How to export text messages from iPhone to PDF format

Last Updated :  |  Wide Angle Software

Text messaging is more popular now than ever. People now have the choice of using the default messaging app to send SMS, MMS and iMessages, or even popular third-party apps like WhatsApp.

These messages can contain important information, precious memories, and valuable photos. For this reason, saving your messages as PDF can be a really smart decision.

Saving your messages as PDF creates a document which is easy to read and easy to share. This is handy if you find yourself in a situation where you need to backup your messages for safekeeping, or even share some messages via email for evidence in a court case.

Using the TouchCopy software, you can export your SMS, MMS, iMessage and WhatsApp conversations to your computer. It can save them as HTML, PDF or Plain Text. Let's see how to use TouchCopy to export iPhone messages as PDF...

Summary

To export text messages from iPhone to PDF, follow these steps...

1. Download and install TouchCopy.
2. Connect your iPhone to your computer via the USB cable.
3. In TouchCopy, click on the "Messages" tab.
4. Select the message conversations you want to copy and click "Save PDF".

Detailed Steps

Firstly, you will need to open TouchCopy and connect your iPhone. Once TouchCopy has read your device, navigate to the "Messages" tab on the left hand side of TouchCopy. You can then scroll down the messages to see your different messages, grouped by type. TouchCopy supports SMS, MMS, iMessage and WhatsApp.

From there you can then select the message that you wish to copy or print by clicking on the name of the contact with whom the conversation is with.

Once a contact or contacts have been selected, please press the "Save as PDF" button at the top of TouchCopy.

Finally, TouchCopy will ask where you would like to save your PDF file to on your computer. Please locate where you would like to save to, then hit OK to convert text messages to PDF!

Troubleshooting:

If you're having troubles saving a conversation as PDF, listed below are 2 work-around methods for both Windows PC and Mac OSX.

Windows PC users, please follow the following steps (screenshots at bottom of page):

1. Ensure that you have downloaded and installed the latest version of TouchCopy.
2. Open TouchCopy and connect your iPhone using your USB cable
3. Click the "Messages" tab from the list on the left side of TouchCopy
4. Select the messages you wish to copy and "Copy Messages"
5. Then, open your copied message HTML file in your browser (e.g. Google Chrome)
6. When your message is displayed in your browser, go to File > Print
7. In the print window, click the option to "Save as PDF" instead of printing
8. Hit "Save"

Save messages as HTML files:

Convert HTML files to PDF format from your browser. The following example is the Print window from Google Chrome:

Mac OSX users, please follow the following steps:

1. Ensure that you have downloaded and installed the latest version of TouchCopy.
2. Open TouchCopy and connect your iPhone using your USB cable
3. Click the "Messages" tab from the list on the left side of TouchCopy
4. Select the messages you wish to copy
5. Click "Print"
6. In the print window, click the dropdown marked "PDF"
7. Hit Save as PDF

Back to TouchCopy Support