

• Without media: small file, quick upload, easy to email or store.
• With media: a larger archive that may take a while to transfer, especially on mobile data.
• Storage: keep the archive in a place with enough space, and do not delete the original export until the PDF is saved.

Long-running chats grow quickly once photos and videos are included. If you only need a summary of the discussion, a text-only export is often enough.

Which option to choose

• Choose Without media for a record of decisions, plans, arguments or work discussions, where the wording matters more than the pictures.
• Choose With media for family groups, trips, celebrations and keepsakes, where photos are part of the memory.
• Choose Without media when you are short on space or on a slow connection, and export again with media later if you need it.
• Choose With media if you are not sure. You can always convert a without-media version later, but you cannot recover media that was never exported.

How the choice looks on each phone

On iPhone, the options are called Attach Media and Without Media, found under Export Chat on the chat info page. On Android, they are called Include media and Without media, found under the three-dot menu, then More, then Export chat. The underlying choice is the same on both platforms.

Practical tips

• Export the same chat twice if you need both a light text record and a full keepsake.
• Use a computer or a stable Wi-Fi connection to move a large .zip file.
• Preview the conversation before downloading, so you can see how the media and placeholders appear.
• Name your files with the chat name and the date, so you can tell exports apart later.

Where ChatIntoPDF fits

ChatIntoPDF accepts both export types. You load the .txt or .zip, pick one of four layouts, and check a full free preview before paying once per chat, starting from $1.99. ChatIntoPDF is independent and is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.