On Android
- Open the chat.
- Tap the three dots in the top corner, then More, then Export chat.
- Tap Include media to bring the photos, or Without media for the text alone.
- Pick where it goes: an app like Onpaper, Gmail, or Google Drive.
How to export a WhatsApp chat to PDF.
WhatsApp has no Save as PDF button. What it has is Export chat, which hands you the chat as a text file, with the photos too if you ask for them. Turning that into a PDF takes two steps, on Android or iPhone.
The short answer
- In WhatsApp, open the chat and tap Export chat. On Android it’s under the three dots, then More. On iPhone, tap the chat’s name at the top.
- Choose to include media if you want the photos.
- Send the export to an app that makes PDFs, such as Onpaper on Android. Or open the text file in Google Docs and download it as a PDF.
Last checked 30 October 2026.
Step 1: export the chat from WhatsApp.
Export chat is in every chat’s menu, for one-to-one chats and groups alike. It copies the messages into a file and lets you send that file on, to an app, your email or your files.
On iPhone
- Open the chat.
- Tap the person’s or group’s name at the top.
- Scroll down and tap Export chat, then choose whether to include media.
- Pick where it goes, such as Save to Files, Mail or AirDrop.
An iPhone export arrives as a .zip file. The chat itself is the .txt file inside it.
Good to know
- With media, WhatsApp adds the most recent photos and files. In a very long chat, the oldest may be left out.
- An export is a copy to read, not a backup. WhatsApp says it can’t be imported back into the app.
- If Export chat isn’t there, someone in the chat has turned on Advanced chat privacy, which hides it for everyone. It can be turned off in the chat’s settings, unless a group’s admins have locked them.
Step 2: turn it into a PDF.
There are two good ways. Onpaper lays the chat out like WhatsApp, photos and all, on your phone. Google Docs is free and works on any computer, but you get plain text.
On Android, with the photos
With Onpaper
- Install Onpaper from Google Play.
- Export the chat with Include media, and pick Onpaper from the list. The chat opens in seconds, laid out like WhatsApp.
- If Onpaper asks which one is you, tap your name, so your messages sit on the right.
- Tap Make PDF, choose the whole chat or just some dates, then save the PDF or share it.
What you get: every message in a dated bubble, the photos printed where they were sent, and the chat’s name, dates and a page number on every page. Deleted and edited messages are marked. Nothing is uploaded.
Cost: free, with a “Free version” watermark on every page. A one-off £4.99 removes it and adds a cover page.
Free, on a computer
With Google Docs
- Export the chat Without media and send it to yourself, by email or to Google Drive. If you get a .zip file, unzip it: the chat is the .txt file inside.
- On a computer, upload the .txt file to Google Drive.
- Right-click it and choose Open with, then Google Docs.
- Choose File, then Download, then PDF Document (.pdf).
What you get: one long column of plain text. Every line starts with the date, the time and the sender’s name, and each photo shows as a line of text instead of the picture. It’s fine for a short chat with no photos.
| Feature | Onpaper | Google Docs |
|---|---|---|
| Photos | Printed where they were sent | A line of text instead of each photo |
| Layout | Chat bubbles, with yours on the right | Plain text, one line per message |
| Page numbers and header | On every page | Add them yourself |
| Just some dates | Pick any range | Delete the lines you don’t need by hand |
| Works on | Android phones, with exports from Android or iPhone | Any computer |
| Where the chat goes | Stays on your phone | Into your Google Drive |
| Price | Free with a watermark, or £4.99 once to remove it | Free |
If the PDF is for someone else.
A solicitor, a landlord, HR or an insurer. A few things make the PDF easier for them to use.
Export it soon
If someone deletes a message for everyone, it’s gone from your copy too. Export while the chat is complete.
Include the photos
Receipts, damage and screenshots often matter as much as the words. Export with media.
Send only what matters
Pick the dates that count rather than years of chat. It’s easier to read, and you share less of your life.
Keep the original
Save the export file next to the PDF. It’s what the PDF was made from, if anyone asks.
A copy, not a certificate
A PDF of a chat shows what’s in WhatsApp’s export. It isn’t a legal certification, so if it’s for a court or tribunal, ask whoever is handling your case what they need.
Questions
Can I save a WhatsApp chat as a PDF without an app?
Yes. Export the chat without media, open the text file in Google Docs on a computer, then choose File, Download, PDF Document. You get plain text, without the photos.
Why is Export chat missing in WhatsApp?
If anyone in the chat has turned on Advanced chat privacy, WhatsApp hides Export chat for everyone in it. It can be turned off in the chat’s settings. In a group, the admins may have locked that setting.
Does the export include every photo?
Not always. WhatsApp says it adds the most recent media to the export, so in a long chat the oldest photos may be left out.
Can I put an exported chat back into WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp says an export is a text file, not a backup, so it can’t be imported back. To move your chats to a new phone, use WhatsApp’s own backup or transfer.
Does Onpaper open chats exported from an iPhone?
Yes. Onpaper is an Android app, and it reads exports from both Android and iPhone. If you only have an iPhone, the Google Docs method works.
How do I export a WhatsApp group chat?
The same way as a one-to-one chat: open the group and choose Export chat. In Onpaper’s PDF, each person’s name shows above their messages.
Source: WhatsApp Help Center, How to export your chat history, checked 30 October 2026. Onpaper isn’t affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.
Every WhatsApp chat, as a tidy PDF.
Onpaper is on Google Play now. It’s free to try, with no ads and no account, and your chats never leave your phone.