diff --git a/crates/matrix-sdk-common/src/linked_chunk/updates.rs b/crates/matrix-sdk-common/src/linked_chunk/updates.rs
index 8dc915450..e13cd8714 100644
--- a/crates/matrix-sdk-common/src/linked_chunk/updates.rs
+++ b/crates/matrix-sdk-common/src/linked_chunk/updates.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,31 @@ pub enum Update<Item, Gap> {
     Clear,
 }
 
+impl<Item, Gap> Update<Item, Gap> {
+    /// Get the items from the [`Update`] if any.
+    ///
+    /// This function is useful if you only care about the items from the
+    /// [`Update`] and not what kind of update it was and where the items
+    /// should be placed.
+    ///
+    /// [`Update`] variants which don't contain any items will return an empty
+    /// [`Vec`].
+    pub fn into_items(self) -> Vec<Item> {
+        match self {
+            Update::NewItemsChunk { .. }
+            | Update::NewGapChunk { .. }
+            | Update::RemoveChunk(_)
+            | Update::RemoveItem { .. }
+            | Update::DetachLastItems { .. }
+            | Update::StartReattachItems
+            | Update::EndReattachItems
+            | Update::Clear => vec![],
+            Update::PushItems { items, .. } => items,
+            Update::ReplaceItem { item, .. } => vec![item],
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// A collection of [`Update`]s that can be observed.
 ///
 /// Get a value for this type with [`LinkedChunk::updates`].
@@ -408,6 +433,7 @@ mod tests {
     use futures_util::pin_mut;
 
     use super::{super::LinkedChunk, ChunkIdentifier, Position, UpdatesInner};
+    use crate::linked_chunk::Update;
 
     #[test]
     fn test_updates_take_and_garbage_collector() {
@@ -926,4 +952,23 @@ mod tests {
         drop(linked_chunk);
         assert_matches!(updates_subscriber1.as_mut().poll_next(&mut context1), Poll::Ready(None));
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn test_update_into_items() {
+        let updates: Update<_, u32> =
+            Update::PushItems { at: Position::new(ChunkIdentifier(0), 0), items: vec![1, 2, 3] };
+
+        assert_eq!(updates.into_items(), vec![1, 2, 3]);
+
+        let updates: Update<u32, u32> = Update::Clear;
+        assert!(updates.into_items().is_empty());
+
+        let updates: Update<u32, u32> =
+            Update::RemoveItem { at: Position::new(ChunkIdentifier(0), 0) };
+        assert!(updates.into_items().is_empty());
+
+        let updates: Update<u32, u32> =
+            Update::ReplaceItem { at: Position::new(ChunkIdentifier(0), 0), item: 42 };
+        assert_eq!(updates.into_items(), vec![42]);
+    }
 }