Feature
Markdown markup (*bold*, _italic_, ~strike~, `code`), inline links, @mentions resolved to display names, reply-to threading rendered above each bubble.
Chat Hoarding's body formatter parses WhatsApp's markup the same way the official app does: *text* renders bold, _text_ renders italic, ~text~ renders strikethrough, and `text` renders inline monospace. URLs in message bodies are auto-linked via NSDataDetector.
WhatsApp stores @-mentions as raw JIDs (digits or @lid). The Mac app rewrites them to the display name (from your imported address book or your manual mapping) and styles them with the accent color so they stand out from the surrounding text. The original JID is kept in the database for reference.
When a message is a reply to an earlier one, Chat Hoarding shows the parent message's snippet above the reply bubble, the same as WhatsApp. The visual link makes threaded conversations readable years after the fact.
FAQ
Are emoji + reactions rendered?
Yes. System emoji render as Mac OS native glyphs. Reactions appear as small chips under the bubble with the reactor's name on hover.
What about messages with broken markdown?
If the markup doesn't balance (one * without a closing one), the formatter falls back to plain text, matching WhatsApp's own behavior.
Other capabilities
Decrypts the Crypt15 backup locally
AES-256-GCM decryption with your 64-digit key. msgstore.db.crypt15, the only database WhatsApp writes to the user-accessible backup folder. Keys never leave the Mac.
Easy, Medium, Advanced: get the backup off the phone
Companion app over wireless share, USB drag-drop via OpenMTP, or fully automatic adb pull bundled inside Chat Hoarding for Mac.
The whole conversation, not just the words
Voice notes, photos, videos, calls, locations, group history, and deletion markers with sender attribution.
Receipts on every message: sent, delivered, read, played
Three-state check indicator with timestamps. Per-recipient breakdown in group chats. Same icons WhatsApp uses.
Names instead of phone numbers
Auto-fills from your device address book (vCard exported by Chat Hoarding for Android, or pulled via adb), or manually per JID. Handles @lid privacy IDs.
.tarc, one file, lifetime archive
Bundles manifest, decrypted msgstore.db, an optional contacts.json (imported address book) and manual_contacts.json (your in-app renames), and the media folder, all inside a macOS package. Double-click to open. Survives the phone.
Two network calls. That's it.
Decryption, browsing, archive creation: fully on-device. Companion has no INTERNET permission. Chat Hoarding for Mac's only outbound calls are license activation and the update check.
Signed updates that install themselves
New versions arrive automatically. Each one is cryptographically signed; Chat Hoarding app refuses anything that doesn't match, even if the update feed were tampered with.
Search across every chat, jump to every hit
Substring search across the whole archive: cross-chat hit counts in the sidebar, in-chat match counter with cycling. Same .tarc, instant results.
WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, same archive
Chat Hoarding scans both com.whatsapp and com.whatsapp.w4b paths. Either backup, either app, same Crypt15 pipeline, one .tarc file.
Save your WhatsApp history forever.
$99 one-time. 2 Macs, revocable. 14-day refund.
