Fixing problems

How to Open a WhatsApp Chat Export (.txt or .zip)

The file you get from Export chat is plain text, or an archive that contains plain text. You can open it in almost any app, and it reads far more easily as a PDF.

What the file actually is

A .txt export is a text file in which each message begins with a date, a time and a sender name, followed by the message itself. A .zip export is a compressed folder that contains that same text file along with any attachments. Nothing in the file is special, and no WhatsApp software is needed to read it.

Open the .txt on a computer

1. Right-click the file, choose Open with, and pick Notepad, TextEdit or another text editor.
2. Read the lines. Each one should start with a date and time, followed by the sender.
3. If accents or emojis look wrong, open the file again and look for an encoding option in the open dialog. Choose UTF-8 if it is offered.

Open the .zip

1. On Windows, right-click the .zip and choose Extract All. On a Mac, double-click it to unpack.
2. Find the text file inside. On iPhone exports it is usually named _chat.txt. Android exports use a name beginning with WhatsApp Chat.
3. Open the text file. The photos and videos sit in the same folder, so keep the folder together.

Open the chat on a phone

On an iPhone, save the export to the Files app and open it with the built-in previewer or a text viewer. On Android, use a file manager to find the .txt and open it with a text app. Either way, you will see the same messages, but long chats are awkward to scroll through on a small screen.

Why the raw text is hard to read

The raw file has no layout. A long chat runs on for thousands of lines, and names, times and message text blend together. That is why many people convert the export to a PDF. A PDF has pages, consistent formatting and a layout that prints and shares well.

Convert it to a readable PDF

Upload the .txt, or the .zip, to ChatIntoPDF. The free full preview shows the layout, you can pick one of four styles (Classic, Clean, Formal or Book), and the PDF is paid once per chat from $1.99. No account is needed. ChatIntoPDF is independent and is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

Keep the original safe

Do not edit the original export. Make a copy before any cleanup, so the untouched file is always there if something goes wrong. Chats often contain personal details, so store the files somewhere secure and delete copies you no longer need.

Common problems

• The .zip will not open: the download may have been interrupted. Download the export again.
• Long lines run off the screen: turn on word wrap in the text editor.
• Symbols look wrong: the file is being read with the wrong encoding. Open it as UTF-8, and see the guide on emojis for more detail.
• The text file is missing from the .zip: the export may have been made without media, so check that you saved the right file.

• Open the .txt in a text editor to read it directly.
• Extract the .zip to reach the text file and the media together.
• Convert to PDF when you want a layout that is easier to read, share and print.