How do I read a WhatsApp .txt export?
Last reviewed 1 November 2026
Each message is one line: a date and time, the sender's name, then the text. iPhone wraps the timestamp in square brackets. Android follows it with a dash.
The date order depends on the phone's region, so 03/04 can mean 3 April or 4 March.
What does a line look like?
Examples from the invented chat we test with.
| Phone | Example line |
|---|---|
| iPhone (UK/AU) | [01/02/2025, 19:02:11] Alex Morgan: Agreed |
| iPhone (year first) | [2025-02-01, 19:02:11] Alex Morgan: Agreed |
| Android (UK/AU) | 01/02/2025, 19:02 - Alex Morgan: Agreed |
| Android (US) | 2/1/25, 7:02 PM - Alex Morgan: Agreed |
| Android (German layout) | 01.02.25, 19:02 - Alex Morgan: Agreed |
Which number is the day?
Any date with a first or second number above 12 settles it. If every date is 12 or under, the file alone cannot say, so a careful reader asks you. The checker asks rather than guesses.
What are the odd lines?
| You see | It means |
|---|---|
| Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted... | WhatsApp's own notice, not a person |
<Media omitted> | Android, exported without media |
image omitted, audio omitted | iPhone, exported without media |
<attached: 00000043-PHOTO-...jpg> | iPhone, the file is in the zip |
IMG-20250303-WA0008.jpg (file attached) | Android, the file is in the zip |
This message was deleted | The text is gone. Only the marker stays |
<This message was edited> | The text shown is the edited version |
Missed voice call | A call record |
Group events (joined, left, changed the subject) have no real sender.
What about long messages?
A message with line breaks runs over several lines. Only the first has a timestamp. A reader must attach the rest to it, or the message gets cut short. Our counts from 16 test files.
Why does the text look odd?
- Some files start with an invisible byte-order mark. iPhone lines often start with an invisible left-to-right mark.
- Android US and AU files can use a thin non-breaking space before AM or PM.
What is in the zip?
On iPhone, WhatsApp says the export is a zip file. On Android the chat text file is attached, with any media, through the share sheet.
In files we have opened, the iPhone chat file is _chat.txt and the Android one is WhatsApp Chat with <name>.txt. Steps: export a WhatsApp chat. If it won't export: not working.
Questions people ask
Can I edit the file?
You can, but keep the original untouched. An edited copy is no longer the export.
Does the file include photos?
Only in the zip. A text-only export lists them as omitted.
General information only, not legal advice.