How to export WhatsApp voice notes on iPhone and Android
Open the chat, use Export chat (iPhone: tap the name at the top; Android: ⋮ More, More, Export chat) and choose to include media: WhatsApp makes a ZIP with the chat text and every voice note as an .opus file. The chat text says who sent each voice note and when, which is how a memoir tool can keep one person's notes without guessing from the audio.
Updated · The Open Apps, Inc.
Export the chat with media
- Open the chat. In WhatsApp, open the one-to-one or group chat that holds the voice notes.
- Find Export chat. iPhone: tap the person's or group's name at the top, scroll down and tap Export Chat. Android: tap ⋮ (More), then More, then Export chat.
- Include the media. Choose Attach Media (iPhone) or Include media (Android). Without media the export has only the text, and no voice notes.
- Save the ZIP. Save it to Files (iPhone) or Drive or your Downloads (Android), or send it to yourself by email. The ZIP holds the chat text and every voice note as an .opus file.
What is inside the ZIP
A text file (_chat.txt on iPhone, “WhatsApp Chat with …” on Android) with one line per message, and a file for each photo, video and voice note. Voice notes are named by date: 00000012-AUDIO-2021-03-09-19-42-10.opus on iPhone, PTT-20210309-WA0012.opus on Android.
A line such as “[09/03/2021, 19:42:10] Nana Mae: <attached: 00000012-AUDIO-…opus>” ties each voice note to the person who sent it.
Very long chats: WhatsApp puts only the most recent messages in an export with media, so the oldest voice notes may be missing. Family members who have the older notes in their own chats can export those too.
Ways to save voice notes
Each way keeps something different.
| Export chat with media | Forward or save one note at a time | Phone backup (iCloud, Google Drive) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gets every voice note | Yes, as files in a ZIP | Only the ones you pick | Yes, but only restorable into WhatsApp |
| Keeps who sent each note and when | Yes, in the chat text | Only in the file date | Inside WhatsApp only |
| Usable outside WhatsApp | Yes | Yes | No |
Use it in ChatGPT
Heardloom Voice Memoir is a ChatGPT plugin. Attach the export and ask, for example:
- “Turn Grandma's WhatsApp voice notes into a book”
- “Make a memoir of Dad's voice messages from this chat”
- “Show me a sample Heardloom memoir”
Questions
Why does my export have no voice notes?
It was exported without media. Export again and choose Attach Media or Include media.
Can I play .opus files on my computer?
Most modern browsers and VLC play them. Heardloom also makes a copy every phone can play.
Does exporting change the chat?
No. Exporting only makes a copy; the chat stays as it is.