How to Export Text Messages from iPhone

You will know how to export text messages from iPhone in five different ways. Whether you want to export text messages from iPhone to PDF or save text messages from iPhone to email, you will learn how to do it in this guide.

Text messages often contain important information, cherished memories, and vital records that many of us want to keep safe or access outside of our iPhones. Exporting messages from your iPhone allows you to:

1. 1. Create backups
2. 2. Free up device storage
3. 3. Print conversations for legal or personal use
4. 4. Transfer important chats to your computer for easier management

Whether you need to preserve business communications, save sentimental texts, or simply organize your data, knowing how to export text messages from iPhone efficiently is essential. In this guide, we will walk you through the best methods to export iPhone text messages quickly and securely.

How to Export Text Messages from iPhone to PC/Mac

Whether you want to copy a conversation or the entire text collection from your iPhone, the free iPhone transfer software, EaseUS MobiMover, will help. It will transfer text messages from your iPhone to your PC, Mac, or laptop, and you can access, view, and print whenever you want to. In addition to messages, this tool can also export iPhone contacts to Excel and supports photos, videos, contacts, music, ringtones, books, and more. So if you need to transfer more files between iPhone and Mac or PC, you can easily get the job done with this program.

How to export text messages from iPhone (SMS, iMessage, and attachments are supported):

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and launch EaseUS MobiMover. Tap "Trust" on your iPhone screen to trust this computer. Choose "Phone to PC" and click "Next".

Step 2. Select the category/categories you'd like to export from iPhone to the computer. Since you want to save iPhone messages to the computer, tick the "Messages" category. You can change the default path C:\Users\Owner\Desktop to other locations. Click "Transfer".

Step 3. Wait for the transfer process to finish. The messages will be saved as an HTML file on your computer. Thus, you can view the details with a browser whenever you want.

EaseUS MobiMover is a safe tool that does not collect data from your iPhone for external use. It functions as a local data transfer and management tool that reads and transfers files between your iPhone and computer when connected by a USB cable. MobiMover accesses your iPhone data only to perform the transfer, backup, or management tasks you initiate. It does not upload or send your personal data to any other third parties without your consent.

Easy? Follow the simple steps to export your iPhone messages within seconds. If you are a Mac user, check the guide on how to transfer messages from iPhone to Mac instead. Afterward, you can print the text messages if you need to.

iPhone Export Text Messages to PDF via Screenshots

If you need to print text messages from your iPhone for court and thus want to export text messages from your iPhone, you can take screenshots of your iPhone messages and then print the screenshots. How to export iPhone text messages by taking screenshots:

Step 1. Go to the Messages app on your iPhone.

Step 2. Find and click the message you'd like to save.

Step 3. Take a screenshot of your iPhone messages, including text messages, multimedia messages, and iMessages.

• On an iPhone that uses Face ID: Press and quickly release the "Side" button and the "Volume Up" button.
• On an iPhone that uses Touch ID and the Home button: Press and quickly release the "Home" button and the "Side" button at the same time.

Step 4. Transfer photos from iPhone to computer, and then print the photos from the computer.

Back Up Text Messages from iPhone Using iTunes for Free

Apple doesn't provide a direct way for you to get your iPhone messages onto a computer. The only official way for you to save iPhone text messages to a computer is to use iTunes to back up your iPhone.

However, if you don't know how to export messages from iPhone, you can use iTunes to back up your data and settings. What's more, although you can find the iTunes backup location on your computer, you can neither access nor view the content in the backup. You can only extract your iPhone messages by restoring your device from the backup.

If that's what you prefer, follow the steps below to get your iPhone text messages onto your computer with iTunes.

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to your computer with a USB cable and wait for iTunes to launch automatically.

Step 2. Unlock your iPhone and trust the computer. If required, enter your iPhone password.

Step 3. In iTunes, click the device icon in the top left corner of the window.

Step 4. Choose "Summary" and select "This computer" > "Back Up Now" in the "Backups" section.

Step 5. Click "Apply" to start exporting your iPhone data and settings, including text messages (SMS), messages, and multimedia messages (MMS) to the computer. (Make sure you have turned off iCloud Messages.)

For more ways to download text messages from iPhone, click the link to get more details.

Forward Text Messages from iPhone to Gmail

You can also export text messages from iPhone by backing up the text messages from iPhone to Gmail, which is easy to operate. The flaw of this method is that if you need to back up a large number of text conversations, it will be time-consuming. Hence, it's available only when you attempt to export several texts.

To make such a backup, you need to know how to copy an entire conversation on your device.

Step 1. Open the text chain you wish to preserve and hold a finger down on one of the texts in the conversation.

Step 2. Tap the "More…" option when it appears, then tap the circle to the left of each text and image you want to save.

Step 3. After the selection, click the forward icon to create a new message.

Step 4. Enter your email address in the box and hit "Send" to download iPhone text messages to your email.

If you know how to copy an entire text conversation on your iPhone, you can also export your iPhone text messages by copying the texts to a document and then transferring the document to another device.

Print iPhone iMessages to PDF on Mac

If you are a Mac user, you can use the built-in Messages app on macOS, which syncs with your iPhone messages via your Apple ID. First, you need to sync your iPhone messages with your Mac. Then, within the Messages app on your Mac, you can select the conversation you want to export. Let's see the detailed steps on how to export messages from iPhone:

Step 1. Ensure your iPhone and Mac are logged in with the same Apple ID and iMessage is enabled on both devices.

• On iPhone: Go to Settings > Messages > iMessage.
• On Mac: Open the Messages app and sign in with your Apple ID. Go to Messages > Settings > iMessage.

Step 2. Check iCloud Message sync is on.

• On iPhone: Tap your name in Settings > iCloud > Show All > Messages > Sync this iPhone.

• On Mac: Follow the path in Step 1 and ensure the box next to Enable Messages in iCloud is checked.

Step 3. Launch the Messages app on your Mac. Select the iMessage conversation you want to save.

Step 4. From the top menu bar, click File > Print > PDF > Save as PDF.

The Bottom Line

Exporting your iPhone text messages is a smart way to back up important conversations, free up device storage, or preserve memories and vital information. With tools like EaseUS MobiMover, you can easily transfer your messages to your computer in a readable HTML or PDF format, making it simple to view, save, or print them whenever needed. While MobiMover offers a straightforward solution for exporting SMS and iMessages together, you can also convert these exports into PDFs or explore other apps for more specialized formats. By following the methods outlined in this guide, you can confidently manage and safeguard your iPhone messages with ease.

FAQS on iPhone Message Export

1. Can I export iMessages?

Yes, you can export iMessages along with SMS messages from your iPhone using tools like EaseUS MobiMover. The exported messages are saved as HTML or PDF files that you can view on your computer.

2. How to print exported messages?

If you have exported your messages as an HTML file, you can open the file in any web browser on your computer and use the browser’s print function to print the messages. To save the messages as a PDF, choose the "Print" option and then select "Save as PDF" instead of printing on paper. Alternatively, on a Mac, you can print iMessages directly from the Messages app by selecting the conversation, choosing File > Print, and then saving it as a PDF.