WhatsApp export limits and what the file contains
Updated 18 October 2026
WhatsApp's Export chat option works differently on each device, and a few things never make it into the file. These are the facts from WhatsApp's own help pages, plus what we see in real export files.
Short answer
WhatsApp's current help page lists no message limit for Export chat. Its older Android help page said exports hold up to 10,000 recent messages with media and 40,000 without, because of email size limits. View once messages are never exported, and Restricted chat blocks exporting completely.
Message limits, then and now
For years WhatsApp's help page said an export could hold up to 10,000 of the most recent messages when media was included, and up to 40,000 without media, because the file had to fit in an email.
The current help page, checked on all five platforms, no longer mentions any limit. WhatsApp has not said whether the old caps were removed or just dropped from the page, so for very long chats it is worth checking that the first message in the export is the one you expect.
- If older messages are missing, export again without media. The text-only file is far smaller.
- On WhatsApp Web or Windows you can pick a custom date range and export a long chat in parts.
- Media is limited too: on Android, Include media adds only the most recent media files.
Export options on each device
The option sits in a different place on each app, and the choices are not the same.
| App | Where to find it | Choices | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Tap the contact or group name, then Export chat | With all media, With selected media, Without media | A .zip file with _chat.txt and any media |
| Android | Three dots menu, More, Export chat | Include media, Without media | A .txt file; with media, a .zip with the most recent files |
| Mac | Click the contact or group name, then Export chat | Same as iPhone | A .zip file |
| Web and Windows | Chat menu, Export chat | All messages or Custom date range | A .zip file with text only; media is not included |
Menu names as written on WhatsApp's help page on October 18, 2026. The _chat.txt name comes from real iPhone exports.
What is never exported
Some messages cannot be exported by any app or tool that works from the export file.
- View once photos, videos and voice messages. WhatsApp leaves them out of the export.
- Disappearing messages that have already disappeared. WhatsApp Web and Windows leave out disappearing messages altogether.
- Any chat with Restricted chat turned on. Nobody in that chat can export it.
- Photos, videos and voice notes when you export from WhatsApp Web or Windows.
Restricted chat blocks exporting
Restricted chat is replacing WhatsApp's earlier Advanced Chat Privacy setting. When it is on, people in the chat cannot export it, media is not saved to their phones automatically, and Meta AI cannot be used in the chat.
In a one to one chat either person can turn it on. In a group only admins can. Chats that still have the older Advanced Chat Privacy setting also cannot be exported. If Export chat is missing or greyed out, check this setting first.
What the text file looks like
Each line starts with the date and time, then the sender's name as saved on the exporting phone, then the message. iPhone writes lines like [13/03/2021, 18:02:10] Emma: Hi. Android writes 3/13/21, 12:05 AM - Sam: Hi.
The date order and the 12 or 24 hour clock follow the exporting phone's language and region settings, and no time zone is written anywhere. If the chat matters for a dispute across time zones, note where the phone was set when you exported it.
Media shows up as a file name, or as image omitted or <Media omitted> when you exported without media. Deleted messages show as This message was deleted.
An export is not a backup
An export is a text file, not a backup, so WhatsApp cannot import it again. To move chats to a new phone, use WhatsApp's own backup or transfer.
WhatsApp says it does not store messages once they are delivered. The chat on your phone, its backups and any exports you make are usually the only copies, so keep the original export file unchanged if you may need it later.
Questions
Why is Export chat missing in my chat?
Most often Restricted chat or the older Advanced Chat Privacy setting is on in that chat. Anyone in a one to one chat, or an admin in a group, can turn it off in the chat's settings.
Can WhatsApp send me a copy of a chat I deleted?
No. WhatsApp says it does not keep messages after they are delivered. A chat you deleted can only come back from your own iCloud or Google Drive backup.
Does the export include messages from before I joined a group?
No. An export contains only the messages your phone has, which starts from when you joined.
Sources
Checked on 18 October 2026. Prices and features change; check each site before you buy.