Export iPhone text messages to PDF

Open your iPhone's computer backup below — read, search, and print every iMessage & SMS. Free · nothing uploaded.

📱 You're on a phone. iPhone backups live on a computer, so open this page on your Mac or PC to export iMessages. Have an Android phone? Use our Android text message reader — it works right on the phone.

🔒 Verify the privacy claim yourself

The simplest way to confirm your messages never leave this computer:

Turn off your Wi-Fi → reading, searching, and PDF export keep working.

Everything runs locally. Compare that with "free" converter sites that ask you to upload your entire message history.

or drag your backup folder here · or

First time? You need an unencrypted backup of your iPhone on this computer — 2-minute steps below. If the browser asks to "view" or "upload" the folder, that's its generic prompt: files are only read locally.

Backups live at:
🔒

Your messages stay on your computer. We never see them.

Turn off Wi-Fi — everything keeps working.

Private
No upload No signup No $30 app No watermark Free

This backup is encrypted — encrypted backups can't be read (yet). The fix takes two minutes: in Finder or iTunes, uncheck "Encrypt local backup" (you'll be asked for your backup password), click Back Up Now, then open the new backup here. You can turn encryption back on afterwards.
Couldn't find the messages database in that folder. Make sure you selected the backup folder itself (the long alphanumeric name) or its parent Backup folder — see "Where is my iPhone backup folder?" above.
Select a conversation
Pick a conversation on the left — or search above to hunt across every message at once.

Preparing this for court or records?

Leave your email and we'll send court-formatting updates as they ship — declaration templates, exhibit numbering, Bates stamping, and attachment support.

1Back up your iPhonePlug it into your Mac (Finder) or PC (iTunes / Apple Devices), click Back Up Now — with Encrypt local backup unchecked.
2Open the backup hereClick Choose backup folder above and select it. Read in your browser — nothing uploads.
3Search, read, printBrowse conversations, filter by contact or date, export a court-ready PDF.
Where is my iPhone backup folder?

Mac (Finder): Finder → click your iPhone in the sidebar → Manage Backups… → right-click a backup → Show in Finder. (Backups live in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/.)

Windows (iTunes / Apple Devices): backups live in %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup\ (or %USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup\ for Microsoft Store iTunes). Paste that into the File Explorer address bar.

Select the backup folder itself (a long string of letters and numbers) — or its parent Backup folder; we'll find the messages database automatically.

Export PDF transcript

Why exporting iPhone texts is so hard — and how this works

Apple gives you no export button. Not in Messages, not in Settings — nothing on the phone can save your texts as a document. That's why every "export iMessages" search leads to $30–$80 desktop apps. But here's what they don't advertise: your iPhone backup already contains every message, in a standard database, sitting on your computer. This page reads that database directly in your browser — the same thing the paid apps do, minus the price tag and minus the installation.

⚖️ Court & legal

Chronological, timestamped, numbered transcripts with page X of Y and an optional sworn-declaration cover page — the format family-law guidance recommends over screenshots.

🔍 Search years of messages

Find every message mentioning a name, address, or dollar amount — across every conversation at once. Something the Messages app itself is famously bad at.

🕯️ Before the phone is gone

Old phones get wiped, traded in, or die. A backup plus this page turns irreplaceable conversations into a document you'll always have.

🔒 Actually private

Upload-based converter sites want your entire message history on their servers. Here, the database never leaves your computer — verifiably (turn off Wi-Fi and keep working).

What you'll need

Have an Android phone? You don't need a computer at all — our Android text message reader works right on the phone with a free backup app.

Frequently asked questions

Are my messages uploaded anywhere?

No. The backup is read by your browser on your own computer. There's no upload step, and the page's security policy blocks message content from being transmitted. Turn off Wi-Fi after loading — everything keeps working.

My backup is encrypted — can you read it?

Not yet. Uncheck "Encrypt local backup" in Finder/iTunes, make one new backup, open it here, then re-enable encryption. (You'll need your old backup password to uncheck it.)

Does it read both iMessage and SMS?

Yes — both live in the same messages database, including messages synced from other devices.

Are photos and attachments included?

Not yet — transcripts note where attachments were sent, and full attachment support is in development. Leave your email after an export to hear when it ships.

Will the PDF hold up in court?

It follows recommended evidence formatting, and because it's generated on your own computer there's no third party in the chain of custody. Admissibility is the court's decision — confirm with your attorney or clerk.

Why is this free when Decipher and iMazing charge $30+?

We make desktop file tools (PDF mergers, converters) and give our browser tools away. If you find this useful, that's the whole pitch.