Downloading or exporting chats in iMessages on Mac

Question

Level 1

8 points

Downloading or exporting chats in iMessages on Mac

Ok, I cant believe this is that hard.....

I am trying to save some iMessage chats that have built up over the years - some are quite large

... I know you can print to PDF (or copy and paste) but for long conversations - you need to scroll thru everything before you can do it - and that sometimes takes a lot of time (hundred of pages) and often freezes.....

anyone knows how to do this easily?

(are without spending a huge amount on an app - but I cant find one for that either)

help?

-michael

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.5

Posted on Sep 20, 2021 7:49 AM

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Answer 1

callaway

Level 3

526 points

Sep 21, 2021 7:18 AM in response to mfirst

You can do a File --> Print and save the conversation as a PDF.

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Answer 2

Jeff_W.

Community Specialist

Sep 21, 2021 6:36 AM in response to mfirst

Hello mfirst,

Thank you for posting in Apple Support Communities. We understand that you are wanting an easier way to copy your messages from your Mac. We would love to provide you support on this, however at this time we don't have a recommendation or resource that will help your particular situation.

Messages are encrypted for your safety, and currently there isn't any software we recommend to copy encrypted data from your Mac. If you do find a service that offers this feature we urge you to do your research and be sure it is safe to use.

Thank you for allowing us to support you.

Have an awesome and productive day!

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Answer 3

mfirst Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 21, 2021 7:22 AM in response to callaway

callaway -

yes, but with long conversations - especially those that span years - it can take a very long time (like hours) to scroll thru and load up an entire conversation... especially those that span "hundreds" of pages..... hence the search for a better option

-michael

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Downloading or exporting chats in iMessages on Mac

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