To export iPhone text messages to PDF on a Windows PC, back up the iPhone to the PC, open the backup in an app that reads Messages, and export the conversation. BackupPaper does this read-only and offline: one whole conversation as a PDF with dates, times, senders, page numbers, and a SHA-256 hash. Your lawyer or the court decides what they accept, and this is not legal advice.
The request often comes in plain words: send the texts. A lawyer, mediator, landlord, insurer, or HR department usually means the whole conversation, not a handful of screenshots. If you are on Windows, the iPhone backup on your PC is where that conversation can come from.
Save one whole conversation as a PDF from the iPhone backup on your PC.
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What is the short answer?
- Make (or find) an iPhone backup on your PC with iTunes or the Apple Devices app.
- Open the backup in BackupPaper. Type the password if the backup is encrypted.
- Pick the conversation and choose Export PDF.
- Note the SHA-256 shown after the export, and keep the PDF unchanged.
Before you start, check one thing: Apple says a backup made on a computer leaves out iMessages and texts that already sync to iCloud. If Messages in iCloud is on, the backup may hold few or no conversations.
What are people usually asked for?
Requests vary, so ask whoever wants the messages what they need. Common asks are:
- The complete conversation, not selected messages.
- The date and time of each message.
- Who sent each message.
- A file that can be checked later, so nobody can claim it was edited.
BackupPaper’s PDF covers the first three on every page, and the SHA-256 lets anyone confirm the file has not changed since it was written. It makes no claim about how a court, insurer, or anyone else will treat the file.
Which Windows tools export iPhone texts to PDF?
Facts about other tools come from their own sites, checked on 17 October 2026.
| Tool | Price model | Reads from | Platform | Exports | Notable extras |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BackupPaper | One-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, 15-day free trial with every feature | iPhone backup on the PC, including encrypted ones | Windows 10 version 2004 or later, Windows 11 | PDF on US Letter, or UTF-8 CSV, one conversation at a time | Read-only, offline, SHA-256 of each export |
| Decipher TextMessage | $29.99 USD, free trial | iPhone backup on the computer | Windows and Mac | PDF and print, with attachments | Recovers deleted messages |
| TouchCopy | Lifetime, 12-month, or 6-month licenses, no auto-renew | The connected iPhone, over USB or Wi-Fi | Windows 11 and 10, Mac | PDF, HTML, CSV, text | SMS, RCS, WhatsApp, and iMessage |
| iMazing | Subscription licenses by device slot | The connected iPhone; also lists a Backup Extractor | Mac and PC | PDF, text, Excel, CSV; RSMF with an iMazing Business subscription | Trial with restricted features |
Sources: Decipher TextMessage, TouchCopy, iMazing licensing policy, iMazing guide to exporting messages.
Where the other tools are the better pick
- Decipher TextMessage places attachments in the PDF and recovers deleted messages. BackupPaper lists attachments by name only and does not recover deleted messages. If photos in the thread matter, Decipher is the better fit. It also runs on Mac.
- TouchCopy reads WhatsApp as well as Messages, and works from the connected phone. BackupPaper reads the Messages app only.
- iMazing also exports RSMF, a format for e-discovery and legal review, with an iMazing Business subscription. BackupPaper does not write RSMF. Its Personal license is now a subscription by device slot; iMazing deprecated its perpetual device license in June 2025.
Where BackupPaper fits
BackupPaper saves one conversation from an iPhone backup on your PC as a PDF or CSV file. It reads backups made by iTunes or Apple Devices, including encrypted ones, makes no network connections, and never changes the backup. Four things matter for record keeping:
- Read-only. It opens the backup read-only and refuses to save an export inside the backup folder.
- A header that describes the export. The PDF records the device, participants, date range, and when BackupPaper wrote the file, with page numbers on every page.
- A fingerprint of the file. It shows the SHA-256 of each export, which anyone can check later with certutil.
- Nothing uploaded. No account, no analytics, no crash reporting, and the iPhone does not need to be connected.
Its regular US list price in the Microsoft Store is $29.99, the same as Decipher TextMessage’s listed price, and the listing shows the current price in your currency.
Open your backup in the free trial and see which conversations it holds.
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How do I export a conversation with BackupPaper?
- Make a backup. Connect the iPhone to the PC and back it up in iTunes or Apple Devices. An encrypted backup is fine; remember the password.
- Open BackupPaper and choose the backup folder. iTunes from Apple’s website stores backups in
%APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup. Apple Devices and iTunes from the Microsoft Store use%USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup. See where iPhone backups are stored on Windows. - Type the password if the backup is encrypted. BackupPaper cannot recover or bypass a forgotten password.
- Pick the conversation from the list.
- Export PDF, and name the new file. Choose Export CSV instead if you want a spreadsheet.
- Write down the SHA-256 BackupPaper shows, or keep a screenshot of it with the file.
To check the file later, open a Command Prompt and run certutil -hashfile "conversation.pdf" SHA256. If the result matches, the file has not changed since BackupPaper wrote it.
What are the limits?
- Messages in iCloud. If it is on, the computer backup may not include the conversations. See does an iPhone backup include text messages.
- Messages app only. iMessage and SMS, not WhatsApp or other chat apps. For WhatsApp, see our WhatsApp chat export for court page.
- Attachments by name. Photos and videos are listed with their file name, type, and size, not placed in the PDF.
- One conversation per export.
- No deleted-message recovery. It shows what the backup holds.
- Scripts. Arabic and Indic scripts print in the PDF as separate letters; the CSV keeps the text exactly.
Frequently asked questions
How do I export iPhone text messages to PDF on a Windows PC?
Back up the iPhone to the PC with iTunes or Apple Devices, open the backup in BackupPaper, pick the conversation, and choose Export PDF. The PDF lists every message with its time and sender.
Can I use the PDF in court?
BackupPaper makes no claim about how a court or anyone else will treat the file. The PDF records the device, participants, date range, and export time, and the SHA-256 lets anyone check the file later. Ask your lawyer what they need. This is not legal advice.
Do I need the iPhone connected?
No. BackupPaper reads the backup already on your PC.
Does it work with encrypted backups?
Yes, with the password you set. It cannot recover or bypass a forgotten one. See how to open an encrypted iPhone backup on Windows.
Can I print the messages instead?
Yes. Print the PDF from any PDF reader.
Does BackupPaper upload my messages?
No. It makes no network connections and has no account.
Try BackupPaper
BackupPaper is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, and the Store runs a 15-day free trial with every feature, no watermark, and no message limit. Open your backup, find the conversation, export it, and check the hash. More steps are in saving iPhone text messages as a PDF on Windows, or go to the BackupPaper product page.
Try it on your own backup during the 15-day free trial.
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Apple, iPhone, iMessage, iTunes, and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. BackupPaper is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. Nothing here is legal advice.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.