How to copy the entire chat in WhatsApp to your computer?

How to copy the entire chat in WhatsApp to your computer - briefly?

To copy an entire chat from WhatsApp to your computer, you can use WhatsApp Web or Desktop. Simply open the chat on WhatsApp Web or Desktop, select the messages, and press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) to copy them.

How to copy the entire chat in WhatsApp to your computer - in detail?

To copy an entire chat from WhatsApp to your computer, you can follow these detailed steps:

1. Backup Your Chat: The first step is to create a backup of your WhatsApp chats. Open WhatsApp on your phone and go to Settings > Chats > Chat Backup. Here, you can back up your chats to Google Drive or iCloud, depending on whether you are using an Android or iOS device.

2. Transfer the Backup File: After creating a backup, you need to transfer this file to your computer. If you have backed up your chat to Google Drive, you can download the backup file to your computer by following these steps:

   • On your computer, go to Google Drive.
   • Find the folder named WhatsApp > Media.
   • Download the backup file (it will be named something like msgstore-YYYY-MM-DD.1.db.crypt12).

3. Use a Third-Party Tool: To view and extract messages from the backup file, you can use a third-party tool such as WhatsApp Transfer. Here’s how to do it:

   • Download and install WhatsApp Transfer on your computer.
   • Open WhatsApp Transfer and connect your phone via USB.
   • Select Backup WhatsApp messages and follow the prompts. This will create a backup of your chats on your computer.
   • Once the backup is complete, you can view or export individual conversations or the entire chat history.

4. Viewing Backup on Your Computer: If you prefer not to use third-party tools, you can manually extract and view the backup file using a database viewer like DB Browser for SQLite:

   • Download and install DB Browser for SQLite.
   • Open WhatsApp Transfer and go to File > Open Database....
   • Navigate to the folder where you saved your backup file and open it.
   • You can now browse through your chat history, although this method might require some technical knowledge to fully understand the database structure.

5. Exporting Messages: To export specific messages or conversations:

   • In DB Browser for SQLite, navigate to msgstore.db > messages.
   • Select the messages you want to export and right-click to choose Export > Table as CSV file....
   • Save the file to your computer.

By following these steps, you can successfully copy an entire WhatsApp chat to your computer for backup or future reference.