iMessage to PDF
iMessage to PDF: the whole conversation, without screenshots
Upload the Messages folder from your Mac, or the message file from an unencrypted iPhone backup, and get one PDF of a conversation: every iMessage and text numbered with its date and time, photos where they were sent, audio messages written out, reactions and replies marked. The first messages are free, with no sign-up. The whole conversation costs $5: one payment, no subscription.
- Reads chat.db, the database the Messages app keeps on a Mac, and sms.db from an unencrypted iPhone backup
- iMessage and SMS with the same person merged into one timeline, in date order
- Photos (HEIC included) shown where they were sent, when the attachments are in the upload
- Audio messages transcribed word for word, with an optional translation into English or 38 other languages
- Tapbacks, replies, edited and unsent messages marked, so nothing is silently dropped
- SHA-256 fingerprint of the uploaded file on the first page · PDF, TXT and CSV downloads
- One flat $5 per conversation, up to 10,000 messages · chats of up to 150 messages free in full, first messages of longer ones free
What you get back
One PDF of one conversation, laid out to be read, printed or handed to a lawyer. A cover page names the contact or group, the period it covers, how many messages, photos and audio messages it holds, and the file it was made from. Then come the messages, in order, grouped by day.
- Each message with its number, sender, date and time. Messages from the owner of the Mac or iPhone are marked "Me"; other people appear by phone number or email address, the way the database stores them.
- Photos shown at the point they were sent, with the text that came with them. Attachments that are not in the upload are listed by file name.
- Audio messages written out word for word in a box, with their length and detected language.
- Tapbacks (heart, thumbs up, question mark and the rest) shown under the message they react to; replies point to the number of the message they answer.
- Edited messages marked with the time of the edit, unsent messages shown as "unsent", and messages that failed to deliver labelled as such.
- The same messages as plain text (TXT) and as a spreadsheet (CSV), one row per message.
Other ways to save an iMessage thread
For a short exchange, screenshots or File, Print on a Mac are fine. For months of messages, each of the usual options falls short somewhere.
| What you need | Screenshots, Print or a chatbot | This tool |
|---|---|---|
| Twenty messages for a quick record | Screenshots work well | Works too, but you do not need it |
| A thread of 5,000 messages | Hours of scrolling; Print on a Mac only covers what is loaded on screen | Reads the whole database and keeps every message in order, up to 10,000 per conversation |
| Audio messages | Cannot be printed at all | Transcribed word for word, with an optional translation |
| Reactions, replies and edits | Lost or hard to follow in screenshots | Marked on the message they belong to, with message numbers |
| Opening the Messages database | A chatbot cannot open chat.db or an iPhone backup | Reads the database directly, including the newer macOS format where the text is stored in a binary field |
| Proof of which file it came from | None | SHA-256 fingerprint of the uploaded file on the cover |
How to turn an iMessage conversation into a PDF
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1
Get the Messages database
On a Mac where Messages shows the conversation: in Finder choose Go, Go to Folder, type ~/Library/Messages, then right-click the Messages folder and choose Compress. From an iPhone: make an unencrypted backup in Finder (or the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows), open the backup folder, go into the folder named 3d and copy the file 3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28 to your desktop, renamed to sms.db.
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2
Upload it and check the first messages free
Drop the .zip or the .db file here. Type the phone number, email address or group name under "Which conversation", or leave it empty for the longest one. The first part appears in a few seconds with its photos and audio messages.
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3
Unlock the whole conversation and download
Unlock it for $5 and download the PDF, the text file or the spreadsheet.
Why an iMessage thread is hard to print
Messages has no "export conversation" button. On an iPhone the only built-in way is screenshots. On a Mac, File, Print prints what is loaded on screen, so a long thread means scrolling back for a long time first, and audio messages cannot be printed at all. Everything is there, though: the Mac keeps every message in one database file, chat.db, and an iPhone backup keeps the same database as sms.db.
This tool reads that database directly. It joins iMessage and SMS with the same person into one conversation, decodes the text of newer messages, which macOS stores in a binary field instead of plain text, links photos and audio messages from the attachments folder, and lays out the conversation you choose. Message 5,000 gets the same treatment as message 5.
