Set up a connector to archive WhatsApp data

Use the TeleMessage connector to import and archive WhatsApp calls, chats, attachments, files, and deleted messages. After you set up and configure a connector, it connects to your organization's TeleMessage account once every day, and imports the mobile communication of employees using the TeleMessage WhatsApp Phone Archiver or TeleMessage WhatsApp Cloud Archiver to mailboxes in Microsoft 365.

After WhatsApp data is stored in user mailboxes, you can apply Microsoft Purview features such as Litigation Hold, Content search, and Microsoft 365 retention policies to WhatsApp data. For example, you can search WhatsApp messages using Content search or associate the mailbox that contains WhatsApp messages with a custodian in an eDiscovery (Premium) case. Using a WhatsApp connector to import and archive data in Microsoft 365 can help your organization stay compliant with government and regulatory policies.

Tip

If you're not an E5 customer, use the 90-day Microsoft Purview solutions trial to explore how additional Purview capabilities can help your organization manage data security and compliance needs. Start now at the Microsoft Purview compliance portal trials hub. Learn details about signing up and trial terms.

Overview of archiving WhatsApp data

The following overview explains the process of using a connector to archive WhatsApp data in Microsoft 365.

1. Your organization works with TeleMessage to set up a WhatsApp Archiver connector. For more information, see WhatsApp Archiver.

2. In real time, your organization's WhatsApp data is copied to the TeleMessage site.

3. The WhatsApp connector that you create in the Microsoft Purview portal or the Microsoft Purview compliance portal connects to the TeleMessage site every day and transfers WhatsApp data from the previous 24 hours to a secure Azure Storage location in the Microsoft cloud. The connector also converts the content WhatsApp data to an email message format.

4. The connector imports WhatsApp data to the mailbox of a specific user. A new folder named WhatsApp Archiver is created in the specific user's mailbox and the items are imported to it. The connector does this mapping by using the value of the User’s Email address property. Every WhatsApp message contains this property, which is populated with the email address of every participant of the message.

   In addition to automatic user mapping using the value of the User’s Email address property, you can also implement custom mapping by uploading a CSV mapping file. This mapping file contains the mobile phone number and corresponding Microsoft 365 email address for users in your organization. If you enable both automatic user mapping and custom mapping, for every WhatsApp item the connector first looks at custom mapping file. If it doesn't find a valid Microsoft 365 user that corresponds to a user's mobile phone number, the connector will use the values in the email address property of the item it's trying to import. If the connector doesn't find a valid Microsoft 365 user in either the custom mapping file or in the email address property of the WhatsApp item, the item won't be imported.

Before you set up a connector

Important

All partner third-party data connector configurations require a provisioned service principal for the partner application. This requirement isn't applicable for native Microsoft third-pary data connector configurations. We recommend working with your partners for details on the relevant Partner Application ID.

To provision a service principal using PowerShell, see Provision a service principal for partner third-party data connectors.

Some of the implementation steps required to archive WhatsApp communication data are external to Microsoft 365 and must be completed before you can create the connector in the compliance center.

• Order the WhatsApp Archiver service from TeleMessage and get a valid administration account for your organization. You'll need to sign into this account when you create the connector in the compliance center.

• Register all users that require WhatsApp archiving in the TeleMessage account. When registering users, be sure to use the same email address that's used for their Microsoft 365 account.

• Install the TeleMessage WhatsApp Phone Archiver app on the mobile phones of your employees and activate it. Alternatively, you can install the regular WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business apps on the mobile phones of your employees and activate the WhatsApp Cloud Archiver service by scanning a QR code on the TeleMessage website. For more information, see WhatsApp Cloud Archiver.

• The user who creates a Verizon Network connector must be assigned the Data Connector Admin role. This role is required to add connectors on the Data connectors page in the Microsoft Purview portal or the compliance portal. This role is added by default to multiple role groups. For a list of these role groups, see Roles in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Microsoft Purview compliance. Alternatively, an admin in your organization can create a custom role group, assign the Data Connector Admin role, and then add the appropriate users as members. For instructions, see:

  • Permissions in the Microsoft Purview portal
  • Permissions in the compliance portal
  • Roles and role groups in Microsoft Defender for Office 365 and Microsoft Purview compliance

• This TeleMessage data connector is available in GCC environments in the Microsoft 365 US Government cloud. Third-party applications and services might involve storing, transmitting, and processing your organization's customer data on third-party systems that are outside of the Microsoft 365 infrastructure and therefore aren't covered by the Microsoft Purview and data protection commitments. Microsoft makes no representation that use of this product to connect to third-party applications implies that those third-party applications are FEDRAMP compliant.

Create a WhatsApp Archiver connector

After you've completed the prerequisites described in the previous section, you can create the WhatsApp connector in the Microsoft Purview portal or the compliance portal. The connector uses the information you provide to connect to the TeleMessage site and transfer the WhatsApp data to the corresponding user mailbox boxes in Microsoft 365.

Select the appropriate tab for the portal you're using. To learn more about the Microsoft Purview portal, see Microsoft Purview portal. To learn more about the Compliance portal, see Microsoft Purview compliance portal.

Microsoft Purview portal

1. Sign into the Microsoft Purview portal.

2. Select Settings > Data connectors.

3. Select My connectors, then select Add connector.

4. From the list, choose WhatsApp Archiver.

5. On the Terms of service page, select Accept.

6. On the Login to TeleMessage page, under Step 3, enter the required information in the following boxes and then select Next.

   • Username: Your TeleMessage username.
   • Password: Your TeleMessage password.

7. After the connector is created, you can close the pop-up window and go to the next page.

8. On the User mapping page, enable automatic user mapping and select Next. In case you need custom mapping upload a CSV file, and select Next.

9. Review your settings, and then select Finish to create the connector.

Compliance portal

1. Go to https://compliance.microsoft.com and then select Data connectors > WhatsApp Archiver.

2. On the WhatsApp Archiver product description page, select Add connector

3. On the Terms of service page, select Accept.

4. On the Login to TeleMessage page, under Step 3, enter the required information in the following boxes and then select Next.

   • Username: Your TeleMessage username.
   • Password: Your TeleMessage password.

5. After the connector is created, you can close the pop-up window and go to the next page.

6. On the User mapping page, enable automatic user mapping and select Next. In case you need custom mapping upload a CSV file, and select Next.

7. Review your settings, and then select Finish to create the connector.

8. Go to the Connectors tab in Data connectors page to see the progress of the import process for the new connector.

Known issues

At this time, we don't support importing attachments or items that are larger than 10 MB. Support for larger items will be available at a later date.