WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging platforms in the world, with over 2 billion active users. One of the key features of WhatsApp is the ability to create groups where you can communicate with multiple contacts at once.
WhatsApp groups can contain up to 256 participants. As a group admin or member, you likely have the phone numbers of the other group participants saved in your contacts. However, there may be times when you want to extract the phone numbers of all the group participants for convenience outside of WhatsApp.
Fortunately, there are free tools available to export and save the phone numbers of everyone in a WhatsApp group. This can be useful for backing up your contacts, syncing numbers across devices, or accessing your WhatsApp contacts outside of the app.
Why Extract WhatsApp Group Contacts?
Here are some of the main reasons you may want to extract the phone numbers of participants from a WhatsApp group:
- Back up your contacts – Extracting the numbers allows you to create a separate backup of your WhatsApp contacts.
- Sync across devices – You can access the contacts on a new phone if you switch devices.
- Communicate outside WhatsApp – You’ll have the numbers to communicate via call, text, or other apps.
- Add contacts to another app – Easily add all group members to a new messaging platform.
- Create a mailing list – Export the numbers to an email list for mass communication.
The ability to extract the phone numbers from your WhatsApp groups makes it easy to take your contacts outside of WhatsApp. You can save them in a standard contacts format or as a spreadsheet. This gives you more flexibility in how you communicate with your WhatsApp groups.
Requirements for Extracting WhatsApp Contacts
To export phone numbers from a WhatsApp group, you need:
- Access to the WhatsApp group as an admin or member
- The group must contain at least one other participant besides yourself
- A third-party app or service that can extract WhatsApp data
- An internet connection to transfer the data
As long as you have access to view the member list of a WhatsApp group, you can use a contact extraction tool. Internet access allows the tool to fetch your WhatsApp data and export the phone numbers.
The export process may differ slightly depending on the specific tool. But the general steps involve installing the tool, linking your WhatsApp account, and picking the group to extract numbers from. Most tools can export the contacts directly or allow you to download a CSV file.
Top 7 WhatsApp Contact Extraction Tools
There are many great options for WhatsApp contact extraction tools. Here are 7 of the top free options:
1. Copy9
Copy9 is one of the most popular free tools for exporting WhatsApp contact details. It can extract phone numbers, names, and the last seen status from WhatsApp groups or your full contacts list. The exported numbers can be saved as a CSV or TXT file.
2. dr.fone Toolkit
dr.fone by Wondershare offers Android and iOS utilities in one toolkit. It can back up and export WhatsApp data from your phone. You can save the contacts as a CSV or share them via social media or messaging apps.
3. iMyFone Umate
Umate by iMyFone specializes in clearing junk data from iPhone storage. But it can also export your iPhone’s WhatsApp data, including chats and group info. You can save the extracted numbers to your computer as a readable file.
4. MobileTrans
MobileTrans by Wondershare is designed to transfer data between phones. With it, you can seamlessly move your WhatsApp history and contacts to a new device. During the transfer, you can view and export all your WhatsApp contacts.
5. EaseUS MobiMover
MobiMover by EaseUS enables transferring files between iOS devices. As part of the transfer process, you can view and export the WhatsApp data. This provides access to all your WhatsApp group contacts outside the app.
6. iSkysoft Toolbox
iSkysoft Toolbox is an iOS utility with diverse phone management functions. You can use it to extract and export your WhatsApp messages, contacts, call history, and more. Saving the data also backs up your WhatsApp account.
7. Tenorshare UltData
Tenorshare UltData can recover lost or deleted WhatsApp data from iOS and Android phones. In the process, it extracts your local WhatsApp information. You can export contacts, chats, attachments, and more.
What Data Can Be Extracted?
The main data extracted from WhatsApp groups is the phone numbers of the participants. But depending on the tool used, additional details may be available, such as:
- Names of participants
- Profile pictures of participants
- Last seen status
- Any additional notes saved along with the numbers
Most tools focus on extracting phone numbers as that is the main contact detail needed outside of WhatsApp. But having the names and profile pictures helps identify the numbers and makes the export more useful.
