How to Save Text Messages from iPhone to Computer

Save iPhone Text Messages as HTML

Follow these steps to export your iPhone text messages to your computer in HTML format:

1. Install and open TouchCopy on your computer.
2. Connect your iPhone and navigate to the "Messages" tab to view your messages.
3. Select the conversations you wish to save by choosing the contact name or number. Your text message conversations can be found under the iMessage/SMS section in TouchCopy.
4. Click "Save as HTML" (PC) or "Copy to Mac" and select a location on your computer (or external drive) for your saved messages.
5. Confirm your selection by clicking "Select folder" or "OK" to start the export process.

Save all iPhone messages at once

To export all your text messages, iMessages, LINE and WhatsApp messages in one go, when your messages are loaded in TouchCopy click on "Save as HTML" or "Copy to Mac" without selecting any of your conversations. TouchCopy lets you choose where on your computer you'd like to save your messages, the default save location is usually your desktop.

Save multiple conversations

You can select multiple conversations by holding Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) while choosing contacts whose conversations you wish to export in TouchCopy. Next, click "Save as HTML" or "Copy to Mac" in the TouchCopy control bar to export the selected conversations to your computer. You can specify the save location for the messages within TouchCopy.

TouchCopy saves the selected conversations as .html files, with each .html file named after the individual contact. You can open these .html files using a browser such as Firefox, Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

Export preferences for media attached to your messages

When saving as HTML, you can choose whether your attached media like images and video are embedded in the HTML file, or are saved as separate files. You can find this option in TouchCopy's Settings and Preferences.

• Embedded media: All attached media is embedded in a single HTML file on your computer. If you don't need individual access to the media, this is the tidiest option.
• Separate media: Even if you save the media as separate files, when opening the HTML file, your media will be shown in the HTML output (as long as the media is still in the same folder as the HTML file). This makes it easy to gain specific access to your photos and videos if you want to edit or copy them elsewhere.

Check out our video on how to save iPhone messages to computer:

Export Text Messages from iPhone as Plain Text

If you just want a bare-bones copy of your text conversations, this option is for you. Saving as Text will produce a plain-text document of your chosen conversation.

Follow these steps to save iPhone messages as Text:

1. View your messages in TouchCopy.
2. Click the "Messages" tab and select the conversation you'd like to save.
3. Press "Save as Text" (PC) or "Copy to TXT" (Mac) and select a location on your PC or Mac for your messages to be saved to.
4. Click "Select folder" or "OK" to copy your selected conversations in text files.

Note: Media like images and videos won’t be included in plain text files. Use the HTML export option for embedded or separate media.

Saving Images, Videos and Audio Messages in your iPhone Conversations

If your conversations contain images, videos and voice recordings, TouchCopy can also copy these to your computer. You'll need to use "Save as HTML" or "Copy to Mac" to save as HTML and the images/videos/audio messages will be embedded in the .html file saved.

Depending on your preferences, TouchCopy can also create an additional folder containing images, videos and audio messages sent as part of your iMessages, MMS, LINE and WhatsApp conversations. The images and videos are copied in the same size, quality and format as they are saved as on your device. Your Audio messages sent as part of your iMessage conversations will be saved as .CAF files, which can be played using Apple's QuickTime player or the VLC media player.

Images (but not video or audio) will also be embedded in your saved document if you choose to save your messages as PDF by clicking on Save as PDF in TouchCopy.

Want to save ONLY images from your iPhone messages?

If you wish to save your photos from your messages, but you don't need to save your text messages, this is also possible with TouchCopy.

To do this, select the conversation with the photos you would like to save. You'll now see 2 tabs at the top of the preview window: "Conversation" (or "Messages, on Mac") and "Images".
Click "Images". Here you can see all the images sent and received in your selected conversation. Hit "Save to PC" or "Copy to Mac" to copy them all, or select the desired ones first.

Want to learn more about audio messages on iPhone?

Check out our full guide on how send audio messages, how prevent your iPhone from automatically removing your recordings, and how to copy your iPhone voice messages to your PC or Mac.