One-click export or step-by-step: which to use

Click Export WhatsApp and Chatcove runs the whole chain for you. If it hits a password problem it cannot solve alone, or you want to run each stage yourself, click Step-by-step. Both modes use the same engine and keep everything on your Mac.

One-click mode (the default)

When you open the Device section with an iPhone connected, you see the card "Export your WhatsApp history". Its button is Export WhatsApp, or Use existing backup and Back up again if a backup of this iPhone already exists.

One click runs these stages in order and shows a single progress card:

1. Check the backup encryption setting.
2. Turn encryption on and set a strong password, if it was off.
3. Back up the iPhone.
4. Read your WhatsApp history from the backup.
5. Load your chats and open the Export dialog.

The only thing you do is enter your iPhone passcode on the phone. See Your first export.

One-click mode handles the common cases: encryption off, or encryption set by Chatcove. For the awkward cases it stops and hands you over:

• Encryption was already on, set outside Chatcove: "Enter your existing backup password", with the button Enter backup password.
• The saved password no longer matches the iPhone (Chatcove 0.1.7 or later): "The saved password does not match", with Fix password and Check again.
• Other failures that need a human decision show a Use step-by-step button next to Try again and Send report.

Step-by-step mode

Click Step-by-step on the main card. Chatcove swaps the one-click card for separate cards that you drive yourself:

Card	What it does	Main buttons
Backup encryption	Reads the iPhone's encryption state. Pills include Off, On and verified, On, not verified and Password needed, plus Password mismatch in Chatcove 0.1.7 or later.	Turn on encryption, Verify saved password now, Save password, Verify, Retry
Backup	Backs up the iPhone. Pills include Ready, Backup found, Stopped. Shows the disk space check first.	Back up now, Use existing backup, Back up again, Choose another disk, Cancel
WhatsApp history	Reads the WhatsApp databases from the backup. Pill Ready to browse when done.	Read WhatsApp history, Read history again

The backup and history cards only appear once encryption is on and the password is verified. Open Chats afterwards to browse and export. A Back to one-click export button at the bottom returns you to one-click mode.

Which should I use?

Situation	Use
First time, nothing special	One-click
You want the newest messages and have a backup already	One-click, Back up again
You want to read an old backup without the phone	One-click, Use existing backup (the iPhone is not needed)
Encryption was set in Finder or iTunes, or by another Mac	Step-by-step, to enter the password. See If you already set a password in Finder
The saved password does not match	Fix password on the one-click card opens step-by-step on the right card. See Saved password does not match
You forgot the backup password	Reset it on the iPhone, then one-click Back up again. See Forgot your backup password?
You want to see each stage, or retry just one	Step-by-step

Step-by-step is not slower or different underneath. One-click is the same stages chained together.