How to export data from Google Chat? [duplicate]

Question

At [1] Google promises that data can be exported from Google Chat. However:

1. At Google Takeout page [2] in Select data to include there is no Chat product.
2. In the exported .zip archive there is no Chat folder with the Google Chat exported data.

Very confused. How to export data from Google Chat?

[1] https://support.google.com/chat/answer/10126829?hl=en

[2] https://takeout.google.com/settings/takeout

Answer 1

Adding to the previous - I found a workaround (July 2022) to make a download / backup of Google Chat text that does not require Google Takeout.

I am not sure how long this workaround will last, since this method seems to rely on 'Google Hangouts' - which I understand is being deprecated.

To export / backup your Google Chat do this:

1. Go to the Gmail account that was used for the chat. Enter into the search bar: in:chats

2. This should bring up a list of chats you have participated in.

3. Click on the chat you wish to save or copy - it should open all of the threads of that chat in a list - (it looks similar to threaded /nested gmail conversation).

4. Click on the Print All icon (printer icon) top right of the gmail window, which should then open a print dialogue box.

5. For me, this allowed me to "cancel" the actual print dialogue box, and then I am left with a single html page showing the formatted entire chat thread, which I was then able to copy and paste into a new email or wherever.

If it works for you, give me an upvote :-)

Hope this method stays available as it's better than nothing.

I followed this article to discover this method...

https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/blog/manual-guide-to-backup-google-hangouts-chats/

Answer 2

The exported data from Google Chat is seems to be located in Hangouts folder.