WhatsApp chat to PDF: convert an exported chat in your browser
Updated
A WhatsApp export is a plain text file that's hard to read and awkward to print. ChatReader turns it into a tidy PDF that looks like the conversation in the app, or like a simple transcript, ready to keep, print or share. The PDF is built in your browser. Your file is processed on your device and never uploaded to our servers.
What the PDF contains
- Two layouts: bubbles, with your messages on the right and everyone else's on the left like in the app, or a plain transcript with one line per message (date, time, sender, text), which is compact and easy to print.
- An optional date range, so you can export a single month or a trip instead of years of messages.
- Photos embedded in place, if your export includes media. Other media (voice notes, videos, documents) is listed by file name.
- Page numbers on every page.
- A header with the chat name, the date range covered and the number of messages.
- Date separators and system messages (“Carmen added Bob”, “This message was deleted”) as they appear in the chat.
- Emoji and non-Latin scripts: the PDF embeds Noto fonts, so emoji, Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic, Greek and other scripts print correctly instead of turning into empty boxes.
How to convert a chat to PDF
- Export the chat from WhatsApp. On Android: open the chat → ⋮ → More → Export chat. On iPhone: tap the chat name → Export Chat. Choose with media if you want photos in the PDF. The export guide has every step.
- Drop the file on ChatReader. Go to the home page and drop the .zip or .txt. There's no need to unzip it first.
- Pick your name from the list of senders, so your messages go on the right.
- Open the Export tab and choose PDF. Pick a layout and, if you like, a date range, then save the file.
Large chats with many photos take longer, because every image is embedded. Keep the tab open until the download starts. A desktop browser handles very long chats more comfortably than a phone.
Other export formats
- HTML: a single file that opens in any browser and works offline. Good for keeping a readable copy of a chat without any app.
- CSV: one row per message with date, time, sender, message and media file, for Excel, Google Sheets or your own analysis.
- Markdown: a plain text version for notes apps and documentation.
What's free and what costs money
Reading the chat, search, jump to date and the stats are free, with ads. Exports (PDF, HTML, CSV and Markdown) are part of a one-time €5.99 unlock for ChatReader.app. It's a single payment, not a subscription, and it also lifts the free limit for very large chats and lets you merge several exports of the same chat. You can try everything else before deciding.
Your chat stays on your device
Your file is processed on your device and never uploaded to our servers. The file is read and the PDF is generated inside your browser, in a background worker. The page also loads ad and analytics scripts; ChatReader doesn't pass your chat to them, and analytics records only events such as "a chat was opened", never names or messages. See the privacy policy for details.
A note on evidence
People often want a PDF of a chat for a dispute or a court case. Keep in mind that a WhatsApp export is a plain text file that anyone can edit before converting it, so ChatReader can't certify that a chat is authentic or complete, and the PDF is only as reliable as the file it was made from. Courts and authorities have their own rules about digital evidence. If it matters, ask a lawyer, and keep the original phone and the original export.