How to find the recommendations friends texted you, 3 ways.
The fastest way to find what friends recommended in your texts on a Mac is Textlore's Recs page, which lists every book, show, restaurant and app they told you to try, with who said it, when and their exact words.
Short answer
The fastest way to find what friends recommended in your texts on a Mac is Textlore's Recs page, which lists every book, show, restaurant and app they told you to try, with who said it, when and their exact words.
TL;DR
- Recs (⌘5) lists books, shows, films, restaurants, places, podcasts, songs, apps and things to buy, from iMessage and WhatsApp for Mac.
- Things more than one friend mentioned sit at the top. Click one to see each person and their words, then Mark as tried.
- Without Textlore, search Messages for phrases such as
you should watch,tryorrecommend. It is free and manual. - Recs needs a Mac with Apple Intelligence. The first full scan of a long history can take hours and runs in the background.
3 ways at a glance
| Option | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Messages search | One recommendation you remember a word of. Free. | You read every result. No list, no count of who recommended it. |
| Search in Textlore | Phrases like "you should" from one friend or one year. | Still a manual hunt. Filters help. |
| Recs in Textlore | Every recommendation in one list, with who, when and their words. | Paid after 14 days. Mac only. Needs Apple Intelligence. |
1. Search the Messages app
- Open Messages and click the search field at the top of the sidebar.
- Type a phrase friends use, such as you should watch, you have to try or recommend, and press Return.
- Click each result to read it in its conversation, and copy the titles into a note.
It works, and it is free, but every phrase is a separate search and you build the list by hand. Messages has no date filter.
2. Search with filters in Textlore
Press ⌘F and combine words. from:Theo "you should" finds what Theo told you. "you have to" during:2025 narrows to a year. from:Priya has:link finds links she sent. Results narrow as you type across every year.
3. Let Recs build the list
Textlore is a Mac app that reads your Messages and WhatsApp for Mac history. Recs lists what friends told you to try, with their exact words, and Promises lists what you said you'd do for people, both found by Apple's on-device model on Macs with Apple Intelligence. It also searches every year as you type, keeps its own archive of messages and photos, and exports to 6 formats with phone numbers and emails hidden by default. It never sends, edits or deletes a message, and nothing leaves your Mac.
- Who, when, what they said. Click a rec to see each person who recommended it, the day, and their exact words. Open in conversation takes you to the message.
- Most recommended first. Use Sort to change the order, the chips to show one kind such as Books or Food and drink, or search your recs.
- Mark as tried. Tick it off when you have read it, watched it or been there. Use Not a rec to remove something that was not one.
- Private. Apple's on-device model finds recs on your Mac, and nothing leaves it.
What Textlore doesn't do
- It is Mac only, and needs macOS 26 or later.
- It reads the Messages history on your Mac, so your iPhone texts need Messages in iCloud switched on to get there.
- It reads Messages (iMessage, SMS and the other texts in it) and WhatsApp for Mac. It can't read an iPhone backup.
- Recs, Promises and Ask AI need a Mac with Apple Intelligence.
Questions
How do I find a book a friend recommended in a text?
Search for the friend and a phrase such as "you should read" in Messages or Textlore. Textlore's Recs page also lists every book friends told you to try, with who said it and their words.
What does Recs find?
Books, shows, films, restaurants, places, podcasts, songs, apps and things to buy that friends told you to try, in iMessage and WhatsApp for Mac chats.
Does Recs need Apple Intelligence?
Yes. Apple's on-device model finds recs, so it needs a Mac with Apple Intelligence. Search, export and the archive work on other Macs.
How long does the first scan take?
On a long history it can take hours. It runs in the background while you use Textlore, and this year is ready first.
Can I mark a rec as done?
Yes. Mark as tried ticks it off, and Not a rec removes something that was not a recommendation.
Can I try Textlore before I pay?
Yes. Every feature is free for 14 days, with no account, no email and no card. After that it is a one-time purchase for 2 Macs. See the pricing page.
Everything your friends told you to try, in one list.
Download Textlore and see your own Recs. Free for 14 days.