iExplorer is perfect for transferring iPhone text messages to a Mac or Windows PC for archiving or sharing and is really quick and easy to use. It can export any SMS, MMS, and iMessages to your computer as PDF, TXT, or CSV files. The PDF format is our most popular since it looks very similar to the way the text messages appear on your device with the text bubbles on each side and with the shared photos in place. All formats will include the original time stamps. You can also export any photos and other attachments separately in their original size and format. Here's how:
- Open iExplorer and connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod.
- Click on the Data tab in the Device Overview screen and click on Messages.
- If you haven't created an iTunes backup yet on this computer, you will be asked whether to make one (choose Yes). If you did already have an iTunes backup, and it's more than 24 hours old, iExplorer will ask whether you'd like to Use Latest Backup or Back Up Now to create a new one.
- Make your backup selection, and iExplorer will load your text messages.
- Browse your Messages and choose an Export option. You can transfer an entire conversation or selected parts of a conversation or export all text messages in a single transfer. You can also just export the shared photos and files from a conversation separately.
If you need to find a particular part of a conversation, iExplorer lets you search your text messages by keyword via the Search field in the upper right corner. The PC version will search all conversations, and the Mac version will search the conversation you have selected.
Once you've exported your text messages to your computer, you can then view the PDF, TXT, or CSV files in any desktop application that can read those filetypes. If you need to print any of them, once you have the file opened, just click File menu Print.
If your text messages aren't appearing in iExplorer or if you receive an error message, please see our support article below for what to do:
Why is my Backup data not loading?
Additional Support Information:
Need more assistance? We also have a step-by-step tutorial and other articles:
Comments
Hardly helpful. The author states to go to a Device Overview screen that does not exist.
The directions give arbitrary messages to tabs and links that do not exist. I paid for a service that cannot be used. All I want to do is save transfer text messages
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