Private iPhone Message Export for Mac

Turn iPhone Backups Into Searchable, Exportable Message Records

MessageHarvest reads local iPhone backups and turns them into searchable conversations, printable PDFs, and structured exports. Everything stays on your Mac.

Get Free Trial See How It Works
Runs locally on your Mac Encrypted backups supported PDF, HTML, XLSX, JSON No cloud upload
Everything stays on your Mac

4 Export Formats

HTML, PDF, XLSX, JSON

100% Offline

No data ever leaves your Mac

Court-Ready

Timestamps, hashes, full metadata

No Subscription

Pay once, own it forever

How It Works

Import a Backup. Review the Conversation. Export the Record.

1
Back Up
Connect your iPhone over USB and back it up straight from inside MessageHarvest — or point the app at an existing Finder or iTunes backup.
In-app backup or Finder / iTunes
2
Import
MessageHarvest imports all iMessage and SMS conversations into a private workspace and cleans up backup files that are not needed for message review.
3
Export
Browse conversations, filter by date, then export as PDF, HTML, XLSX, or JSON with full timestamps and metadata.
Features

Three Things MessageHarvest Does Well

Browse

Every Conversation at a Glance

See all contacts, message counts, and previews from your iPhone backup. Open any conversation to read the full thread with inline images, search across thousands of messages, and filter by date range.

  • ✓ Search instantly across all messages
  • ✓ Filter by date range
  • ✓ View retained images and media inline
  • ✓ iMessage and SMS conversations
MessageHarvest conversation browser with contact list, message preview, and inline photo viewer
Export

Four Formats. Full Control.

Choose PDF for print and court filings, HTML for readable transcripts, XLSX for spreadsheet analysis, or JSON for processing. Configure what to include: media, appendices, date ranges, paper size.

  • ✓ PDF, HTML, XLSX, and JSON
  • ✓ Include or exclude media and appendices
  • ✓ ZIP packaging with optional password
  • ✓ Full export history with one-click re-open
MessageHarvest export panel with format selection, date range, and configuration options
Evidence

Formatted for Legal Proceedings

Every export produces a Conversation Report with sequential numbering, direction badges, full phone numbers, and ISO timestamps. The technical appendix includes SHA-256 file hashes for verification.

  • ✓ Sequential message numbering
  • ✓ INCOMING / OUTGOING direction on every message
  • ✓ Full metadata: device, owner, dates, counts
  • ✓ SHA-256 hashes in technical appendix
MessageHarvest PDF conversation report with numbered messages, direction badges, and metadata table
Privacy

Your Messages Never Leave Your Mac

MessageHarvest is a native macOS app that reads iPhone backups stored on your machine. There is no cloud sync, and no message content is uploaded anywhere. Your data stays on your Mac.

  • 🔒
    No message upload. Message content stays on your Mac. Internet access is only used for license validation, update checks, and checkout in your browser.
  • 💾
    Backups are never modified. MessageHarvest reads your backup files. It does not write to, move, or delete them.
  • 🔐
    Encrypted backup support. Enter your backup password once. MessageHarvest decrypts locally on your Mac.
  • ⚖️
    Free trial before purchase. Confirm the app reads your backup correctly. No credit card required.
🛡️

Built for Trust

MessageHarvest processes sensitive personal data. That is why everything runs locally, nothing is uploaded, and the trial exists so you can verify before you pay.

⚖️ Legal Professionals

Court-ready exports with full metadata, date filtering, and SHA-256 hashes for evidence verification.

👪 Personal Use

Archive conversations before switching phones, save family memories, or keep personal records.

Pricing

Simple, One-Time Pricing

Install for free. Buy device seats to unlock full exports for each iPhone you need. Starting at $19.

Free Trial
Test before you buy
$0
No time limit
  • ✓ Install on any Mac
  • ✓ Browse all conversations (latest 10 messages)
  • ✓ Search across all messages
  • ✓ Limited PDF exports (10 messages)
  • — Full conversation view
  • — Full exports & ZIP packaging
Get Free Trial
No credit card required. Confirm the app works with your backups before purchasing.
Full License
Device Seats
Unlock full exports per iPhone
$19
1 device
$19/device
$29
2 devices
$14.50/device
$59
5 devices
$11.80/device
$99
10 devices
$9.90/device
  • ✓ Unlimited exports per licensed device
  • ✓ PDF, HTML, XLSX, JSON
  • ✓ ZIP packaging with optional password
  • ✓ Add more seats anytime
Trial First, Buy In-App Later
Each seat unlocks one iPhone (source device). Install on as many Macs as you like. Need more seats later? Buy another pack — seats are added to your existing key. No subscription.

Digital delivery by license key after checkout. Refund exceptions are listed in Terms & License.

25+ devices? Contact us for firm and volume licensing.
FAQ

Common Questions

Your message content is not uploaded anywhere. MessageHarvest reads from local backup data and exports to your local machine. Internet access is only used for license validation, update checks, and checkout in your browser.
Yes. MessageHarvest works with both encrypted and unencrypted iTunes/Finder backups. For encrypted backups, you enter the password you set when the backup was created. Decryption happens locally on your Mac.
Yes. The free trial has no time limit. You can browse all conversations (latest 10 messages each), search across all messages, and run limited PDF exports of those visible 10 messages. This lets you confirm the app reads your backup correctly before purchasing. No credit card required.
MessageHarvest exports include sequential message numbering, ISO timestamps with timezone, full phone numbers, message direction, service type labels, and a technical appendix with SHA-256 file hashes. Consult your legal counsel regarding admissibility in your jurisdiction. Guide for legal professionals →
Each device seat is tied to the iPhone (source device) the backup came from. You can install MessageHarvest on as many Macs as you like. Once assigned, a seat cannot be transferred to a different iPhone. Need more devices? Buy another pack and seats are added to your existing key.
MessageHarvest supports iPhone backups from iOS 14 through iOS 26. The app requires an Apple Silicon Mac (M1 or later) running macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. Intel Macs are not supported. A Windows version is coming soon. Full system requirements →
No. iCloud backups are stored on Apple's servers and are not accessible as local files. To use MessageHarvest, either back the iPhone up directly from inside the app over USB, or create a local backup using Finder or iTunes. Step-by-step guide →
Yes. Connect an unlocked, trusted iPhone to your Mac with a USB cable and MessageHarvest will back it up directly from inside the app and import the messages automatically. Files that are not needed for message import are cleaned up after the import finishes, so you are not left with large backup artifacts on disk. You do not need to open Finder or iTunes.
Licenses are purchased directly inside the app. Install the trial build, test it with your backup, then go to the Activate screen. Choose a device-seat pack and checkout opens securely in your browser. There is no separate web store.

Request Trial Access

We are finalising the public launch and production checkout. If you want to test MessageHarvest on your own backup now, request the current Apple Silicon trial build.

Request Apple Silicon Trial
Apple Silicon only · macOS 12 (Monterey) or later · Public checkout coming soon · Windows version coming soon