How to Open and Read WhatsApp Export .txt Files on Windows (2026 Guide)

What is a WhatsApp Export?

WhatsApp allows you to export individual chats or group conversations from the app. When you export, WhatsApp creates a ZIP file containing your messages in a plain text (.txt) format, along with any media files (photos, videos, documents) if you choose to include them.

People export WhatsApp chats for many reasons:

• Backing up important conversations before switching phones
• Preserving evidence for legal or HR purposes
• Archiving memories from group chats
• Searching through years of messages
• Creating records for business or compliance needs

How to Export WhatsApp Chats

The export process is straightforward. Here's how to do it:

On Android:

1. Open the chat you want to export
2. Tap the three dots menu in the top right
3. Select More then Export chat
4. Choose whether to Include media or export without media
5. Select where to save the ZIP file (email, cloud storage, or directly to your computer)

On iPhone:

1. Open chat
2. Tap the contact name at the top
3. Scroll and select Export Chat
4. Choose whether to Include media or export without media
5. Select where to save the ZIP file (email, cloud storage, or directly to your computer)

What's Inside the ZIP File

When you extract (unzip) the exported file, you'll find:

The .txt file — This contains all your messages in plain text format. It looks something like this:

[12/04/2026, 07:44:09] Sarah: any update on catering numbers?
[12/04/2026, 07:46:01] Emma: done
[12/04/2026, 07:47:18] Tom: registration list ready
[12/04/2026, 07:53:41] Tom: <attached: IMG-20261204-WA0023.jpg>
[12/04/2026, 07:55:16] James: transport pickup confirmed

Media files — If you chose to include media, you'll see files like:

• IMG-20261204-WA0023.jpg
• VID-20261204-WA0001.mp4
• DOC-20261204-WA0005.pdf

Notice how the media filenames are just codes — there's no way to tell what each file is without opening them individually.

Reading the .txt File in Notepad

The simplest way to open the .txt file is with Notepad (built into Windows):

1. Right-click the .txt file
2. Select Open with then Notepad
3. The file will open showing all your messages

You can use Ctrl+F to search for specific words or phrases. This works for basic searching, but has significant limitations.

Problems with Reading Exports in Notepad

While Notepad technically works, you'll quickly run into frustrations:

• No formatting — Everything is plain text with timestamps cluttering the view
• Hard to read — You can't tell who sent what at a glance
• No filtering — Can't filter by sender, date, or message type
• Media disconnected — Attachments are separate files with cryptic names
• Slow search — Large chats (10,000+ messages) are painful to navigate
• No export options — Can't create a formatted PDF for printing or sharing

For short chats, Notepad is fine. But for anything substantial — like legal evidence, HR investigations, or important personal archives — you need something better.

A Better Solution: Dedicated WhatsApp Viewers

There are tools designed specifically for viewing WhatsApp exports. These typically offer:

• Familiar chat bubble interface
• Search and filter by sender, date, or content type
• Media files shown in context with messages
• Export to PDF for documentation

Conclusion

WhatsApp exports are useful for backing up conversations, but the raw .txt format is difficult to work with. While Notepad can open the file, it lacks the features needed to efficiently review, search, and navigate long conversations.

For anything beyond casual browsing, especially legal, business, or sensitive personal use cases, a dedicated viewer makes the process much easier and keeps your data private.

Have questions about WhatsApp exports? Feel free to reach out to our support team.