How to export your chat

Telegram

Telegram exports chats only from the computer app, Telegram Desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux). Sign in with the QR code from your phone.

1. 1Install Telegram Desktop from desktop.telegram.org and sign in.
2. 2Open the chat, click ⋮ (top right) → "Export chat history".
3. 3Tick "Photos" and "Voice messages" (and "Video messages" if you like). Set the size limit higher if needed.
4. 4Format: choose "Machine-readable JSON". Pick the period if you want only part of the chat.
5. 5Click "Export". You get a folder with result.json and the photos — drop the whole folder (or a ZIP of it) into Chatbook.

Only result.json, without the folder? That works too — the book will have no photos.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp exports a chat right from the phone.

Android

1. 1Open the chat, tap ⋮ → More → Export chat.
2. 2Choose "Include media" (photos and voice messages) or "Without media".
3. 3Save the ZIP file to your phone or send it to yourself, then open Chatbook in the browser and choose the file.

iPhone

1. 1Open the chat and tap the contact or group name at the top.
2. 2Scroll down → Export chat → "Attach media" or "Without media".
3. 3Choose "Save to Files", then open Chatbook in Safari and choose that ZIP file.

WhatsApp exports at most about 40,000 recent messages without media and 10,000 with media.