Manual method
- Install the official WeChat desktop app, sign into your own account and put phone/computer on the same network.
- In the desktop menu, open Migration & Backup, Backup & Restore and the backup-to-computer option; wording can vary.
- Confirm on the phone and select the conversations to back up. Keep both devices available until completion.
- Preserve the complete resulting backup directory and record the WeChat version and account. Save especially important media separately where the app permits.
What you get: The desktop backup is intended for restoration to WeChat on a phone; it cannot be read directly as ordinary chat documents. The linked HONOR device guide describes this workflow. Menu labels vary across WeChat versions, so use the installed app’s backup controls and keep especially important media separately. Provider instructions. Supporting reference 1.
Size and waiting time
Planning example: 10 GB; light/heavy scenarios: 0.1–200 GB. These are estimates, not a measured population average or fixed limits. Several years of conversations and saved media on one phone. Business use and video sharing can produce much larger backup folders.
Preparation: Local-network transfer avoids an internet download queue. Allow minutes to hours based on media size and Wi-Fi; the internet table is only a comparison for off-site copying.
Network transfer of 10 GB: about 3.2 hours at 10 Mbps, 38 min at 50 Mbps, or 19 min at 100 Mbps. This assumes 70% sustained throughput and excludes preparation, manual work and extraction. For local exports, this is a comparison for transferring the saved files online; disk speed determines local copy time. Online backups use your upload speed. Transfer calculations and large-file examples.
Store and check your archive
An encrypted external SSD or hard drive is a good main archive for this collection. Allow roughly 30 GB of working space for the example, including an original, an extracted working copy and room to check it. Very compressed packages can need more. A USB key is useful for a spare copy, but should not be the only one. An encrypted online copy protects against losing the local devices.
Keep the complete backup in wechat/YYYY-MM-DD/original/ and record the app version, account alias and covered dates. A backup that cannot be read directly needs a restore check using the supported app, not a document viewer. Keep recovery keys separately. Check the app’s restore requirements before changing devices, and retain the old device until recovery succeeds. Storage and recovery instructions.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.