Use Export chat inside the conversation on your phone. Choose Without media for a smaller text export, then save the TXT or ZIP. On Android, look under the chat’s More menu; on iPhone, open the contact’s name. Check the oldest exported message before assuming the file includes everything.
Open WhatsApp on your iPhone and select the conversation.
Tap the contact or group name at the top, then scroll to Export Chat.
Choose Without Media for a smaller text export, or Attach Media if you also need the attachments in your own copy.
Use Save to Files or another destination you control. Keep the ZIP intact if that is what WhatsApp creates.
Check the text file inside the export for both senders and the expected dates. Upload the saved TXT or ZIP, then confirm the participants in Grey Mirror.
The export button saves the history WhatsApp makes available through that route. It is not proof that every message since the conversation began is included. Look at the first dated message, especially for a long or media-heavy chat.
If saving or uploading fails
If a mail app rejects the attachment, save it to Files or a storage app instead. Email adds its own attachment limits. If the phone has not finished downloading the saved file, wait until it opens locally before choosing it in the upload picker.
If Grey Mirror cannot find messages, inspect the ZIP for a text transcript. A cloud backup, screenshot of the file, or folder containing only photos is not the exported chat. Keep the original TXT or ZIP; copying the text through another app can remove line breaks and make sender detection harder.
Upload your WhatsApp TXT or ZIP
Choose the chat export you just saved. Confirm that the participants and recovered date range match the text transcript you checked, especially if you tried exporting both with and without media. Your initial analysis is completely free, with no card required; the full report is optional after the preview.
Good signThe names or numbers match the intended thread.
If it is missingReturn to that chat and export again.
Dates
Good signThe oldest and newest exported messages cover the period you wanted.
If it is missingTry Without media and compare the first date again.
Text
Good signDated messages from both people appear in the text file.
If it is missingMake sure you saved the export file, not a share link or a backup.
Media markers
Good signA note says an attachment or media item was omitted.
If it is missingThat marker is expected without media; it does not contain the attachment’s contents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I export WhatsApp with or without media?
Without media is the simplest choice for text analysis and creates a smaller file. The text keeps media placeholders, but those placeholders do not include the contents of a photo, video or voice note.
Does WhatsApp export every message in a long chat?
Do not assume it does. Check the first and last messages in the exported text. If the beginning is missing, try Without media and compare again. Grey Mirror can only analyze what your file contains.
Do I need to unzip the WhatsApp export?
You can upload the original ZIP or the text transcript. If you unzip it to inspect the dates, keep an untouched copy of the original.
Can I upload my WhatsApp cloud backup instead?
Use Export chat, not the cloud backup. A backup is for restoring WhatsApp; this upload needs a readable conversation export.
Open the text transcript and find its oldest dated message.
02
Try without media
Export the same chat without attachments, then compare the start dates.
03
Keep the available range
Confirm that range during upload so the report describes the supplied history.
Conceptual reading guide. This diagram explains what to inspect; it is not a customer report, diagnostic test or measured relationship score.Use this guide on the question you came with
File size alone will not tell you how much conversation survived the export. The dates in the text give you a better check before uploading.