TheBettyBike
Level 1 (0 points)

Q: iMessage transfer from iPhone to new Mac

Hi,

 

Is there any way to move/transfer iMessages from and iPhone to iMessage on a new mac?


The messages have been backed up in iTunes.

 

I am running Yosemite 10.10.

 

Thanks in Advance!

MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013), OS X Yosemite (10.10.5), iPhone 6

Posted on Mar 18, 2016 9:58 AM

by Ralph Johns (UK),Apple recommended
Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK)
Level 9 (73,203 points)
Applications
A:

Hi,

 

The simple answer is no.

 

The storage of the iMessages are on two different OS types and the files don't match.

 

There are ways to extract the messages from the iTunes back up but this is in text only with no way to get them into Messages on the Mac.

 

 

 

 

3Sigcopy2.png

9:56 pm      Friday; March 18, 2016

 

​  iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad

Posted on Mar 18, 2016 3:23 PM

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TheBettyBike

Q: iMessage transfer from iPhone to new Mac

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),Apple recommended

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 18, 2016 3:23 PM in response to TheBettyBike
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Mar 18, 2016 3:23 PM in response to TheBettyBike

    Hi,

     

    The simple answer is no.

     

    The storage of the iMessages are on two different OS types and the files don't match.

     

    There are ways to extract the messages from the iTunes back up but this is in text only with no way to get them into Messages on the Mac.

     

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    9:56 pm      Friday; March 18, 2016

     

    ​  iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad

  • by mattmacbookprouser,

    mattmacbookprouser mattmacbookprouser Mar 18, 2016 3:06 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (38 points)
    Notebooks
    Mar 18, 2016 3:06 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    acually, you can transfer it. when you get the mac, and go on the messages app, you can put in your apple id, that is connected to your iTunes account. If you don't have an apple id connected to iMessages, bring it to the Apple Store, and they would be happy to help you there.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 18, 2016 3:14 PM in response to mattmacbookprouser
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Mar 18, 2016 3:14 PM in response to mattmacbookprouser

    Hi

     

    The Terms of Use suggest you post answers you have tried.

     

    Yes the files are on the iPhone.

    Yes they can be in iTunes as a Back up.

     

    The issue is then the format and being able to 1) Extract it (they are utilities out there) and 2) getting that into Messages on the Mac.

    The biggest and insurmountable problem is getting them into Messages.

     

    iMessages are deleted from the server once that have reach your device.

    It is best to consider an iPhone one and an Mac one as "Copies" as one device cannot receive the ones aimed at another.

    A new device can only get iMessages from the point in time the Apple ID or iPhone Number is activated or linked to your linked IDs you have in use already.

     

    (i.e. syncing only works from one point in time onwards for that device.  It cannot get any "History")

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:14 pm      Friday; March 18, 2016

     

    ​  iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad

  • by TheBettyBike,

    TheBettyBike TheBettyBike Mar 18, 2016 3:34 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Mar 18, 2016 3:34 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    Thank you for assisting me.

     

    I had tried using Time Machine, but a copy of the message history was not among what I was looking for.

    Also, looking in the Library Archive for the date to replace on Message that I needed, no luck.  The file that I needed was not there.

     

    Originally, my Messages were "updating" when I booted my mac, and I accidentally deleted the very one I needed to keep.  Looking in the Message folder, it has been removed from the hard drive completely. (There are others from that date, just not the ones I needed.) I think this is a little odd, however, since nothing was ever deleted from string of  the conversation, perhaps there wasn't anything to be "saved" ??

     

    The messages are on my phone and in iTunes. I was hoping to be able to transfer the file in its entirety back to the Mac.

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 20, 2016 3:05 PM in response to TheBettyBike
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Mar 20, 2016 3:05 PM in response to TheBettyBike

    Hi,

     

    iMessages are stored in the Chat.db items in ~/Library/Messages

    This ~/Library is the one inside your little House icon (Home Folder and has been hidden fro several versions of the OS now)

    You can make it visible by opening a Finder window then using the Go Menu whilst holding down the ALT key. The Library then appears in the menu list.

     

    Deleting a chat/conversation removes it from the chat.db items as well as the ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.iChat/Data/Library/Messages/Archive folder if you had selected Save Chats.

     

    Using Time Machine mean you have to go to these folders and restore the missing items.

    As this involves the content of the chat.db items newer iMessages would be lost.

     

    If you were not using Save Chats as well then they are likely to be gone.

     

    You could iMessages yourself from the iPhone to the Mac the contents of the missing chat but it would only be the text you sent each time you did this.

    it will not re-create a chat (it will all appear in the receive side).

     

    Or you can get one of these utilities that can open the iTunes Backups of the iPhone and convert the files to text so that you have them on the Mac.

    I have not done this and have not used one  of these utilities so I can't recommend one.

     

     

     

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:05 pm      Sunday; March 20, 2016

     

    ​  iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad

  • by Ralph Johns (UK),

    Ralph Johns (UK) Ralph Johns (UK) Mar 20, 2016 3:25 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)
    Level 9 (73,203 points)
    Applications
    Mar 20, 2016 3:25 PM in response to Ralph Johns (UK)

    4thanx.gif for the 1helpful.png   Points

     

    I see you gave me points before Apple made it a Recommended Answer.

    3Sigcopy2.png

    10:24 pm      Sunday; March 20, 2016

     

    ​  iMac 2.5Ghz i5 2011 (El Capitan)
     G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
     MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
     Mac OS X (10.6.8),
     Couple of iPhones and an iPad