How to save SMS and iMessages from iOS to a PC or MAC

Oh, the irony! The subject is "How can I save my iPhone text messages and iMessages without using a computer or iCloud". But the solution is to decipher the backup files stored ON A COMPUTER!

This appears to be a come-on to get you to go to the website, and is not a real answer. Can you say forum spam?

I tried the free trial version of PhoneView and I agree that it's pretty useful and much better than the similar iPhone mangers out there like Wondershare Tunesgo (I don't remember the exact name) but still I didn't purchase the full version because I just wanted to save my text messages.

Hi Lawrence, you're right, that questions says "without using a computer or iCloud", but some answers are relevant to this Apple discussion "How to save SMS and iMessages from iOS to a PC or MAC." Nope! I'm not here for any promotion. You don't have to pay anything to download and use that SQlite browser.

mavis_s90 wrote:

I tried the free trial version of PhoneView and I agree that it's pretty useful and much better than the similar iPhone mangers out there like Wondershare Tunesgo (I don't remember the exact name) but still I didn't purchase the full version because I just wanted to save my text messages.

If you save them more than a couple of times, it's probably worth it. I archive my messages regularly so, being able to do it quickly and without fuss is invaluable. Especially when I end up with a very nicely formatted PDF that requires no tweaking.

I hope everyone who sees this is smart enough not to click on the disguised links, that will might infect your computer. Anyone who has something real to say doesn't hide who they are.