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Android iPhone

TextExhibit for iPhone backups

Export iPhone text messages to court-ready PDFs and Excel

TextExhibit reads Finder backups on macOS and Apple Devices backups on Windows.Select conversations and generate searchable, printable exports locally on your computer.

Download for Windows Code Signed · SSL.com Certificate

Download for Mac Apple Notarized · Code Signed

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Install TextExhibit on your computer

Email the Windows and Mac download links to yourself or a colleague to install on a computer.

Version 2.3.3 · Release Notes

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View iPhone example PDF See pricing

Windows 10/11 and macOS 10.15+
100% Local Processing: Messages never leave your computer

Second page of a fictional iPhone text-message PDF export with timestamps, an image attachment, and Bates number

View example generated PDF
Searchable PDF · page DOC-000002

A local three-step workflow

From iPhone backup to organized exhibits

Create or receive the backup
Use Finder on macOS, Apple Devices on Windows, or receive a smaller .textexhibit package created with TextExhibit Extractor.
Select and review
Pick conversations and date ranges, confirm full legal or contact names, and include or omit media.
Export
Create PDF and Excel files with Bates numbering, verification reports, extracted media, and an optional ZIP.

Customer experience

What customers say about TextExhibit

Wow. Just wow. The computer version and the android version work seamlessly. This is the only app that did exactly what I needed without the hoops. Its basic in it appearance, but does the job! Customer service is out of this world too! I asked for help and got a response in less than 15 minutes!!!!!! That is unheard of!!!!!! I will be sending this app to my team of attorneys, and family court team. Thanks again! Highly recommend!

— Amanda S.

I don't generally write reviews but I'm proud to be the first to sing the praises of TextExhibit. It actually did exactly the thing it said it would do: exported my entire chat history between me and the person of interest in easily readable and searchable PDFs from the beginning of time until today. With time stamps and footnotes about which IMEI exported the data. And all the photos. And all the videos. Extremely professional product, polished, and easily worth the full version.

— Greg Magnusson, DVM

Don't waste your time on any other text extraction program for discovery. This one is fast, smooth, easy to use, and at $15 will save you way more than that on lawyer fees just because it will do Bates numbering for you. A+++.

— Jan O.

I can't recommend TextExhibit enough. I've been looking for a way to print/publish early texts with my spouse as an anniversary gift for ages, but everything else simply does backup and presents it all as pure text. This app has a smooth, easy to use interface that offers tons of options, and most importantly allows it all to be displayed as text messages would be on your phone. If I could give it 6 stars I would.

— Clark

Compare iPhone message export tools

Built for legal matters, without per-device professional pricing

Compare evidence verification, court-ready formatting, client intake, and current U.S. pricing.

Swipe horizontally to compare all products

Comparison of TextExhibit, Decipher TextMessage, and iMazing for iPhone message exports used in legal matters.
Legal-matter capability	TextExhibit Best legal value	Decipher TextMessage	iMazing
Integrity verification	Yes SHA-256 and MD5 report covering the source and every exported PDF/XLSX, with sizes, timestamp and time zone, filename mappings, Bates ranges, and verification commands.	No No source/output hash report found.	Partial SHA-256 backup checksum and Business PDF signing; no separate source-and-output report.
Bates numbering	Yes Continuous numbering across PDFs with a custom prefix and starting number.	No No Bates feature found; configurable starting page number only.	No No Bates feature found; page numbers only.
Device-provenance footer	Yes Device name, serial number, export time, and messages-database modified date on every page.	No No comparable footer found.	Yes Device name and serial number, export date, and database modified date.
Localized legal output	Yes Localized PDF and report labels and dates, Arabic/Hebrew RTL and bidi handling, plus Cyrillic/CJK fonts.	Partial Regional date formatting and Hindi font support; no full RTL/localized-report feature found.	No No localized export/report behavior found.
Message metadata	Yes Contact and number; available sent, delivered, read, edit, Undo Send, and recently deleted events with timestamps; retained revision or deleted-message content when present; optional timezone offsets; service, attachment, link, and added/removed Tapback details.	Yes Contact and number, timestamps/viewed time, groups, and edited/unsent notices.	Yes Contact details, status, attachments, and sent/received/edited/deleted/read timestamps.
Selective client intake	Yes Free Extractor packages only selected conversations and attachments for later attorney export.	Partial Messages-only backup, but no selected-conversation handoff package.	Partial Client extraction through paid Business device slots; no equivalent source package.
Formats and media	Yes Searchable PDF, native XLSX, inline images, extracted image/video/audio/files, relative links, and optional ZIP.	Yes PDF, CSV, HTML, TXT, and attachment export.	Yes PDF, Excel, CSV, TXT, attachments, and Business RSMF.
Local backup processing	Yes Encrypted or unencrypted Finder/Apple Devices backups; data remains local.	Yes Encrypted backups and local processing.	Yes Backup access and local processing.
Personal pricing	$19.99 once: One personal iPhone, perpetual license, and unlimited exports. May change devices every six months.	$29.99 Two device activations.	$29.99/year: One device, personal use only; an inactive slot releases after nine months.
Professional pricing	$14.99/month or $99.99/year: Unlimited client devices, backups, and exports during the active term.	$29.99 per two lifetime device activations: More devices require additional purchases.	$89/year: Two concurrent Business device slots; inactive devices release after 90 days.

