By Lydia | Last Updated
Have you ever wanted to keep a record of your important iPhone messages, whether for legal reasons or sentimental value? However, Apple doesn’t provide a direct feature for this. But we can still get it done with multiple ways. This guide illustrates different methods to export iPhone messages to PC or as PDF.
If you only need to export a small number of iPhone messages, you can simply take screenshots and convert iPhone messages to PDF.
Step 1: Go to iPhone Messages app, and locate the messages to record in conversation.
Step 2: Short-press the Volume Up button and the Power button simultaneously to take a screenshot.
Step 3: Select the Screenshots in iPhone Photos, then click the three-dots option, select Save to Files.
Step 4: In the home screen, slide the screen to the far right to acess App Library. Here, tap to open Files folder.
Step 5: Click on the option in the top right corner, and tap on Select. Select the messages screenshot to export.
Step 6: Tap the three-dots option in the lower right corner, select Creat PDF.
Step 7: Now you have already converted your iPhone Messages to a PDF document.
While iTunes doesn’t directly let you export text messages in a readable format like PDF, you can back up your entire device and extract messages from the backup. Here’s how:
Step 1: Connect your iPhone to PC, and then open iTunes.
Step 2: In iTunes, select your device, and go to Summary tab. In Backups section, select This Computer, and then click on Back Up Now button.
Tips: You can also check Encrypt local backup option if you want to set Backup Password.
Step 3: Once your backup is complete, the backup files are saved as SQLite file. Go to "C:\Users\[UserName]\AppData\Roamin\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup" folder to view details.
You need to use SQLite Editor to read the Backup files.
If you have iCloud backups enabled on your iPhone, you can also use iCloud and MacOS machine to export texts from iPhone to PDF with Time Stamps.
Step 1: Go to iPhone Settings, tap on your name to enter into Apple Account settings .
Step 2: Tap iCloud, and then tap on Messages, turn on iPhone Messages iCloud Backup.
Make sure that Use on this iPhone option is enabled. And click on Sync Now to begin the backup.
Step 3: Open your MAC Messages app, navigate to Preferences > iMessage. Check your Apple ID, and ensure that “Enable Messages in iCloud” checkbox is checked.
Step 4: Then Click on the Sync Now button. After synchronization finished, exit the dialog. ensure that all text messages are fully synchronized.
Step 5: Select the conversations in MAC, select the conversation to export.
Step 6: Go to File > Print, then PDF > Save as PDF.
If you only need a few messages and want a simple way to export them, you can manually forward messages via email and convert them to PDF.
Step 1: Open iPhone Messages app, and then go to the conversation to export on iPhone.
Step 2: Tap and hold the message bubble and select “More”. Choose all the messages to export, then tap the “Share” icon.
Step 3: Send the messages to your email address. Open the email on your computer, open the email in an email client that allows you to “Print” the email as a PDF.
Tips: There are also many third-party tools to export SMS from iPhone. Some apps are paid, though they often offer free trials. you can pick one that suits your need.
Q1: Can I export iMessage conversation without using third-party software?
Of course you can. From the Method 3 above, you can easily export Apple text messages to PDF with Mac OS machine. However, if you don’t have a Mac, then you can try the third-party tools to help you with this.
Q2: Can I export text messages from a deleted conversation?
Yes, if you’ve backed up your iPhone using iCloud or iTunes, you can use iSunshare iSyncGenius to help you restore the backup and extract deleted text messages.
