The path from a chat to a book

Export the chat from the app

1. Open the chat. In WhatsApp, open the conversation you want to keep.
2. Open the chat settings. iPhone: tap the person’s or group’s name at the very top of the screen. Android: tap the three dots (⋮) in the top right corner, then tap More.
3. Tap Export Chat. iPhone: scroll all the way down and tap Export Chat. Android: tap Export chat.
4. Include your photos. iPhone: choose Attach Media. Android: choose Include media. This is what brings your photos along.
5. Send the file to yourself. iPhone: choose Save to Files, or AirDrop it to your Mac, or email it to yourself. Android: choose Save to Drive, or email it to yourself.
6. Come back here. Open this page on the device where you saved the file, then choose it in the box below.

• Choose “Attach Media” or “Include media” so your photos come along.
• Large chats can take a minute to export. That is normal.
• If you are on a phone, it is fine to save the file to Files (iPhone) or Downloads (Android) and pick it from there.

Download your messages from Facebook

1. Open Accounts Center. In the Facebook app or on facebook.com, open Settings, then Accounts Center. On a computer it is under Settings & privacy, then Settings.
2. Go to Download your information. Tap Your information and permissions, then Download your information.
3. Choose Messages. Tap Download or transfer information, pick your Facebook account, then choose Some of your information and tick Messages.
4. Pick the format and dates. Choose Download to device. Set the format to JSON (not HTML), set the date range you want, and keep media quality at High if you can.
5. Create the file. Tap Create files. Facebook will email you when it is ready. This can take from a few minutes to a day or two.
6. Download the .zip. When the email arrives, return to Download your information and download the .zip file.

• Choose JSON, not HTML. Only the JSON version can be read here.
• The .zip can be large if there are lots of photos. Wi-Fi helps.
• You can drop in the whole .zip. We find the right conversation inside it.

Download your messages from Instagram

1. Open Accounts Center. In the Instagram app, open your profile, tap the menu (≡) in the top right, then Accounts Center.
2. Go to Download your information. Tap Your information and permissions, then Download your information.
3. Choose Messages. Tap Download or transfer information, pick your Instagram account, then choose Some of your information and tick Messages.
4. Pick the format and dates. Choose Download to device. Set the format to JSON (not HTML) and the date range you want.
5. Create the file. Tap Create files. Instagram will email you when it is ready. It can take a while.
6. Download the .zip. When the email arrives, return to Download your information and download the .zip file.

• Choose JSON, not HTML. Only the JSON version can be read here.
• You can drop in the whole .zip. We find the right conversation inside it.

Back up your texts with a free app

1. Install the backup app. On your Android phone, open Google Play and install the free app called “SMS Backup & Restore”.
2. Start a backup. Open the app and tap Set up a backup.
3. Choose Messages. Turn on Messages. Leave Phone calls off unless you want them. Photos in your texts (MMS) are included automatically.
4. Save it on the phone. Choose Local backup (or Phone storage) rather than a cloud account, then tap Back up now.
5. Find the file. The app creates a file ending in .xml, usually in a folder called SMSBackupRestore. Email it to yourself or choose it from your phone right here.

• The .xml file holds all your conversations. You pick the one you want after it loads.
• Phones with many years of texts make a big file. Give it a minute.

Export with a Mac or PC tool

1. Know what you need. iPhone has no built-in export for iMessage. You will need a Mac or Windows PC and an export tool such as iMazing or AnyTrans. We are not affiliated with either; use the one you trust.
2. Connect your iPhone. Plug your iPhone into the computer and open the export tool. Tap Trust on the phone if it asks.
3. Find the conversation. In the tool, open Messages and choose the conversation you want to keep.
4. Export as CSV or TXT. Choose Export, then CSV or TXT. CSV with date, sender and message columns works best. If the tool offers to export photos alongside, say yes.
5. Bring the file here. Open this page on that computer and choose the file, or send it to the device you are using now.

• Photos exported alongside can be added separately with Photos.
• If the tool offers PDF, choose CSV or TXT instead. We cannot read a PDF.

A spreadsheet with date, sender and message

1. Check the columns. Any spreadsheet with a date column, a sender column and a message column works, for example one from an export tool.
2. Save as CSV. In Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets, choose File, then Save As or Download, and pick CSV.
3. Choose the file here. Pick the .csv file in the box below. You can fix names and dates afterwards.

• A header row like “date, sender, message” helps us read it right.
• Column names do not have to match exactly. We look for the closest ones.

Copy the conversation as plain text

1. Copy the conversation. Select the messages wherever they are and copy them, or type them in from memory.
2. One message per line. Write each message as the name, a colon, then the message. For example: Mom: See you Sunday
3. Add dates if you have them. A line on its own like “Mar 3, 2019” is picked up as the date for the messages that follow.
4. Paste it here. Paste into the text box, or save it as a .txt file and choose it. You can fix names and dates afterwards.

• Dates are optional. Messages without a date still go in, in the order you paste them.
• Photos can be added separately with Photos.

Add pictures from your camera roll

1. Pick your photos. Tap the box below and choose photos from your camera roll or a folder. You can choose many at once.
2. Check the type. JPG, PNG, WebP and GIF all work. HEIC photos from an iPhone work when you use Safari.
3. Let us place them. Each photo goes next to the messages from the day it was taken. You can move any photo afterwards.

• Photos are placed by the date they were taken, so originals work better than screenshots.
• Videos are skipped. We tell you how many we skipped.