Exporting from WhatsApp
Switching from Android to iPhone without losing your chats
Moving WhatsApp history between Android and iPhone is not always straightforward. Exporting your important chats before you switch gives you a readable copy that does not depend on the new phone working perfectly.
Why export before you switch
Chat history does not always carry across when you change platforms, and a backup you cannot restore is no backup at all. An export is different: it is a file you hold, in a format you can open without WhatsApp. Making one before the switch means your important conversations survive even if the transfer goes wrong.
Export each chat on Android
- Open WhatsApp on the Android phone and go to the chat you want to keep.
- Tap the three-dot menu at the top right, then tap More.
- Tap Export chat and choose Without media or Include media.
- Send the file to a place you can reach later, such as your email or Google Drive.
Repeat the steps for every chat on your list. Work through the most important ones first, so the essentials are safe even if you run short of time.
Before you switch phones
- Export every chat you cannot afford to lose, including group chats you still use.
- Keep the raw .txt or .zip files as well as any PDFs, so you can convert them again later.
- Store the files in two places, such as a cloud drive and a local folder on your computer.
- Check one exported file before you wipe the old phone.
Convert the exports to PDF
Open ChatIntoPDF at chatintopdf.com in any browser, on a laptop or on the iPhone itself. Upload each .txt or .zip, check the free preview and choose a style: Classic, Clean, Formal or Book. The 24-hour pass from $1.99 gives you unlimited chats for a day with no account and no subscription, which is handy when you have a whole list to convert.
Why a PDF is a good long-term record
A PDF opens on any phone, tablet or computer, whatever platform you use next. It keeps the order of messages, the sender names and the dates in a readable layout. Unlike a backup that depends on one app, the PDF stays useful long after you have stopped using WhatsApp, which is the point of keeping a record in the first place.
ChatIntoPDF is an independent tool and is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.
Frequently asked questions
Will my chats move over automatically when I switch?
Do not rely on it. Export the chats you care about before you switch, so you hold a copy you control.
Does the export include my contacts?
It includes names as they appear in each chat, and unsaved contacts show as phone numbers.
Can I combine Android and iPhone exports?
You can convert them separately. Each PDF is a record of one chat, so keep them as separate files.
Do I need to be on the same phone to convert the file?
No. The export is a file, so you can convert it from any browser on any device.