What people use it for
- Custody, divorce or separation, where a lawyer asks for the whole conversation instead of screenshots
- Landlord, employer or contractor disputes that were settled over iMessage
- Harassment or threats, with the dates and the number or address they came from
- Keeping the messages and voice recordings of someone who has died
- A readable archive before you change phones or delete old conversations
Mac or iPhone: which upload to use
A zipped Messages folder from a Mac gives the most complete result: the database, the most recent messages that are still in the file chat.db-wal next to it, and the Attachments folder with photos and audio messages. If the folder is larger than 2 GB, zip only chat.db and chat.db-wal; the attachments are then listed by name. Messages in iCloud must have finished downloading on the Mac for older messages to be in the database.
From an iPhone, the backup must be unencrypted: an encrypted backup cannot be read, and the tool says so. The single sms.db file holds every message but not the attachments, which are listed by name. If the whole backup folder is under 2 GB, you can zip and upload all of it instead; photos and audio messages are then found and included. Contact names are not stored in the message database, so people appear by number or email address.
Accuracy, evidence and what this is not
The text of each message is copied from the database as stored. Audio messages are transcribed by an AI speech model, word for word in the language spoken; unclear words are marked [inaudible]. Translations are machine translations. For anything that matters, check the passage against the original recording.
The PDF is a readable record of the database, not a forensic extraction of the device, and it does not show messages that were deleted before the file was copied. Times are stored as exact moments and shown in the time zone of the browser you upload from, named on the cover. The SHA-256 fingerprint on the cover lets anyone confirm which file the PDF was made from; keep that file unchanged. NoCutoff does not give legal advice.
By language and situation
What it costs
Small chats, first messages
Free
A conversation of up to 150 messages, with up to 5 minutes of audio messages, is free in full, downloads included. No account. The first part of the conversation, with its photos and audio messages, to check the result.
Whole conversation
$5
One payment for one conversation, up to 10,000 messages. PDF, TXT and CSV. No subscription, never expires.
Unlimited
$19 / week
Every tool on the site, conversations up to 30,000 messages, and every other conversation in the same database as its own job.
Questions and answers
How do I export a whole iMessage conversation to PDF?
On a Mac, compress the folder ~/Library/Messages and upload the .zip here; from an iPhone, upload sms.db from an unencrypted backup. Pick the conversation by phone number, email address or group name, check the first messages free, then unlock the whole conversation for $5 and download the PDF.
Do I need a Mac?
No. On Windows, back up the iPhone with the Apple Devices app or iTunes with encryption turned off, then upload sms.db from the backup folder. A Mac gives the most complete result because its Messages folder also holds the photos and audio messages.
Where is sms.db in an iPhone backup?
Inside the backup folder, in the subfolder named 3d, as a file called 3d0d7e5fb2ce288813306e4d4636395e047a3d28 with no extension. Copy it, rename the copy to sms.db and upload that. On a Mac backups are in ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup; on Windows in the Apple or MobileSync folder of your user profile.
My backup is encrypted. What do I do?
An encrypted backup cannot be read. In Finder, or the Apple Devices app or iTunes on Windows, untick "Encrypt local backup" (it asks for the backup password), make a new backup and upload sms.db from that one.
Are photos and audio messages included?
Yes, when they are in the upload. A zipped Mac Messages folder contains the Attachments folder, so photos, including HEIC, are shown in place and audio messages are transcribed. With sms.db or chat.db alone, attachments are listed by file name.
Why are contacts shown as phone numbers?
The Messages database stores phone numbers and email addresses, not the names in your Contacts. The PDF shows exactly what the database holds; the cover lists the numbers in the conversation.
Does it include iMessage and green-bubble SMS?
Yes. When a conversation with the same person switched between iMessage and SMS, both are merged into one timeline in date order.
Are deleted messages included?
No. The PDF contains what is in the database when it was copied. Messages unsent with Undo Send are shown as "unsent" when the database still records them.
Is the PDF accepted as evidence?
That is for the court or your lawyer to decide. The PDF is a readable record with exact senders, dates and times and a SHA-256 fingerprint of the uploaded file, but it is not a forensic report or a certified transcript. Ask your lawyer what they need.
Is my data private?
Only you can open your job. The file you upload is deleted as soon as it has been read. Audio messages and text are sent to an AI model provider only to transcribe and translate them, through routes that do not use your data for training. Jobs uploaded without an account are deleted after 7 days, and you can delete a job at any time.
How much does it cost?
The first messages are free without an account. One whole conversation is $5, paid once, for up to 10,000 messages, with PDF, TXT and CSV downloads. Unlimited costs $19 a week (it renews weekly, cancel any time) and covers every tool on the site. Small jobs are the exception: a conversation of up to 150 messages, with up to 5 minutes of audio messages, is free in full, downloads included.
Updated October 23, 2026 · APPFACT STUDIO LTD