We’re sorry for your loss. The chat on your own phone isn’t going anywhere right now. It’s your copy, and WhatsApp says that when an account is deleted, it doesn’t affect other people’s copies of the messages. The real risks are a broken phone, a lost phone or a failed transfer, so it’s worth making a copy you control. It takes a few minutes, and you don’t have to read anything to do it.
First, check for disappearing messages
Open the chat and tap the contact’s name. If disappearing messages are on, new messages will vanish after a set time. Turn the setting off if you can, and export the chat today.
Make a copy of the chat
- Export it with media. On iPhone, tap the contact’s name, then Export chat, then With all media. On Android, tap the three dots, then More, Export chat and Include media. Our guide to exporting a chat has more detail.
- Save it in two places. For example, on a computer and in a cloud drive. If you only have a phone, send it to your email as well, if the file isn’t too large.
- Leave the chat on your phone. The export is an extra copy. WhatsApp can’t load it back in, and the original is still the nicest way to see it.
On a very long chat, an export may not include everything, because WhatsApp says it adds the most recent media. So do the next step as well.
Protect the original
- Turn on backups. Go to Settings, Chats, Chat backup. A backup holds your messages and media, and it can be restored to WhatsApp.
- Before you change phones, transfer your chats. Don’t wipe the old phone until you’ve checked everything has moved. Our guide on getting messages from an old phone covers each route.
- Keep the old phone if you can. A phone in a drawer is a good extra copy.
Keep their voice
For many people, voice notes matter most. A written copy keeps the words, and only the recording keeps the voice.
Each voice note in your export is its own audio file. Copy them all into a folder of their own, and keep that folder in two places. They usually come out as .opus files, and the free VLC player can play them. Our guide to saving voice messages explains the files and how to convert a copy to MP3, if that’s easier for your family.
If you have a favourite, you can save it on its own the same way.
If the chat is on their phone
If you’re dealing with their affairs and you’re entitled to use their phone, be careful with it. Their chats with other people are private, so take only what you need and is yours to take.
- Don’t reset the phone or uninstall WhatsApp. The chats are stored on the phone.
- Keep it charged and try to keep the number active. WhatsApp says an active SIM is required to keep access. If the SIM is lost and a new one is used, WhatsApp says it might stay logged in for a short period.
- Export soon. Accounts are generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity. WhatsApp says that when someone registers again on the same device, the stored content reappears. Its iPhone page warns that after deletion there’s no option to restore a backup.
- Don’t forget backups. Google may delete backups that haven’t been updated in five months.
Something you can hold
Some people want the chat on paper, to keep or to share with family. You have a few options. To do it yourself for free, see how to save a chat as a PDF. That keeps the words, without photos or voice notes.
You can also open your export on Chatonfile.com. You can read it and listen to the voice notes for free on your device, with nothing uploaded, and you don’t have to order anything. If you do want a PDF, it has every message in date order with the photos in place and each voice note written out, so the things said aloud are kept on the page too. A print shop can bind it if you’d like a book.
To make the PDF, we send the chat text and voice notes to AI services, and we delete the text as soon as the PDF is made. Our security page lists who handles what. We delete the PDF after 30 days, so download it when it’s ready. The summary in the PDF is written by AI, and you’re free to skip that page.
Take your time
Once the copy is saved in two places, nothing more needs doing. You can read it next week or in ten years, or never.
Common questions
What happens to a WhatsApp chat when someone dies?
The chat on your own phone stays there. WhatsApp says deleting an account doesn't affect the copy of messages other people have. It can still be lost if your own phone breaks or you change phones without moving your chats, so make a copy.
Can I still hear their voice messages?
Yes, as long as they're still in your chat. To keep them safe, export the chat with media. Each voice message comes out as its own audio file, which you can copy and keep.
Can WhatsApp give me access to their account or messages?
WhatsApp says it doesn't store messages once they're delivered, so it doesn't hold a copy to give you. The messages are on the phones of the people in the chat and in any backups they made.
