WhatsApp only exports media from last few days

[chawke]

On WhatsApp for Android (v13), exporting a chat with media only exports media from the last few days.

To take an example, I've got over 2,300 media files with a contact on WhatsApp, but when I export the chat with media, only about 40 media get exported, and only the text from the last few days.

The exports were attempted directly to Google Drive. Also tried other options. Via Total Commander, no media gets exported. Via bluetooth, about 45.

If I export withOUT media, all of the text gets exported. So that is a solution to get all of the text. But I also need all of the media, not just 2% or less of it.

Any third-party software or other workarounds? WhatsApp iPhone has iMazing, but WhatsApp Android seems less well-supported for this, based on my searches.

 

[chawke]

So I've just found a way to backup the whole thing (all of my chats and media) to my PC, using an app called WonderShare Dr.Fone which I downloaded for Windows 11. But a big problem is it's encrypted (since the backup process requires enabling end-to-end encryption backup in WhatsApp with a 64-bit key) and the software doesn't seem to have the option to directly view or extract the encrypted data.

I guess it's better than nothing, because supposedly this data can be transferred to WhatsApp on a new device as it presents that option, and may be theoretically extractable by other programs?

However, if anyone finds out how to view or extract the encrypted data (given I know the 64-bit key I generated), or know of another software that enables a more transparent backup, please chime in.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to sift through my chats and download any media I don't have yet I may want to keep, in case I don't have access to these later (planning to change phones soon).

A few tips for the software: you'll prob need to also download the "Dr.Fone Link" mobile app for Android, and after connecting your phone by USB, will need to enable USB File Transfer, Developer Mode, USB Debugging (the app will guide you through the latter 2 if not enabled yet). In the desktop app settings, you can specify where to save the backup. If you don't specify a path, it will save directly in the C drive. For the WhatsApp backup process in Dr.Fone, unfortunately a 64-bit key is required; won't accept a standard password.