WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, allowing users to easily communicate with individuals and groups. WhatsApp groups can contain hundreds of contacts, which makes it useful to be able to extract and save all those contacts outside of the app. There are a few different methods that can be used to extract all the contacts from a WhatsApp group.
Why You Might Want to Extract Contacts
There are several reasons why you might want to extract the contact list from a WhatsApp group:
- To have a separate backup of all the numbers in case you leave the group or need to start a new group.
- To add multiple people to your phone contacts easily.
- To import the numbers into a separate app or mailing list.
- To know who is in the group if people have left.
- To analyze the makeup of group members and contacts.
Having a separate list of the contacts can make it easier to manage, search, and use the numbers for other purposes outside of WhatsApp.
Methods to Extract Contacts from a WhatsApp Group
There are a few main ways to get the contact list from a WhatsApp group:
Export Chat Method
WhatsApp has a built-in export chat feature that will allow you to save the entire chat history and contacts from a group. Here is how to use it:
- Open the WhatsApp group chat
- Tap on the group subject name at the top of the screen
- Scroll down and tap Export Chat
- Choose whether you want to Include Media or not
- Select the format you want to export as – you can choose PDF or TXT
- The chat history and contacts will export and you can save the file
This will give you the full list of contacts in a format that you can save and access outside of WhatsApp. The downside is that it exports the entire chat history which can result in a very large file size.
Create a New Contact Method
You can manually create a new contact in your phone for each member of the WhatsApp group. Here is how:
- Open the WhatsApp group
- Tap on the group members name
- Tap on the Add to Contacts button
- Create a new contact entry with their name and number
- Repeat this for each person in the group
This ensures you have each person saved individually in your contacts outside of WhatsApp. The downside is it can be very time consuming if you have a large group.
Use a Third Party App
There are apps you can download that are designed to extract and backup WhatsApp data. Two examples are:
- ShareChat – Android app that can extract WhatsApp contacts and chats.
- BackupTrans – Software for Windows PC that can backup and export WhatsApp chats and contacts.
The process involves connecting your phone to your computer and using the app to access and extract the contacts list which you can then export and save. This method provides more flexibility in how you save and use the extracted contacts.
Important Things to Know When Extracting Contacts
Here are some important things to keep in mind when extracting contacts from WhatsApp:
- You need to be the admin of the WhatsApp group to export the chat history and contacts.
- Contacts will only be extracted if they have shared their mobile numbers with the group.
- The process differs slightly between iPhone and Android devices.
- Removed or banned members may still show up in the extracted contacts.
- It’s best to double check the extracted list for any errors or duplicate numbers.
- Always export your chats or contacts to store them outside of WhatsApp as they are not retained if you delete the app.
Following some basic precautions will ensure you accurately capture all the contacts from a WhatsApp group for your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about extracting WhatsApp group contacts:
Can I export contacts without exporting the full chat?
Unfortunately there is no way to selectively only export the contacts from WhatsApp without taking the full chat history. The export chat feature will provide the contacts but also includes the entire message history.
How do I separate the contacts from the chat history?
When you use the export chat option, choose TXT format which will give you the contacts and messages in a text file. You can then open this in a spreadsheet program or text editor to filter and delete the messages, leaving only the list of contacts behind.
Does exporting contacts notify the group members?
No, exporting or backing up the chat and contacts is done privately without any notifications or alerts sent to other members of the group. Only you can see the exported file.
Can I export contacts on iPhone and Android?
Yes, the process is very similar. On Android you export via the More Options menu, while on iPhone you can use the Export Chat option from the group info screen. As long as you have admin rights, it will work on both platforms.
Is there a limit to how many contacts I can extract from a group?
There is no limit imposed by WhatsApp on the number of contacts you can extract from a group, so you can safely get the full list even from very large groups with hundreds of members.
Conclusion
Extracting the contact list from a WhatsApp group is useful for backing up these important contacts outside of the app. While manually saving numbers is an option, the best methods are to use the Export Chat feature within WhatsApp or a dedicated third party app. Following best practices for extracting the contacts helps ensure you get a complete and accurate list. The contacts can then be used as you wish for messaging, mailouts, starting new groups and more.