Pros and Cons of Extracting Contacts
Extracting phone numbers from WhatsApp has several benefits as well as some downsides to consider:
Pros:
- Backs up your contacts outside WhatsApp
- Makes contacts accessible across devices
- Lets you communicate via other apps
- Easy way to add many numbers to a new service
- Allows creating mailing lists for mass communication
Cons:
- Security risk if contacts leaked or accessed without permission
- Time consuming to export many groups
- Need to re-extract numbers if contacts change
- Requires installing third-party software
- May not work reliably for all WhatsApp versions
The convenience and flexibility of extracting contacts comes with some risks. Make sure to only use trusted tools and keep the data safe once exported outside of WhatsApp.
Step-by-Step Guide
The general process for extracting contacts from a WhatsApp group is:
- Install the extraction tool on your device
- Open the tool and link your WhatsApp account
- Select the WhatsApp group to extract numbers from
- Choose data export type (CSV, TXT, etc)
- Export and save the phone numbers list
- Double check the extracted data
- Disconnect the tool from your WhatsApp account
Here is a more detailed walkthrough using the Copy9 tool as an example:
Step 1) Download and install Copy9
Go to copy9.com and download the Copy9 application. Install it on the device where your WhatsApp account is logged in. Copy9 works on both Android and iPhone.
Step 2) Open Copy9 and login
Launch the Copy9 app. Create or log in to your Copy9 account. The app will guide you through granting the required permissions.
Step 3) Connect your WhatsApp account
In Copy9, tap on WhatsApp and select Connect. Scan the QR code shown on screen using your WhatsApp app to link your account.
Step 4) Pick your WhatsApp group
Once connected, your WhatsApp data will show in Copy9. Go to Groups, select the group you want to extract numbers from and tap Export.
Step 5) Export the phone numbers
You can now select to export the group contacts as either a .CSV file or .TXT file. Make your choice and tap Export to save the phone number list to your device storage.
Step 6) Disconnect once finished
After exporting the WhatsApp group contacts, go back to the Copy9 WhatsApp settings and choose Disconnect to unlink your account for privacy.
Alternative Methods
Aside from dedicated extraction tools, there are some alternative methods to get phone numbers from your WhatsApp groups:
Manual Copy-Paste
Open your WhatsApp group, tap on the group info, then participants list. Manually scroll through the list and copy-paste each number into your contacts or a notes app one by one. Very time consuming for large groups.
Export from Phone Contacts
Your phone’s contacts app may have an export or backup feature you can use. However, this exports all contacts not just WhatsApp numbers.
Google Contacts Sync
If you have your WhatsApp contacts synced to your Google account, you can export your full Google contacts. Again, this contains non-WhatsApp data.
These manual methods are more limited and tedious compared to specialized WhatsApp extraction tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is extracting WhatsApp contacts allowed?
Yes, it is allowed under WhatsApp’s terms of service. As long as you are a participant in the WhatsApp group, you can export the numbers outside of WhatsApp.
Does the export transfer chat history?
No, most tools only extract contacts, not the chat logs or media. Some tools provide the option to transfer chat history separately.
Can I extract contacts without the app knowing?
No, linking your WhatsApp account to extract contacts cannot be done in secret. Users are notified when their account is linked.
Is it safe to use WhatsApp export tools?
When used properly on trusted platforms, contact extraction tools are generally safe. Be wary of fake apps masquerading as data extractors.
Can you extract contacts from Android to iPhone?
Yes, as long as the tool supports both Android and iOS. The contacts data can be transferred cross platform.Conclusion
WhatsApp groups make it easy to communicate with multiple people at once. To take those contacts outside of WhatsApp, specialized tools can extract the phone numbers from any WhatsApp group you are part of. The top free options like Copy9 provide a seamless way to export and backup your WhatsApp contacts.
Remember to only use trusted apps for contact extraction. Never install software you are unsure about. With the right tool, exporting your WhatsApp group contacts takes just a few minutes. It provides flexibility to communicate with those same contacts even when outside of WhatsApp.