Where does WhatsApp save an exported chat?
Last reviewed 1 November 2026
WhatsApp doesn't save the export itself. You choose where it goes from the share menu, and the file lives there. On iPhone that might be Files, Notes or Messages. On Android it might be Gmail, Quick Share or Chat.
Search that app, or your phone, for "WhatsApp Chat", the usual file name.
Where does it go on iPhone?
WhatsApp offers Message, Save to Files or Notes. The export is a ZIP file.
- Save to Files: open the Files app, go to Browse, then the folder you picked. Recents usually shows it too.
- Message or Notes: the file is an attachment in that conversation or note.
- Not sure: in Files, search "WhatsApp Chat".
Where does it go on Android?
WhatsApp offers methods such as Quick Share, Gmail or Chat. Whichever you tap decides where it ends up.
- Gmail: it's an attachment on the email, so check Sent, or Drafts if you didn't send it.
- Quick Share: it lands on the receiving device, usually in its Downloads.
- Other apps: if the share menu offers save to device, use it, then check Downloads in your Files app.
Menus vary by phone, so these are the general routes, not WhatsApp's.
What about web and desktop?
WhatsApp says the export is a ZIP file without media. It doesn't say where it saves, so it's usually your browser's downloads or the Downloads folder.
How should I store it?
Once you find it, keep it somewhere boring and obvious.
- Put one copy in a folder you'll remember.
- Leave it unchanged. Don't open it in a word processor and save over it.
- Work from a second copy.
Not sure it's the whole chat? Run it through the free export checker; it reads the file on your device.
If you're after voice notes, those need the media option: voice notes into a transcript.
What should I do now?
Keep the phone, because someone may ask to see it. Screenshot or export explains what each shows. Missing the option altogether? See export not working, or the export guide.
Questions people ask
I tapped away before choosing where to send it. Is it saved?
Not that we can tell. Export again. It takes seconds.
Is the export a backup?
No. WhatsApp says it's a text file, not a backup file, and can't be imported back.
Can I find the export from inside WhatsApp?
Not that we know of. WhatsApp's help centre doesn't list a place in the app.
General information only, not legal advice. VaultXT can't promise any court or body will accept a document.