Guides
Guides for your Messages history.
Clear steps for saving, exporting and finding your texts on a Mac, with the free built-in ways first.
How to export iMessages to PDF on a Mac, 3 waysPrint from Messages, join screenshots, or export a whole chat, a date range or a few texts with Textlore.
How to search old iMessages on a Mac, 3 waysUse the search field in Messages, search the database in Terminal, or search every year as you type.
How to save text messages from your iPhone to your Mac, 4 waysMessages in iCloud, a Finder backup, screenshots with AirDrop, or an archive you can export.
How to print text messages for court from a Mac, 3 waysWhat a printout should show, then print from Messages, take screenshots, or export a dated transcript.
How to export iMessages to CSV or Excel on a Mac, 3 wayssqlite3 in Terminal for free, an iPhone backup tool, or a CSV export of any chat or date range.
How to find every photo someone sent you in iMessage on a Mac, 3 waysA conversation's Photos, Messages search, or every photo by person and month.
How to back up iMessages on a Mac before they're deleted, 5 waysStop auto-delete, Time Machine, a copy of the Messages folder, a free HTML export, or an archive.
How to find the first message in an iMessage conversation, 3 waysScroll to the top, list when every chat started in Terminal, or jump to any date.
How to search iMessages by date on a Mac, 3 waysA word that leads to the date, a date range in Terminal, or plain dates such as during:march 2023.
How to export an iMessage conversation from a Mac, 3 waysPrint to PDF, imessage-exporter for text and HTML, or 6 formats with a live preview.
Guides by job and need.
How to find promises in your text messages on a Mac, 3 waysPromises you made, and how to search for the ones other people made.
How to find the recommendations friends texted you, 3 waysBooks, shows, restaurants and apps, with who said it and their words.
Best iMessage app for lawyers on a MacDated PDF transcripts with numbers and timestamps, and where a forensic tool is needed instead.
Best iMessage app for recruiters on a MacSee every follow-up you promised a candidate, and find what they told you.
Best iMessage app for students on a MacGroup project promises, a reading list from friends, and the free options first.
Best iMessage app for journalists on a MacFind what a source said and when, and export excerpts with numbers hidden.
Compare Textlore with other tools.
Textlore vs iMazingiPhone backups on Mac and Windows, or the history already on your Mac.
Textlore vs Decipher TextMessage2 one-time purchases for saving texts, built for different jobs.
Textlore vs imessage-exporterA free command-line tool, or a Mac app with search and an archive.
iMazing alternative5 options, by what you need.
Decipher TextMessage alternativeWhen to switch and when to stay.
imessage-exporter alternativeA Mac app instead of Terminal.
Textlore vs Messages searchIs built-in search enough?
Textlore vs SpotlightEverything on your Mac, or just your texts.