WhatsApp chat viewer: 3 ways to read an exported chat
When you export a WhatsApp chat you get a plain text file of your messages, plus your photos, voice notes and other media if you include them, often packed into a .zip. You can’t import it back into WhatsApp, so to read it again you need something else. Here are the three usual options, with what each one is good and bad at.
At a glance
| Feature | Text editor | Website viewer | ThreadKeep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Looks like a chat | No, one long text file | Usually, with bubbles | Yes, real bubbles with a color per person |
| Photos and voice notes in place | No, they are separate files | Some do | Yes |
| Search | Basic find | Varies | Yes, with a match count and jump to date |
| Your chat leaves your phone | No | Depends on the site. Some upload it | No, there’s no server |
| Save as PDF | No | Some do | Yes, with ThreadKeep Pro |
| Price | Free | Usually free | Free for one chat. Pro is one payment |
Checked November 8, 2026. Apps change, so check their page for the latest. ThreadKeep is not affiliated with or endorsed by WhatsApp or Meta. WhatsApp is a trademark of its owner.
1. Open the text file
Unzip the export and open the .txt file in any notes or text app. It costs nothing and works offline. But a long chat becomes a wall of text with dates on every line, and photos, voice notes and stickers only appear as file names.
2. Use a website chat viewer
Several websites turn an export into chat bubbles in your browser. Some are open source and do everything on your device. Others upload your file to their server. Before you drop a private chat into a website, read its privacy page and check whether the file is uploaded.
3. Use a chat viewer app
ThreadKeep is made for this on Android. Share the export straight from WhatsApp to ThreadKeep, and it shows the chat as real bubbles with photos, videos, voice notes and documents where they were sent. You can search, jump to any date, and see your story in numbers. Everything stays on your phone, and it needs no permissions.
With ThreadKeep Pro, a single payment, you can save any chat as a PDF with the sender and full date and time on every message.
Questions
Can I import an exported chat back into WhatsApp?
No. WhatsApp only restores chats from its own backup. An export is meant for reading and keeping, which is what a chat viewer is for.
Is it safe to upload a WhatsApp chat to a website?
It depends on the site. Some read the file only in your browser, others send it to their server. If the chat is private, use a viewer that keeps it on your device.
Does ThreadKeep work with chats exported from iPhone?
Yes. Exports from Android and iPhone both work, in any language and date format.