How to Export Skype Chat to TEXT File Easily & Quickly

  author
Rollins Duke   
Published: March 6th, 2025 • 7 Min Read

Overview- Skype has been a widely used communication platform to send or receive messages, voice notes, videos, images etc. It was developed by Microsoft and became essential for both personal and business discussions. However, with Microsoft officially shutting down Skype and shifting to Microsoft Teams, many users are looking for ways to export Skype chat to text file to preserve them for future reference.

Whether for personal and business records, or for sentimental reasons exporting Skype chat history remains important. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not provide any straightforward way to export Skype chats which makes it challenging for users to retain their conversation history.

In this guide, we will explore various methods to export Skype chat history including both manual and automated solutions. We will also discuss the reasons why migrating chats is necessary and also provide you with a proper step-by-step instructions guide to seamlessly save Skype chat history to TXT file. Let’s dive into the blog post.

Why Export Skype Chat to TEXT File? – Reasons

Before directly diving, let us first look at the reasons why the migration is important into TXT file extension. We have stated some of the prime factors below:

  • To export Skype chat in TXT format helps users in transferring files across different messaging platforms or Microsoft Teams.
  • Taking backup of Skype chat history allow users to preserve important conversations and personal data safe from data loss.
  • It allows to access Skype chats in offline mode or in less connectivity areas whenever required.
  • Exporting them helps to store conversations in readable format so that we can access them quickly.
  • Maintains record for business transactions and preserves personal memories.
  • Helps in storing and organizing messages for better document management.

How to Manually Export Skype Chat History to TEXT File?

Method1- Export Chat History from Desktop Skype

  1. Open Skype and log in to your Skype account.
  2. Navigate to Settings and select Privacy option to extract Skype chat history.
  3. Select Conversations and Files to export Skype conversation history.
  4. After that, click Submit Request and wait for approval.
  5. Once your request has been approved, download the chats in your system.
  6. Now, you can see downloaded Skype chats in .tar format.
  7. Right-click the file, choose Extract All and extract files.
  8. After extracting, you will see your files in JSON format.

Method2- Save Chat History from Cloud Skype Version

  1. Log in to your skype account and go to the export page.
  2. Click on Conversations and Files option and Submit Request.
  3. Request approval will take some time, maybe a day or two. So, kindly wait for it.
  4. When it is ready, click Download and save chat history on your local path.
  5. Now, right-click on the file and select the Extract All option to download conversations.
  6. You can view your chat history in JSON format.

NOTE: After performing these steps and converting files in JSON format. Follow the below mentioned steps (for both cases).

  1. Open the extracted JSON file in any HTML Editor.
  2. Copy its chat content.
  3. Now, open Notepad and paste the copied data.
  4. Navigate to File and save Skype chat history in TXT format.

This is how you can export Skype chat history to Text format manually. The manual methods are cost-effective but they hold multiple limitations. Before performing this method, it is recommended to read its drawbacks that we have listed in the section below.

For more clarity, you can watch this video tutorial, made with explained step procedure.

Limitations of the Manual Method

  • Performing manual methods requires a lot of time as users need to export single files.
  • It does not offer a batch conversion feature which makes the process tiring and lengthy.
  • Users may face JSON file compatibility issues as there is no direct method to export chat file into TEXT file.
  • A lot of human effort is required.
  • After the shutdown of skype services, users may face server working issues.

To overcome these problems, we have come up with an ultimate solution through which you can directly export Skype chat to text file without any data alteration as well as in minimum time. So without scrolling much, let’s understand the solution.

Professional Solution to Save Chat History from Skype to TXT Format

In this section, we will discuss about an ultimate solution which will help you to directly export Skype chat history to Text file. The BitRecover Skype Chat Viewer is a free and user-friendly tool that allows users to view, read and download Skype chat history without having Skype access. It directly locates main.db files from the system where all other conversations have been saved. Using this software users can save their valuable time and can convert their files into multiple saving formats such as it helps to export Skype chat history to PDF, HTML, DOC, DOCX, and TIFF.

This comprehensive software supports a simple and acceptable interface which allows all types of users to export chat history. It provides a separate option to browse a preferred destination path to store converted files in a structured way. To know more, continue reading this article and Download the tool now to enjoy a seamless export process.

Download for Windows

How to Export Skype Chat History to TXT? – Step Guide

  1. Download the Skype DB File Viewer on your system.export skype chat to text file
  2. Select Browse icon and upload main.db files in the software panel.upload files
  3. Users can also select Select User option to choose a specific Skype profile whose chat history they wish to export.
  4. After selecting, you can preview all details like messages, contacts, shared files and call logs.view chat files
  5. Now, select TXT as your saving format from the given options.TXT saving option
  6. Then, choose the destination path and click Save.export skype chat to text file

Major Highlights of this Best Chat Viewer

  • 100% safe and secure freeware software with a simple-to-use interface.
  • Support multiple saving options to provide flexibility in sharing them across.
  • Batch export Skype chat to text file without any data alteration.
  • No need to put much manual effort as well as waste time.
  • No installation of Skype required, works independently.
  • With the help of the tool, users can easily and directly save Skype chat to TXT format.
  • Works on all Windows OS versions including latest or old editions.
  • Automatically locates the main.db file in the default Skype storage location.

Conclusion

Exporting Skype chat history to a text file is essential for users wanting to back up, migrate, or preserve their conversations before the platform shutdown. While manual methods exist but they do come with some limitations because of which automated tools are more convenient solutions. Whether for business, legal or personal reasons taking a backup of your Skype chats can save valuable information from being lost or misused. By following this guide, you can securely save your Skype conversations.

Commonly Asked Queries

Q1. Can I export my Skype chat history to a text file directly?
Ans. Yes, using the above discussed tool, you can export Skype chat history to a text file directly without any data loss.

Q2. How long does Skype keep my chat history?
Ans. Skype keeps chat history for up to 30 days. That is why backing up old messages is important to make them easily accessible.

Q3. How can I open the exported JSON file?
Ans. Using an HTML editor such as Notepad++ or any online JSON viewer you can view your exported JSON files.

Q4. Will exporting my chat history remove messages from Skype?
Ans. No, exporting Skype chat history will not delete your messages, it will create a copy on your system so that you can access them anytime without logging in Skype.