WhatsApp on iPhone can't save a chat as a PDF directly. It exports a .zip file containing a text file (_chat.txt) and, if you choose to, your photos. Turning that export into a readable PDF takes about a minute.
1. Export the chat from WhatsApp
- Open the chat (a person or a group).
- Tap the contact or group name at the top.
- Scroll to the bottom and tap Export Chat.
- Choose Attach Media to include photos, or Without Media for a smaller, faster file.
2. Save the .zip to the Files app
In the share sheet, tap Save to Files and pick a folder such as On My iPhone → Downloads. Don't unzip it; the PDF tool reads the .zip directly, photos included.
3. Turn it into a PDF
- Open Charlario in Safari and tap Choose chat file.
- Tap Browse and pick the .zip from Files.
- Choose which participant you are (your messages go on the right), then create the PDF.
- Open the PDF and use the Share button to Save to Files, print it or send it.
Tips
- The file is too large to share? Export Without Media, or save to Files instead of sending it by email.
- Dates look wrong? Charlario detects day/month order automatically from the whole file.
- Privacy: the conversion runs inside Safari, so your chat is never uploaded.