Need to Back Up or Export a Messages Conversation? Try iMazing or export to PDF for free on Mac

Occasionally, I hear from a client who needs to document a Messages conversation with timestamps, perhaps as part of a lawsuit. Or for making sure you have a safe copy of a cherished memory. The only way to do that on an iPhone or iPad is to take a series of screenshots, but if the conversation is in the Messages app on your Mac, there are additional options. The easiest approach is to select the conversation, scroll to the beginning of where you want the conversation to save, choose the File menu > Print, then instead of sending it to the printer with the Print button, click the PDF button on the print confirmation screen (by the way, this works with any app on the Mac that can print!). If you need a different format, try the iMazing app for Mac or Windows, which can export all or selected messages from an iPhone backup in PDF, Excel, CSV, and text. It can also export attachments. The trial version lets you extract up to 25 individual messages, and it’s only $39.99 if you have more significant iPhone exporting needs.

iMazing can export a conversation from a backup on your Mac

Go to where you would print a conversation and instead of clicking the big "Print" button to send it to your printer, click the PDF button to open it in Preview (or click the down arrow next to the PDF button for more options)

(Featured image by iStock.com/Morakot Kawinchan)