Where Are My iMessages Stored On My MacBook Air (M1, 2020)?

To access the file in Finder:

1. In Finder, press Command-Shift-G.
2. Paste this path into the path bar: ~/Library/Messages/chat.db

Be sure to include the tilde (~) at the beginning of the path - it tells Finder to first go into your user account and then start looking there. Without the tilde, the path will be incorrect.

To view the database, you’ll need an app that can view SQLite3 databases. If you have good knowledge of Terminal, SQL, and the sqlite3 command-line tool, you can also view it via Terminal.

Do not modify this database - doing so could corrupt your messages.

Hi fire_island,

Your messages appear to be stored in an SQLite3 database at this location, where (~) denotes the path to your home folder: ~/Library/Messages/chat.db