See TextExhibit pricing

Personal versus business use: iMazing’s $89.99/year Family plan supports up to 20 devices but is explicitly for personal use, so it is not the relevant plan for attorneys or organizations.

Prices in USD as displayed on August 3, 2026; promotions, taxes, and regional pricing may vary. No means “No publicly documented capability found as of the review date.” It does not mean the competitor was technically audited.

Official sources: Decipher product and licensing Decipher court-export features Decipher release notes iMazing export guide iMazing forensic features iMazing licensing policy iMazing store

Competitor names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. TextExhibit is not affiliated with Decipher Tools or DigiDNA/iMazing. Features and pricing may change. Export format alone does not guarantee admissibility in any court or proceeding.

Choose by how you work

One personal phone or an ongoing caseload

I’m exporting my own iPhone

Personal iPhone

$19.99 one time

One personal iPhone
Perpetual license
Bates numbering and hash verification reports
Local processing
Unrestricted PDF and Excel exports

Choose Personal iPhone

I handle client phones or ongoing cases

Professional subscriptions

$14.99 / month

Unlimited phones and exports for an active monthly subscription.

Choose Monthly

$99.99 / year

Unlimited phones and exports for an active annual subscription.

Choose Annual

Desktop workflow overview

See how TextExhibit turns messages into reviewable files

Desktop workflow overview. This video briefly shows Android support; iPhone exports use the Windows or Mac application with a Finder or Apple Devices backup.

Common questions

iPhone and desktop FAQ

Why isn’t there an iPhone app?

Unfortunately, Apple does not allow any app on the App Store to access text messages (SMS/iMessage) stored on an iPhone. This is a system-level restriction that applies to all developers, not just us, which means an iOS version of TextExhibit is not possible. TextExhibit therefore runs on Windows or Mac and reads a local iPhone backup.

How do I create a backup with Finder?

Connect the iPhone to a Mac, select it in Finder, choose to back up the iPhone to this Mac, and click Back Up Now. TextExhibit can then scan for or open that local backup.

How do I create a backup with Apple Devices for Windows?

Connect the iPhone to a Windows PC, open Apple Devices, select the phone, choose to back up its data to the PC, and click Back Up Now.

Does TextExhibit support encrypted backups?

Yes. TextExhibit supports encrypted and unencrypted local backups. You will need the backup password to open an encrypted backup.

Does my data get uploaded?

No. Backup reading, conversation review, and export processing happen locally on your Windows or Mac computer.

Can my client send only selected conversations?

Yes. TextExhibit Extractor can create a smaller .textexhibit package containing only the conversations the client selects.

Does the Personal iPhone plan include Bates numbering and verification?

Yes. The Personal iPhone license includes Bates numbering, SHA-256 and MD5 verification reports, local processing, and unrestricted PDF and Excel exports.

What is the difference between Personal, Monthly, and Annual licensing?

Personal iPhone is a one-time license for one personal iPhone. Monthly and Annual subscriptions support unlimited phones and exports during the subscription term and are intended for professionals with client phones or ongoing cases.