Blacked out images on iMessage

Question

Level 1

13 points

Blacked out images on iMessage

There was some discussion about images that are blacked out after downloading a message or messages from the iMessage application. It appears to be that the images are still there, but the "blackout" has been applied over the top. Someone suggested that it was because the lawyers (hardly a fan) at Apple had forced the engineering team/s to do this as it is somehow connected with privacy. ie:once out in the downloaded format it is not longer "safe". Just so much BS for any number of different reasons - for another posting. The question was how you get rid of them. Suggestions were made about possible solutions that seemed not to work. James Brickley suggested that Affinity Photo and Designer could both do the job.

But HOW do you do that?? I am not a sophisticated user and layers and all of that is a mystery to me - however I have a 300 page pdf document that has many images on it and I have to download it for records, and then delete all of the messages for various reasons. I tried to contact James but there is no contact information contained in these posts...

What are the basic instructions that get me going on either of these applications?

Is there anyone who can take the time to briefly outline this or to (if allowed) provide some contact information so I can figure this out? Thank you for any help.

Posted on Feb 9, 2023 9:58 AM

Reply

Answer 1

BDAqua

Level 10

251,263 points

Feb 10, 2023 6:45 AM in response to chrisfrompv

First Right click on the PDF & choose duplicate to make a copy of it, then open the PDF in Graphic Converter, easily done by dragging the PDF's icon & dropping it on Graphic Converter,'s icon.

Reply

Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

251,263 points

Feb 9, 2023 10:48 AM in response to chrisfrompv

I'd try the Swiss ArmyKnife of Graphic Apps, has served me well for over 2 decades...

GraphicConverter has a powerful Browse Folder function, & many tools for manipulation, & you can keep your Pics wherever you want...

https://www.lemkesoft.de/en/products/graphicconverter/

http://www.lemkesoft.com/

Reply

Answer 3

chrisfrompv Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 10, 2023 6:02 AM in response to BDAqua

Hello, thanks for the tip. I've stumbled around and figured out how to download this software (sorry, I'm really an unsophisticated user), but I don't understand WHAT to do. How (using what steps) do I apply this software to removing the black overlay? I'm afraid of messing up the downloaded pdf file somehow by experimenting on it. I think it has something to do with "layers", but I can't find instructions as I don't know the correct words to use. Could you point me to a source or briefly describe my next steps...? :(

Thank you

Reply

Answer 4

chrisfrompv Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 10, 2023 1:31 PM in response to BDAqua

So here is an answer I received from a Senior Apple Advisor when I called to raise the issue:

”I got the similar response. Apple has stopped to show photos or videos because it violates Apple’s privacy”.

I took his name off to protect him as he had other comments. I don’t think he means that it “violated Apple’s privacy”. I think he means “privacy policy”. I suppose it didn’t occur to Apples frigging lawyers that people are going to creatively work around that and come up with their own solution anyway. So if you take an image out of Photo’s and put it on who knows what site, that is different than downloading your images on Messages to a pdf…? The Chinese don’t have to send balloons up, the lawyers will take care of the technology race.

Reply

Answer 5

chrisfrompv Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 13, 2023 6:55 PM in response to chrisfrompv

Hello all, I have downloaded the Graphics Converter, and exchanged emails with Thorsten at Lemke. He is the developer of the program. He told me that his software will NOT work on the Apple messages black-out problem. I sent to him some actual anda test downloaded iMessages at his request. He said that they are "raster" images and his program will not work on those - something like Adobe Illustrator would. That can only be rented for about $40 month which seemed pretty outrageous to me given that goes on for however long you want the software for.

Does anyone have evidence to refute what he is saying? From what I read in some of the reponses it appears that some of you have found it does work... How??

Thanks for any light in this Apple darkness.

Reply

Answer 6

chrisfrompv Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 13, 2023 7:16 PM in response to BDAqua

I'm an uneducated user in this world. Has anyone actually been able to remove these black images, or am I just whistling in the dark here? If this is something that Apple has done and it is not solvable, then I'm un-happily giving up.

Reply

Answer 7

chrisfrompv Author

Level 1

13 points

Feb 13, 2023 9:33 PM in response to BDAqua

Hi BDAqua, I just upgraded to 16.2 from 16.1. I understand there is a 16.3 just released today (Feb 13).

The issue is how to download iMessages in a form they can be captured for example, for record keeping. Apple allows a user to save messages from a computer in a pdf format (maybe others, I’m not sure). You cannot save from an iPhone or iPad that I could find, unless to take screenshots of each page.

The problem is when you save in this pdf format, any images you have included in a message have a black layer of some kind over them. You can see the edge of images underneath in some cases. From this posting and others I understood you could remove those “layers” with a software tool like Graphics Converter (not true according to the software developer you have to have a different kind of application). So you can find these “ blacked out” images in the pdf output. One of the Advisors told me it was a privacy issue and the legal people required the images to be redacted by placing the “layer” over them. Best I can explain it…

Reply