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Printing WhatsApp messages for a solicitor

When a solicitor asks for “the messages”, they want every relevant message, in order, with dates, times and who sent what, in a form they can put in a bundle. Here’s the quickest way to give them that.

What your solicitor needs

Everything relevant, in order. Gaps and overlaps between screenshots cause arguments later.
Dates and times on every message. Screenshots often show only “Yesterday” or a time.
Who sent each message, by name or number, without having to work it out from bubble colours.
A way to point at a message. Numbered messages let them write “see message #318” in a letter or statement.
Attachments accounted for. Photos and documents listed against the messages they came with.
The original file, in case anyone asks where the PDF came from.

The quick way

Export the chat from WhatsApp. Open the chat, choose Export chat, and include media if photos or documents matter. Step-by-step for iPhone and Android.
Open ChatBundle and drop the file in. You’ll see every message, numbered, straight away. Nothing is uploaded.
Fill in the cover sheet. A title such as “WhatsApp messages between Sam Carter and Jo Patel”, your name under “Prepared by”, and any reference your solicitor gave you.
Choose what to include. The whole chat, or the dates and people your solicitor asked for.
Download the PDF and send it with the export file. If you send it by email, the export file’s fingerprint on the cover lets them check it arrived intact.

Why not screenshots, or copying into Word?

Screenshots of a long chat run to hundreds of images, overlap and miss messages. Copying text into Word loses the structure and invites the question of whether anything was changed. An export is WhatsApp’s own record, and a PDF made straight from it, with the export’s fingerprint, is far easier for a solicitor to rely on.

Think before you send. A chat export contains everything in the chat, including other people’s messages and photos. Only share it with your legal advisers or as they direct, and don’t post it anywhere public.

For solicitors and paralegals

If clients send you exports, ChatBundle’s 30-day pass (£39) covers unlimited PDFs, in up to three browsers. Every PDF has message numbers that match the export, a media index with per-file SHA-256 values, page X of Y on every page, and bookmarks by month. Processing happens on your own machine, so client chats never touch a third-party server.

Questions

Should I send the whole chat or just part of it?

Ask your solicitor. Many prefer the whole conversation so they can judge what’s relevant; others ask for a date range. ChatBundle can do either, and marks any gaps so it’s clear nothing was quietly left out.

My solicitor wants the original file too. Is that fine?

Yes, and it’s a good idea. Send the export file as well as the PDF. The PDF’s cover sheet shows the file’s SHA-256 fingerprint, so they can confirm the two match.

Can I print the PDF?

Yes. It’s A4 portrait with page numbers on every page, so it prints cleanly and works in a paper bundle too.

Does ChatBundle keep a copy of my messages?

No. It runs in your browser and never uploads the chat. Close the tab and it’s gone from ChatBundle.

Make the PDF now. Drop your export on ChatBundle, check the free preview of every message, then download a numbered PDF with a cover sheet, media index and fingerprint. Nothing is uploaded.

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Last updated 25 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal advice.