Start with one conversation
Use WhatsApp’s own chat-export feature for the conversation you need. A native export gives you text and, where included, media files to review outside WhatsApp. It is different from an account backup and is not a way to restore a chat into WhatsApp.
Before you begin, choose a private destination you control and check that you have space for the files. If the conversation is relevant to a dispute, keep the material you already have while preparing an export; do not delete it just because a new file has been created.
Export on your phone
- Android: open the conversation, use the three-dot menu, then More → Export chat. Choose whether to include media and select a destination.
- iPhone: open the conversation, tap the contact or group name, then choose Export chat. Choose whether to attach media and save or share the result to your chosen destination.
Labels and available options can change with the app version. Use WhatsApp’s official Android instructions or iPhone instructions if your screen differs.
Choose media deliberately
A text-only export is useful for reading the messages, but references to photos, voice notes or documents are not the attachments themselves. Include media when it matters and is available. Export limits and the sharing destination can affect what arrives; do not assume an export contains the entire conversation or every attachment.
Check the earliest and latest messages and whether relevant media files are present. If you make another export with different options, retain each separately and note the difference rather than replacing the first without explanation.
Move the files without changing them
Transfer the saved TXT or ZIP to a trusted computer using a method appropriate for the material. An email or cloud transfer involves that provider’s systems; UnPack’s local processing does not make the transfer itself local.
Keep the original file independently. Work from a copy, record when and how you exported it, and avoid pasting the conversation into a word processor as a replacement for the native file. For UnPack, use a TXT or a ZIP with one identifiable chat and supplied media. Review the file-format guide before repackaging anything.