How to Export Teams Chat History? Full Guide

Chats in MS Teams are deleted after some time due to Microsoft’s Retention Policy. Since your Microsoft Teams has crucial conversations so it is important to export Teams chat history as soon as possible before they are removed from the app. In this article, we will guide you on how to export Teams chat history by 6 different methods.

Where is Teams Chat History Stored?

Microsoft Teams chat history is stored in a hidden file in the user’s mailbox. You can check the chat history in the compliance center, which is available in the Office 365 Admin Center of your account. Here is the video that you can see to find the location of your chat history.

How to Export Microsoft Teams Chat History? 6 Ways

If you are planning to export your MS Teams chat history before it gets deleted, then here are the 6 easiest ways that you can try. All these ways are simple and easy to follow.

1. Exporting Teams Chat History Via Printing to PDF

When it comes to exporting Microsoft Teams chat history, the first solution that comes to your mind is exporting it via Printing to PDF. Here is how this method works.

Visit the Microsoft Teams official website on your browser and complete the sign-in process.
Once you are in the app, go to the chat and choose the message chat that you want to export.

Next, to save it as a PDF, click the Three Vertical dots, and choose the “Print” option.

Select Print to export microsoft teams chat history

You will see the preview window, so go to Destination and select the “Save as PDF” option.

choose save as PDF to export ms teams chat history

Finally, select the Save button, and your chat history will be exported as PDF.

2. Export Microsoft Teams Chat History Via Submitting Request

Thanks to Microsoft, users can now export chat history by submitting a request. It is the official method and will send you a link from where you can download your Teams chat history.

First, visit the Export page and complete the login process.
On the screen, you will see two options, so choose the “Chat History” option.

choose teams chat history to submit export request

A pop-up box will appear, so click “Continue.”

Comtinue after submit export request for Teams history

You will see the Pending request on the screen.

Refresh the page or visit it after 1-2 minutes, and if your chat history is ready, download it by clicking the “Download” button.

If the above methods don’t work for you, then try exporting chats via Outlook. With the help of the share to Outlook option, you can quickly export the chat history. To try this method, follow the steps below.

Open your Microsoft Teams application and choose the chat which you want to save.
Next, click the three vertical dots and select the “Share to Outlook” option.

An email box will appear on the screen, which will have your selected conversation.

You can store the email in your Outlook or you can add the email address where you want to send it.

4. Export MS Teams Chat History Via Google Chrome Extensions

The other method you can use is exporting chat history via Google Chrome extensions. If you are looking for the best and safe extension, we recommend downloading gofullpage. With this tool, you can take a screenshot of your chat and save it as an image file. Let’s see how it works.

First, login to MS Teams using the https://teams.microsoft.com/ link.
Next, visit https://chrome.google.com/webstore/category/extensions and type gofullpage to get the extension.

Download it by clicking the “Add to Chrome” option.

Once it is downloaded, open the Chats in MS Teams and click the capture icon to take a screenshot of the entire chat.

Get gofullpage extension screenshot teams chats

You can now save the Teams Chat history as an image on your PC.

5. Export Teams Chat History Via Exchange PowerShell

If you know technical details and can play with commands, then use the Exchange Powershell method to export your Teams chat history. Remember that it is a bit complicated and time-consuming method. But if you still want to try, here is a complete guide that you can follow to Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.

6. Export Microsoft Teams Chat History Via Scrolling Screenshot

The last method we have for you is exporting chat history using Scrolling Screenshot named Snagit. If you don’t want to use the gofullpage extension because it lacks the scrolling screenshot feature, then this app is perfect for you. The good thing is that it is available for both Mac and PC. Also, with this app, you can take screenshots of lengthy chats, web pages, and documents. To use this app for exporting your MS Teams chats, follow the steps below.

Go to Snagit’s official website and download the tool on Windows.
Launch it and click the “All-in-One” option.
Now, from there, click the “Capture” button.

Next, go to MS Teams and open the chats option. Now, select the chats that you want to export and click the Start Button to begin “Panoramic Capture”.

It will start the process, so scroll down and start taking screenshots.
Once you have captured all the chats, click the “Stop” button.
Your chats will open in Snagit Editor.

That’s it! These were the top 6 ways that you could use to export Teams chat history. All these methods are easy, and anyone can follow them.

How to Recover Teams Chat History?

Users can restore the Teams chat history within 93 days, but after the time is passed, you have to follow the Compliance Retention Policy to get your chats back. However, only the admin can enable the compliance option and perform the eDiscovery search in the admin center.

In case 93 days are not passed, then you can easily restore the chats from the Recycle Bin. To do that, follow the steps below.

Open your Teams app and go to the channel from where you deleted your conversation.
Now, from the tab, choose the “Open in OneDrive” option.

Next, go to the OneDrive Recycle Bin and restore the chat files from there.

In The End

Exporting your Teams chats is important because your chats will be deleted after 93 days. So if you don’t want to miss important messages, export them immediately. In this article, we have discussed all the possible ways to export Teams chat history. Try these ways and export your chats without hassle.