WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms, with over 2 billion users worldwide. It allows you to easily share messages, photos, videos, documents, voice messages, and more with your contacts. Over time, your WhatsApp chats can build up to contain a lot of important media and conversations that you may want to backup and store more permanently on your computer.
Luckily, WhatsApp provides a simple way to export your entire chat history – including all messages, media, and documents – from your phone to your computer. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to download all of your WhatsApp data to your computer.
Preparing to Export WhatsApp Data
Before exporting and downloading your WhatsApp data, there are a few things you need to do to prepare:
- Make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your phone. WhatsApp frequently releases new versions that contain updates and bug fixes, so keeping the app up-to-date will ensure the export goes smoothly.
- Your phone needs to be connected to a power source or sufficiently charged. Exporting all of your WhatsApp data can take a while depending on how much media is being transferred, so you’ll want to make sure your phone battery doesn’t run out halfway through.
- Connect your phone to a computer using your charging cable. The export process will transfer the WhatsApp data from your phone to your computer.
- Make sure you have enough free storage space on your computer. The WhatsApp data being exported will take up storage, so clearing out space beforehand is recommended.
- Backup your WhatsApp data before exporting. WhatsApp has a built-in backup feature that saves your chats to Google Drive. You may want to manually trigger a backup before exporting as an extra precaution.
Once your phone and computer are ready, you can move ahead with exporting your WhatsApp data.
Exporting WhatsApp Data
Here are the steps to export and download all of your WhatsApp chats and media from your phone to your computer:
- Open WhatsApp on your phone.
- Go to Settings > Chats > Chat History.
- Tap “Export Chat”.
- Select whether you want to include media in your export or just the chat history without media.
- Tap “Export” and WhatsApp will begin preparing the export. This may take a while depending on the size of your data.
- You’ll get a notification on your phone when the export is ready. Tap on it.
- Your phone may show installation instructions for WhatsApp’s data transfer app if you don’t already have it. Follow these prompts to install it.
- Open the file transfer app on your phone. On Android this is called WhatsApp Data Transfer, on iPhone it is WhatsApp Export.
- On your computer, open the WhatsApp desktop app.
- A code will appear on your computer screen. Enter this code into the WhatsApp data transfer app on your phone when prompted.
- Your phone will now transfer your exported WhatsApp data to your computer via the WhatsApp desktop app.
- When the transfer is complete, you will find your exported WhatsApp data saved as a ZIP file on your computer. The location varies by operating system:
- Windows: C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\WhatsApp\Backups
- Mac: /Users/[user name]/Library/Application Support/WhatsApp/Backups/
And that’s it! Your WhatsApp chat history and media should now be exported from your phone and safely stored in a ZIP file on your computer. You can transfer this file elsewhere for backup purposes or unzip it to browse your exported WhatsApp data on your computer.
What’s Included in Your WhatsApp Export
Your exported WhatsApp data will contain a complete backup of the following information from your chats:
- All text messages
- Photos and videos you shared or received
- Document files exchanged in chats
- Voice messages
- Your WhatsApp call history
- Chat and group information, names, and profiles
- Media captions
- Chat timestamps
- Your WhatsApp settings and preferences
In other words, it includes your entire WhatsApp account data from your phone. Media files like photos and videos will be included in full resolution. Everything will be packaged up neatly in one ZIP file for easy transfer and storage.
Why Download Your WhatsApp Media
Here are some key reasons you may want to export and download all your WhatsApp data to your computer:
- Create a backup of your WhatsApp chats – Having a local copy on your computer acts as a backup in case you lose your phone or delete your WhatsApp account.
- View media on a bigger screen – Photos and videos are easier to see on a laptop or desktop computer screen compared to a phone’s screen.
- Free up phone storage – Downloading media to your computer frees up local storage on your phone.
- Store data long-term – You can keep chat archives and media forever on your computer but not necessarily on your phone if you change phones.
- Transfer to a new phone – If you get a new phone, you can transfer the ZIP file back into WhatsApp to retain your full chat history.
Tips for Downloading WhatsApp Media
Here are some additional tips for smoothly exporting and downloading your WhatsApp chats and media:
- Disable battery optimization for WhatsApp before exporting to prevent your phone from sleeping during the process.
- Use WiFi for the transfer instead of mobile data to avoid using up your mobile plan data.
- Make sure your WhatsApp account is logged out of WhatsApp Web to avoid conflicts.
- Double check that the correct ZIP file was transferred to your computer after the export.
- The export process can take an hour or more depending on your data size – be patient!
- Encrypt or password-protect the WhatsApp ZIP file if storing sensitive data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the export contain my WhatsApp call history?
Yes, your exported WhatsApp data will include your full call history showing all incoming and outgoing calls through WhatsApp.
Can I export without media to get my chats faster?
Yes, when initiating the export you have the option to export with or without media files. Excluding media will result in a much smaller and faster export.
Do my exported chats remain on my phone?
Yes, exporting your chats is just copying data from your phone to your computer. It does not delete or remove anything from your actual WhatsApp account on your phone.
Can I export chats from a specific date range?
Unfortunately, no – the WhatsApp export will always contain your full chat history. You cannot pick and choose a custom date range to export.
Does the export include group chats I’m part of?
Yes, all your group chats will be included in the exported WhatsApp data ZIP file, along with the media and information associated with each group.
Conclusion
Exporting your WhatsApp chats and media can be done in just a few steps and provides you with a comprehensive backup of your full WhatsApp account data for safekeeping and transfer purposes. Following the process outlined above, you can have all your WhatsApp messages, files, videos, and more downloaded from your phone to your computer in the form of a ZIP file ready for long-term storage. Just be sure your phone is charged, connected to your computer, and has enough free storage space. With a modern high-speed phone and computer, you can export years’ worth of WhatsApp data in under an hour!