I'm sorry, I followed this link but couldn't find the app. I also needed to print my iPhone text conversations for some legal issue and this is what my lawyer had suggested about presenting text messages as legal evidence:
Decipher TextMessage Version 7 - Windows and Mac Works for SMS and iMessages for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Coming soon: support for WhatsApp Messenger! Quickly read text messages from your iTunes backup of your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. Save and view MMS attachments, such as images and videos. With Decipher Backup Browser. Decipher TextMessage is Windows and Mac software for saving your iPhone text messages to your computer for backup, printing, or archival. You can also access deleted text messages using the Recover button within Decipher TextMessage.
- Text messages must include date stamps and time stamps showing the date and time of each text messages
- A print-out or screenshot of the text messages that links the message to the sender along with the affidavit stating that the copy (print-out /screenshot/photo of the text message) is accurate representation of the message.
I finally printed my iPhone text messages/iMessages using the app mentioned in this tutorial about printing iPhone text messages. First, I transferred my text messages to my computer as PDF file and then printed them on a A4 sheet. Hope it helps!
P.S. I’m not a lawyer and this is not a legal advice. I’m just sharing my experience.
Active8 months ago
When answering this question, please note if the solution is:
- For Windows and/or Mac OS X users
- The price of the solution
- If you have successfully—and actually—used the solution
How can I export SMS text messages from my iPhone?
Matthew RankinMatthew Rankin82455 gold badges1414 silver badges3030 bronze badges
8 Answers
- Get
/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db
- It is now exported.
What format do you want the export to be? The existing format is sqlite, so you can convert it to ASCII like so:
sqlite3 sms.db .dump > sms.db.txt
For step one, you can jailbreak and then scp, or you can just search your backup folder for the file, no jailbreak required.
If your phone is not jailbroken, look on OS X in:
And, in my case, and according to various web sources, although not in all cases, is named:
Decipher Message
To answer your other questions: Any OS, Free, Successful.
user588
AllYourTexts - free - Windows
Full disclosure: I'm the author.
- Allows you to view SMS and MMS data from your PC
- Supports exporting to plaintext or HTML files.
- Shows you graph visualizations of your texting behavior over time.
I was looking for a solution to this myself and I was unhappy with the 3rd party offerings. I felt like they were overpriced or poorly designed, so I wrote my own.
mtlynchmtlynch
I rely on PhoneView which you correctly note is a Mac OS X only paid solution.
It has always been updated very quickly by the developers each time a new iOS is released. I even received support several times for pre-release / beta versions of iOS and iTunes. Support emails are promptly answered and I have twice received custom builds from them to resolve issues using their product with pre-release iOS versions to assist me in managing the devices I use for iOS development.
I've used PhoneView to save data from a phone that iTunes said was broken and could only be erased and then restored. It's been a reliable swiss army knife for me filling in many gaps that iTunes and Xcode leave for managing iOS devices.
bmike♦bmike168k4646 gold badges304304 silver badges662662 bronze badges
I used CopyTrans Contacts for Windows (not sure whether it also operates on Mac) to export my iPhone SMS and iMessage text messages to my PC.
Here is where I found out about the tool: How to export iPhone SMS
I do not know the price as I used their free version to export all of my 100+ messages I think you have to pay if you want to export a really large number of SMS text messages.
Glorfindel♦2,16977 gold badges2020 silver badges3333 bronze badges
jDonMasjDonMas
I'm on windows and I bought Decipher Text Message (Mac $7, Windows $10). It did the trick for my needs and backed up all my work sms messages from my iphone. My girlfriend uses it too however, she is on a mac. The cool thing is that the program also saved my sms images, which I hadn't even expected. Has anyone tried any of the other tools?? Curious about them.
Jason Salaz17.1k1616 gold badges8383 silver badges136136 bronze badges
Robert ClowryRobert Clowry
A windows software solution is Save The Message
The software is free (trial) however the costs after the 30 day trial are $9.99 for a basic account, $99 for a professional' account.
Stu Wilson5,92855 gold badges2020 silver badges4848 bronze badges
RussellRussell
Believe it or not, there's an app for that!
The app SMS Export ($4.99) will allow you to export your SMS to the software on both your Mac and Windows.
You can make a back-up of your entire SMS-database or export the SMS-messages to your computer:
You can converted SMS to HTML, CSV or Text. Then you can load your SMS into any program like Excel or Word and print them.
MichielDecipher Text Message Iphone
Michiel9,03599 gold badges3737 silver badges8282 bronze badges
My destination for the export was a new Smasung Galaxy Note, so the Samsung Kies software (eventually) managed to import the SMSs from an unencrypted iPhone backup. Kies is free for Samsung phones. It was necessary to 'update drivers' from one of the menus in Kies before this worked for me. Kies also prevents me running Android File Transfer on 10.8, so I uninstalled Kies once the import was complete.
Otherwise, I've successfully used DiskAid on the Mac to export my SMSs to a flat text file. A useful reference, but I'd rather it exported a friendly (ie standard) SQLite database so I could easily use the data elsewhere.
DiskAid is $29.90 at the time of answer, but they also offer free educational licenses to folk with email addresses at tertiary institutions.
ptimptimDecipher Text Message Coupon
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