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 / 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.

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 include photos, stickers, videos, or voice recordings, TouchCopy can copy these to your computer as well.

To do this, select "Messages" in TouchCopy, open the conversation containing the media you wish to export, and click either "Save as HTML" or "Copy to Mac" . The exported .html file will embed the attached media files (images, videos, and audio messages) for easy access.

You can also configure TouchCopy to export images, videos, and audio messages from iMessage, MMS, LINE, and WhatsApp conversations to a folder on your computer. Media files are exported in their original size, quality, and format as stored on your device. If you'd prefer saving images as JPG instead of Apple's default HEIC format, TouchCopy for PC allows you to convert HEIC images to JPG in Photo Settings.

Audio messages from iMessage conversations are saved as .CAF files, compatible with Apple's QuickTime player and VLC media player for playback. For more details, check our blog article to learn how to send audio messages, prevent your iPhone from automatically deleting your recordings, and transfer voice messages from your iPhone to your PC or Mac.

Exporting Only Images from Your iPhone Messages

If you'd like to save just the images from your iPhone messages without saving the entire text conversation, TouchCopy makes this easy.

1. Open TouchCopy and select the conversation containing the photos or stickers that you wish to save.
2. At the top of the preview window, you'll see two tabs: "Conversation" (or "Messages" on Mac) and "Images".
3. Click the "Images" tab to view all the images sent and received in the selected conversation.
4. To save the images:
   • Click "Save to PC" (on Windows) or "Copy to Mac" (on Mac) without any images selected to export all photos and stickers from a selected conversation.
   • Alternatively, select specific images first, then hit the save button.

Video guide: How to Save iPhone Messages to Computer: