To download Twitter DMs, you must request your entire X data archive, there is no simple download button for messages alone. This is the only official method to learn how to download Twitter DM conversations for permanent, readable backup.
The one official way to download Twitter DMs
No simple "Download DMs" button exists directly on the platform. The only official way to download your Twitter (X) Direct Messages is by requesting and downloading your entire X data archive. This process gives you a complete package of your account data, including every private conversation, but it requires patience and a few steps. If you also need to preserve audio conversations, you can similarly download Twitter space recording files through your archive. For video messages, you can download Twitter dm videos directly from the media folder within that same archive.
Step 1: Request your X data archive
- Log in to your X account.
- Navigate to "Settings & Support" and then select "Settings and privacy".
- From there, go to "Your account" and choose "Download an archive of your data".
- You will need to verify your identity by entering your password and potentially completing email or SMS verification.
- Click the "Request archive" button to initiate the process.
X will begin compiling a package of all data connected to your account, including tweets, profile data, media, interactions, and Direct Messages.
Step 2: Wait for the email and download the ZIP file
The archive preparation is not instant and can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours, or sometimes a few hours to a day. You will receive an email or an X notification once your archive is ready for download. Return to the "Download an archive of your data" screen and click "Download archive" to save the .zip file to your computer. The download link for the archive is typically valid for a limited window (around a week), so it's important to download it promptly. If your archive contains media, you may also want to download Twitter videos individually for higher quality or specific clips.
Step 3: Extract the ZIP and find your messages
- After downloading, extract (unzip) the file to access its contents.
- Your Direct Messages will be located in the
/direct-messages/ordata/direct-messages.jsonfolder within the extracted archive. - If your account is old or heavily used, there might be multiple JSON files for different message batches.
- The archive includes all media files (photos, videos) sent and received within your DMs.
How to read the downloaded DM files
The DMs in the archive are provided in JSON format, which is a structured text format designed for machines. To make the raw JSON DMs human-readable, you can use a free online JSON viewer or a browser extension like JSON Formatter, or convert them to CSV for viewing in spreadsheet programs. For saving individual videos from DMs, screen recording is a reliable method across various devices, and on desktop, browser extensions can be used.
Important limitations to know
If the other party in a conversation has deleted DMs, those specific messages will not be included in your archive. You cannot download your X data archive if your account is suspended, as access to settings may be restricted. You also cannot select specific conversations to download, the archive always contains all your data. For a more formatted output, third-party tools like Decipher Twit-DM Export can process your downloaded X data archive to save and print DMs as PDFs with chat bubble formatting and timestamps.
