Copies, never moves
ChatCrate copies media into the destination you choose. It does not move or delete your WhatsApp originals.
ChatCrate
macOS utility · Burger Labs
WhatsApp Desktop media, organised by chat.
ChatCrate copies WhatsApp Desktop exported and local media into folders named by chat — so photos, videos and files are easier to find without digging through a single Media folder.
ChatCrate is an independent Burger Labs product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp LLC or Meta Platforms, Inc.
The problem
WhatsApp keeps the media. Finding it by chat is harder.
WhatsApp Desktop stores or exports media in ways that are fine for the app, but awkward when you want a tidy archive: one big Media folder, mixed chats, and no simple “this chat’s photos” layout on disk.
ChatCrate is built for that cleanup job on Mac — organise copies by chat, leave the originals alone, and keep the work on your computer.
What it does
Safe copies into chat-named folders.
Organised by chat
Output folders are named by chat, so media from the same conversation lands together instead of in one undifferentiated pile.
You pick the folders
Source and destination access comes from folders you select. ChatCrate runs sandboxed on macOS with the Downloads entitlement where needed.
Originals untouched
Your WhatsApp files stay where they are.
ChatCrate reads from the media location you grant and writes copies elsewhere. The original files are not rewritten, relocated or removed as part of a normal organise run.
That makes it safer to tidy an archive without risking the copy WhatsApp Desktop still relies on.
Duplicates and conflicts
Same file twice? Conflicting name? Handled carefully.
Duplicate detection
ChatCrate recognises duplicates using file size plus SHA-256 hashing, so identical media is not needlessly recopied.
Name conflicts
When a destination already has a different file with the same name, ChatCrate renames the new copy instead of overwriting what is already there.
Run again safely
Re-running an organise job is designed to be additive and careful: duplicates are skipped, conflicts are renamed, originals remain untouched.
Verification and reporting
After copy, sizes are checked.
When a copy finishes, ChatCrate verifies by matching file size between source and destination. That is a practical post-copy check — it is not a second full-content hash of every byte after the write.
You get clear reporting on what was copied, skipped as a duplicate, renamed for a conflict, or flagged when a size check does not match.
Privacy
Local processing on your Mac.
ChatCrate organises media on your Mac. It does not upload your WhatsApp media to Burger Labs servers, and it does not include analytics or third-party tracking SDKs.
Message text is not read or stored. ChatCrate works with media files and the folder structure you grant — not with chat message bodies.
The app is built without a network entitlement for its organise work. Support or Privacy pages on this website open only when you choose to visit them.
Requirements
Built for macOS 14 and later.
ChatCrate requires macOS 14 or newer. It is sandboxed: you grant access to the folders it needs, including Downloads where that entitlement applies.
Use it with WhatsApp Desktop media you already have on your Mac — exported sets or local media locations you select in the app.
Organise the media. Keep the originals.
ChatCrate is coming to the Mac App Store. The download link will appear here when the listing is live.
ChatCrate is an independent Burger Labs product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by WhatsApp LLC or Meta Platforms, Inc.