The best iMessage app for students on a Mac, free first.
For a student on a Mac, Textlore is the best iMessage app for tracking who promised what in a group chat and finding the books and shows friends told you to try, and the free Messages search is enough for a recent file or link.
Short answer
For a student on a Mac, Textlore is the best iMessage app for tracking who promised what in a group chat and finding the books and shows friends told you to try, and the free Messages search is enough for a recent file or link.
TL;DR
- Recs lists every book, show, film, podcast, song and app friends told you to try, with who said it and their words. Mark them as tried.
- Promises lists what you said you would do, such as "I'll do the slides by Thursday", with how late it is.
- Find the PDF or link a classmate sent:
from:Ana has:fileorhas:link. - Cost: $20 until 28 October, then $39$39 once, for 2 Macs, after 14 free days. Try the free options first if money is tight.
4 options for a student
| Option | Best for | Catch |
|---|---|---|
| Messages search | A recent file, link or message. Free. | No date filter. No list of recs or promises. |
| Textlore | Group projects, recs from friends, finding a file by person and type. | Paid after 14 days. Mac only, macOS 26. Recs and Promises need Apple Intelligence. |
| imessage-exporter | Free export of a chat to text or HTML. | Terminal. No search. |
| Messages, File > Print | Saving one short chat as PDF. Free. | No time on every message. |
Group projects: who said they would do what
Every group chat has a message that says "I'll handle that." Promises lists the ones you wrote, with the day you said it and how many days late it is. Open the list before a deadline and you see what you still owe. Textlore only reads, so it never nudges anyone for you.
It reads your Messages and WhatsApp for Mac chats, finds promises with Apple's on-device model on a Mac with Apple Intelligence, and keeps everything on your Mac.
Recs: the reading and watch list your friends wrote for you
Friends text you things to try all semester. Recs collects them: books, shows, films, restaurants, podcasts, songs, apps and things to buy. Click one to see who said it, when, and their exact words. Things more than one friend mentioned sit at the top. Mark as tried when you have read it or been there.
Find the file or link someone sent
Press ⌘F and add a search word. from:Ana has:file finds files Ana sent. has:link recipe finds a link. during:october narrows to a month. Press ⌥Space from any app to search without leaving your essay. The Attachments page also shows every photo and file by person and month.
If the file is a few days old, Messages search is free and fine. Textlore helps when it is months old or you do not remember who sent it.
What to know before you buy
Textlore costs $20 until 28 October, then $39$39 once. Every feature is free for 14 days, so try it on your own chats and decide.
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.
For a one-off chat export with no cost, see how to export an iMessage conversation from a Mac.
Questions
What is the best free way to search iMessages on a Mac?
The search field in Messages. It searches every conversation on your Mac. It has no date filter.
Can I find who promised to do what in a group chat?
Yes. Promises in Textlore lists what you said you would do, with the day and how late it is. For another person's promise, search with from:Name and a phrase such as "I'll do".
Can I keep a list of books friends recommended?
Yes. Recs in Textlore lists every book friends told you to try, with who said it, when and their words, and lets you mark each one as tried.
Does Textlore work on an older Mac?
It needs macOS 26 or later. Recs, Promises and Ask AI also need a Mac with Apple Intelligence.
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.
Know who owes what, and what to watch next.
Download Textlore and try it on your own chats. Free for 14 days.