How to Copy Contacts From a WhatsApp Group

If you don't want to lose track of your WhatsApp group contacts, importing them into a spreadsheet is worth considering.

Are you scared of losing contact with your group members on WhatsApp? Saving each contact from a group to your phone is a time-consuming process. And it's also perhaps unnecessary, especially when you don't have a personal relationship with them.

But how about copying and saving all WhatsApp group contacts into a spreadsheet—all at the same time? After all, you might need them in the future.

Here's how to copy contact numbers from a WhatsApp group to an Excel document.

Why You Might Want to Save Group Chat Contacts Elsewhere

When you save your WhatsApp group contacts somewhere other than on your phone, it enables you to reach out to them even when you're offline.

Having the ability to contact group chat members while offline is useful for many reasons. If your WhatsApp gets hacked or your phone is stolen, for example, you can send a bulk SMS to group members and let them know that you've lost access to WhatsApp.

How to Copy WhatsApp Group Contacts Web Using a Google Chrome Extension

To copy your group chat contacts from WhatsApp to a spreadsheet, you'll need to use a computer.

The first way to achieve this is by using a Google Chrome extension. To use this option, follow the steps below.

1. Go to Google Chrome Web Store. Then, download and install the Get WhatsApp Group Contacts extension.
2. After installing the extension, head over to WhatsApp Web on your Chrome browser.
3. Scan the QR code with your phone's camera to sync and open your WhatsApp.
4. Select the WhatsApp group you want to get people's contact details from, look to the top-right corner of the group page, and click Save contacts.
5. Select Save CSV file to download the phone numbers in this format. You can also choose Copy to clipboard, and then paste them into an Excel sheet.

How to Copy WhatsApp Group Contacts Using Inspect Element

Unlike the previous option, this method for copying numbers from a WhatsApp group to an Excel spreadsheet is more manual. But it's not overly technical, so don't worry. You can use any available web browser, as long as it lets you inspect the elements of a website.

Related: How to Use WhatsApp Web on PC

To get the phone numbers on your WhatsApp group using Inspect Element on Google Chrome, you'll first need to go to WhatsApp Web on your computer.

After that, you can select the group you want to copy contacts from. Look to the top of the group page (below the group name), where you'll see some phone numbers or contacts listed horizontally.

Once you've clicked on a contact, choose Inspect. You'll see the numbers already highlighted in the Elements menu; right-click on these and you'll see a list of options. Choose Copy > Copy element from the next sets of choices.

After copying the numbers, you can paste them into a spreadsheet.

To extract WhatsApp group numbers from Firefox, the process is slightly different from Google Chrome.

Below, you'll see the steps for how to copy WhatsApp group numbers on Firefox.

1. Follow the same process for accessing WhatsApp Web via Google Chrome.
2. Select the group you want to copy contacts from.
3. Right-click on the contacts listed horizontally at the top of the group. Select Inspect(Q).
4. Right-click the highlighted texts in the inspect console. Choose Copy > Inner HTML.
5. Paste the copied contacts into an Excel sheet.

Arranging the Phone Numbers Into Separate Excel Cells

After copying your WhatsApp group phone numbers into Excel, you'll notice that they're not separated into individual cells. Separating them will make it easier to copy and paste individual numbers when needed.

To separate numbers into individual Excel cells, you'll first need to select the column containing the phone numbers. From the Excel ribbon, click Data. Then, choose Text to Columns.

In the next window, tick the Delimited circle. After that, click on Next.

In the following Window, uncheck the Tab option. When you've done that, tick the Comma box.

Once you've completed the steps mentioned above, click Next. Then, choose Finish. The phone numbers are now in separate cells in a single row. Select that entire row and copy it by pressing Ctrl + C on your keyboard.

After doing the above, you can either open a new sheet or right-click on any cell within the one already opened. Whichever you choose, you'll need to go to Paste Special... > Other Paste Options > Paste Special....

After clicking on the pasting option, click the Transpose checkbox. Then, tap on OK. You should now see the contact numbers in a single column. But where they were previously bundled together, each should now have their own separate cell instead.

Note: If a contact is in your phone book already, you'll see the names you saved them with—and not their phone numbers. However, you can still get their mobile numbers from your phone book once you know they're grouped within Excel.

Related: How to Message Many WhatsApp Users Without Making a Group Chat

Don't Lose Contact With Your WhatsApp Group

Even if you don't have personal contact with everyone in your WhatsApp group, losing touch of the group as a whole can have detrimental effects. And while the worst is unlikely to happen, a little preparation in case it does is a good idea.

Now you know how to copy phone numbers from a WhatsApp group, why not give it a go? Doing so might save you both time and your reputation in the future.