When you export an iPhone conversation from a backup, the messages, their senders and times are the core, but a modern conversation also carries Tapback reactions, inline replies that quote an earlier message, and on iMessage, edits and unsends. BackupPaper, a Windows app from Automata Labs, reads a conversation from an iPhone backup on your PC and shows each message with its time, sender, text, reactions, replies and attachment names, then writes it as a PDF or as a CSV with one row for each message and each reaction. What it cannot show is anything the backup does not hold, which is why it helps to understand how Apple handles edits and unsends before you rely on an export.
This guide explains each of these features, what it means for an exported record, and how to read reactions and replies in a CSV.
Export one conversation from an iPhone backup with its reactions and replies, on your PC.
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What are Tapbacks, inline replies, edits and unsends?
Apple’s iPhone User Guide describes each one:
| Feature | What it is | Requirements Apple lists |
|---|---|---|
| Tapback | A reaction to a specific message, such as a thumbs-up or a heart, added by touching and holding the message | See Apple’s guide for your iOS version |
| Inline reply | A reply to a specific message that quotes it, keeping a busy conversation organised; in a group, everyone sees it | See Apple’s guide for your iOS version |
| Edit | Change a sent message up to five times within 15 minutes; the message is marked Edited and both sides can see previous versions | iMessage on iOS 16 or later |
| Unsend | Undo a message up to 2 minutes after sending; a note appears in both transcripts and the message is removed from the recipient’s device | iMessage on iOS 16 or later |
Sources: Apple’s Send and reply to messages and Unsend or edit messages pages.
Apple adds three limits that matter for records:
- “You can’t edit or unsend SMS, MMS, or RCS text messages.” Green-bubble messages are what was sent.
- If you edit a message to someone on an earlier operating system, “they receive follow-up messages with the preface ‘Edited to’ and your new message in quotation marks.” On their phone, the edit is a separate message.
- If you unsend to someone on an earlier system, the original stays in their conversation.
Why do reactions and replies matter in an exported conversation?
Because they change what a message means. “Yes” alone is ambiguous; “Yes” as an inline reply to “Can you pick up the kids Friday?” is not. A thumbs-up on “The invoice is $4,200” is often the only sign that someone saw and agreed with it. An export that keeps the words but drops the reactions and reply links loses part of the record.
That is why it is worth checking any export method for three things:
- Are reactions shown, and on which message?
- Is it clear which message a reply responds to?
- Are attachments at least named, so you know a photo or file was sent at that point?
What can an export from a backup show?
An export can only show what the backup holds at the time it was made. That has practical effects:
| Situation | What the backup is likely to hold |
|---|---|
| Message edited, recipient on iOS 16 or later | The conversation as it stood when the backup was made; check during the trial how your backup shows edited messages |
| Message edited, recipient on an older system | On the recipient’s phone, the original plus a separate “Edited to” follow-up message |
| Message unsent within 2 minutes | Apple says unsending removes it from the recipient’s device and leaves a note in both transcripts |
| SMS, MMS or RCS message | As sent; these cannot be edited or unsent |
| Message deleted by the user | Not shown; BackupPaper shows the messages the backup holds and does not recover deleted messages |
| Messages in iCloud turned on | Apple says a computer backup leaves out messages that already sync to iCloud, so the backup may hold few or no conversations |
The last row surprises many people. Our guide on whether an iPhone backup includes text messages explains it in full.
How does BackupPaper show reactions and replies?
BackupPaper opens a backup made by iTunes or Apple Devices on your PC, including encrypted backups when you type the password, and lists every conversation. Pick one and read it on screen: each message with its time, sender, text, reactions, replies and attachment names. Then export it.
| Export | What you get |
|---|---|
| US Letter pages with a header naming the device, participants, service and date range, and page numbers; reactions, replies and attachment names alongside the messages | |
| CSV | UTF-8, with one row for each message and each reaction, and both UTC and local times |
Attachments are listed by name; photos and videos are not placed in the PDF. Each export is one conversation, written to a new file you name, and BackupPaper shows the SHA-256 of the file so you can check it later with the Windows certutil command. Our guide to verifying a SHA-256 hash with certutil shows how.
Read a conversation with its reactions and replies, then save it as a PDF or CSV.
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How do you read reactions in the CSV?
Because the CSV has a row for each reaction as well as each message, a conversation with many Tapbacks has more rows than messages. That is useful in Excel:
- Count reactions per person. Filter to reaction rows and pivot by sender.
- Find what was acknowledged. Filter to reaction rows to list every reaction in the conversation with who sent it and when, then read the matching messages in the PDF.
- Keep times straight across time zones. Use the UTC column when participants were in different zones or the conversation crossed a daylight-saving change, and the local column for a readable timeline.
Open the file in Excel with Data > From Text/CSV so UTF-8 text, including emoji, stays intact. Our guide to exporting iPhone text messages to Excel covers the import step.
What should you check before relying on an export?
- Look for edited messages you know about. If the conversation had edits that matter, find them in the on-screen view during the trial and confirm how they appear.
- Compare with the phone if you still have it. Spot-check a few reactions and replies against the Messages app.
- Check the date range in the PDF header. It shows the first and last message in the backup, which tells you whether the backup holds the period you need.
- Know the service. The header names it. Apple says SMS, MMS and RCS messages cannot be edited or unsent, so there are no edits to look for in those.
- Keep the backup. The export is a copy; the backup is the source. Our guide to deleting old iPhone backups while keeping messages explains what to keep.
BackupPaper makes no claim about how a court or anyone else will treat an export, and it is not legal advice. For court-specific preparation, see our guide to exporting iPhone texts to PDF for court.
Frequently asked questions
Do Tapbacks show up when you export iPhone messages?
In BackupPaper, yes: reactions are shown with the messages on screen and in the PDF, and the CSV has a row for each reaction. Other tools vary, so check any export method for reactions before relying on it.
Can I see which message someone replied to?
BackupPaper shows replies with the conversation. Apple’s inline reply quotes the message being answered, which keeps the link clear in the record.
Does an export show the original text of an edited message?
That depends on what the backup holds. Apple says both sides on iOS 16 or later can tap Edited on the phone to see earlier versions. Check during the free trial how your backup shows edited messages before relying on it.
Can I get back a message someone unsent?
Apple says unsending removes the message from the recipient’s device. BackupPaper shows the messages the backup holds and does not recover deleted or unsent messages.
Does BackupPaper upload my messages?
No. It opens the backup read-only, makes no network connections and has no account or iCloud sign-in. The iPhone does not need to be connected.
Try BackupPaper
BackupPaper is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with every feature free for 15 days. Open your backup, pick a conversation with reactions and replies, and see how it reads before you buy. More detail is on the BackupPaper product page.
See what your backup holds during the 15-day free trial.
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iPhone, iMessage and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc. Excel is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies. BackupPaper is not affiliated with Apple. This article is not legal advice.
Last updated 19 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.