How to print WhatsApp messages with dates and timestamps

Step by step

1. 1

   Export the chat on iPhone

   Open the chat, tap the contact or group name, scroll down and tap Export Chat. Choose Attach Media or Without Media and save the file to Files.

2. 2

   Or export the chat on Android

   Open the chat, tap ⋮, then More, then Export chat. Choose Include media or Without media and save the file to your drive or email it to yourself.

3. 3

   Move the file to a computer

   Download the .zip or .txt to the computer you'll print from. Keep an unmodified copy of the original.

4. 4

   Convert the export to a printable PDF

   Open the file in ScanMyChat. It parses dates, times and senders into a clean chronological transcript with page numbers and page stamps.

5. 5

   Print and label

   Print the PDF with page stamps visible. If only certain pages matter, cite them by stamp so readers can find them in the full transcript.

Why not just print the .txt file?

You can, and it's better than nothing. But the raw text export has long unwrapped lines, system messages mixed in, and no page numbers, so it is hard to reference ('the message around the middle of page 30-something'). It also looks different depending on the phone's language and date settings.

A formatted transcript groups messages chronologically, keeps the timestamp and sender on each entry, and adds stable page stamps such as SMITH-000001 so everyone can cite the same page.

What about timestamps and time zones?

Export timestamps reflect the device's local time setting when the export was made. ScanMyChat shows them exactly as exported rather than converting them, so the printout matches the source file. If someone traveled or changed phone settings, note that separately rather than adjusting times by hand.

Making the printout useful

A few additions make a printed chat far easier to work with.

• A cover page with participants and the date range covered
• A short timeline of key messages with page references
• An attachment list if photos or documents were part of the conversation
• Clear marking of deleted, edited or media-omitted messages instead of silently dropping them

A printout is a readable copy, not proof on its own

Printing makes messages readable. Showing they are genuine (authentication) and whether they can be used in a proceeding (admissibility) are separate questions, generally handled through testimony and the court's rules. Keep the original export so it is available if anyone asks.

Frequently asked

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