WhatsApp ZIP · Attachments

Keep WhatsApp messages and media in the same review path.

A with-media export is more than a transcript. It is a ZIP containing the TXT plus the attachments WhatsApp included, ready to be matched and checked in context.

Updated 2026-09-056 minTextTrace

Get TextTrace on the App Store Open the WhatsApp workflow

Available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad.

01Bring in the source

02Review the record

03Choose the useful output

What is inside the ZIP

The ZIP normally contains one chat transcript and the media WhatsApp chose to include. The transcript carries message text, visible participant labels, timestamps, and attachment references. Separate files may include photos, videos, audio, documents, or contact cards. TextTrace reads the supported transcript and attempts to connect referenced filenames to files in the package.

Do not unpack, rename, or reorganize the ZIP before the first import. Keeping the original package reduces avoidable mismatches and gives you a source to compare later.

Why an attachment can still be missing

Not in the exportWhatsApp may omit unavailable or out-of-range media.

Name mismatchA renamed or separately copied file may no longer match the transcript reference.

Unsupported contentA file may be present but not previewable in the current workflow.

Source limitationTextTrace cannot recreate a file that is absent from the ZIP.

Use the official WhatsApp export instructions for the current in-app steps, then compare the imported result with the conversation on the device.

Pick the output for the next person

Use PDF when the recipient needs a readable narrative, CSV when they need filtering, HTML for a portable browser view, or the retained source package when they need to inspect the original export. Do not describe a ZIP-derived record as complete unless you have checked the requested period and attachments.

Questions, answered precisely

Frequently asked questions

Does Include Media guarantee every attachment?

No. WhatsApp decides which files are available and included. Review the ZIP contents and compare important messages and attachments with the source conversation.

Should I unzip the file before opening it in TextTrace?

No. Start with the original ZIP so TextTrace can use the transcript and attachment filenames together. Keep an unchanged copy of that package.