Export WhatsApp chat to Telegram not working? Here's why — and the fix

Tried WhatsApp's Export chat and Telegram's import, and it failed, hung, or arrived with your photos gone? You're not doing it wrong — the manual route is fragile by design. Here's why it breaks, and the live-bridge alternative that actually keeps your media.

Why the export/import fails or shows "media omitted"

WhatsApp's export is a text file with attachments bolted on. On long chats it silently swaps media for "<media omitted>", and Telegram's importer can choke on large or oddly-formatted exports — so you get an error, a partial import, or a chat with no pictures.

WhatsApp's export limits

WhatsApp caps how much media you can export at once, and the bigger the chat, the more it drops. That's why "export WhatsApp chat to Telegram" so often ends with missing videos and voice notes — the limit, not a bug you can fix.

What actually works: a live bridge

Instead of a one-time file transfer, a managed bridge links a WhatsApp group to a Telegram group and relays messages live, in both directions, with the media intact. Nothing to export, no import to fail — new messages just appear on the other side.

Set it up (about 2 minutes)

  1. Tap Start free and name your Telegram group — we create it for you on the spot.
  2. In WhatsApp, add our bridge number +61 468 332 437 to the group you want to connect (or a new one).
  3. Paste the short code from the page into that WhatsApp group — within seconds it replies “Connected!” and the two groups are linked — done.

What does it cost?

Free plan (100 messages/day for a month, no card). For more, one-time: $20 (500/day) — no subscription.

WhatsApp and Telegram side by side: the same message mirrored both ways by wa2tgWhatsApp groupOrder 4471 shippedOn my way!Telegram groupOrder 4471 shippedOn my way!wa2tgboth ways
The same message, live on both apps — mirrored both ways by wa2tg (illustration).

FAQ

Why is my WhatsApp chat export to Telegram not working?

The manual export is a text-plus-attachments snapshot that hits WhatsApp media limits and can fail on import — so it errors out or arrives with "media omitted".

Why did the media disappear after importing?

WhatsApp caps how much media it exports at once and swaps the rest for placeholders, so long chats import without their photos, videos and voice notes.

Is there a way that keeps the media?

Yes — a live bridge. Instead of exporting a file, it relays messages between a WhatsApp group and a Telegram group in real time, with media intact.

Does the bridge work both ways?

Yes — WhatsApp → Telegram and Telegram → WhatsApp, live.

Do I need a credit card to try it?

No. The free plan gives 100 messages/day for a month, with no card and no QR.

Start free — no card, no QR

Mirror a WhatsApp group and a Telegram group, both ways. Free to use: 100 msgs/day for a month, renewable each month with a review. Need more? $20 (500/day) — one-time, no subscription.

Start free →