If a parent’s iPhone was ever backed up to a Windows PC with iTunes or the Apple Devices app, their text conversations may still be in that backup, and you can save them without the phone. BackupPaper opens the backup folder read-only on the PC, lists every conversation, and saves the ones you choose as a PDF or CSV, with nothing uploaded. If the backup is encrypted you need its password, which no tool can recover or bypass; if there is no backup on a computer, Apple’s Legacy Contact or deceased account process is the route to try.
We are sorry for your loss. This guide tries to be practical and gentle: what to check first, what to leave alone, and what is and is not possible.
Save a parent’s conversations from their iPhone backup, without changing the backup.
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What should I do first?
Before anything else, protect what exists:
- Do not erase or restore the iPhone. Apple notes that a passcode-locked device cannot have its passcode removed without erasing it, and erasing removes what is on the phone.
- Do not delete old backups from the family PC. They may be the only copy of the messages.
- Copy the backup folder to an external drive before you open it with any tool. On Windows, backups usually live in %APPDATA%\Apple Computer\MobileSync\Backup or %USERPROFILE%\Apple\MobileSync\Backup. Our post on iPhone backup location on Windows explains how to find them.
- Look for passwords. If the backups were encrypted, the password may be in a password manager, a notebook, or estate papers.
Which route fits your situation?
| What you have | Route | What you can get |
|---|---|---|
| A backup on a Windows PC | Open it with a backup viewer such as BackupPaper | Conversations the backup holds, as PDF or CSV |
| An encrypted backup and its password | Same, typing the password | Same |
| An encrypted backup without the password | No tool can recover or bypass it | Try the Apple routes below |
| A Legacy Contact access key | Apple’s Legacy Contact request | Data that may include photos, messages, notes, files and device backups |
| No key, no backup | Apple’s deceased family member request | Depends on documentation; may need a court order |
What can Apple help with?
Apple publishes two support articles:
- Legacy Contact. In About Legacy Contacts, Apple explains that a Legacy Contact chosen in advance can request access after a death with the access key and a death certificate. The data might include photos, messages, notes, files, device backups and more. It does not include purchased media or data in iCloud Keychain, such as passwords. Setting up a Legacy Contact needs iOS 15.2, iPadOS 15.2 or macOS Monterey 12.1 or later, and the contact must be over 13 (age varies by region).
- Without a Legacy Contact. In Request access to a deceased family member’s Apple Account, Apple says it requires and verifies legal documentation, generally a death certificate and possibly a court order or other documentation, and that requirements vary by country or region.
Both Apple articles checked on 17 October 2026. Apple says that if you were chosen as a Legacy Contact, the access key might be in your own Apple Account settings, printed out, or in your loved one’s estate planning documents.
Will the messages be in the computer backup?
Possibly, but not always. Apple says a computer backup leaves out iMessages and texts that already sync to iCloud. If your parent had Messages in iCloud turned on, the backup may hold few or no conversations, and the Apple routes above become more important. Our post on whether an iPhone backup includes text messages explains how to tell.
Older backups are worth checking too. A backup from two or three years ago may hold conversations from before Messages in iCloud was turned on.
Check what the backup holds with BackupPaper’s 15-day free trial before deciding anything else.
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How do I save the conversations with BackupPaper?
BackupPaper is a Windows app that reads the Messages part of an iPhone backup.
- Install BackupPaper from the Microsoft Store on the PC that holds the backup, or the PC you copied it to.
- Choose the backup folder. If there are several, the folder dates can help you pick the newest, then check older ones afterwards.
- Type the password if the backup is encrypted. It is not saved.
- Browse the conversations. They are listed with message counts and last dates, newest first. Group conversations work the same way.
- Read one. Each message shows its time, sender and text, with reactions, replies and attachment names.
- Export. Save a PDF to read or print, or a CSV that opens in Excel. Repeat for each conversation you want to keep; BackupPaper exports one conversation at a time.
- Keep the files somewhere safe, and consider giving copies to other family members.
The backup is opened read-only and never changed. BackupPaper makes no network connections, so nothing about your family’s messages leaves the PC.
What will this not recover?
Be prepared for gaps:
- Photos and videos are not placed in the PDF. Attachments are listed by name only.
- Deleted messages are not recovered. BackupPaper shows what the backup holds.
- WhatsApp and other apps are not read. BackupPaper reads the Messages app only.
- A forgotten backup password cannot be recovered or bypassed. See open an encrypted iPhone backup on Windows for what Apple suggests.
- Messages only in iCloud are not in the computer backup.
If photos inside the conversation matter most, a tool that places attachments in its PDF may suit you better. If you want the full family archive, the Apple Legacy Contact route may give access to more than messages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get texts off a locked iPhone without the passcode?
Not from the phone itself. Apple says it cannot remove a passcode lock without erasing the device. Check for a computer backup, or use Apple’s Legacy Contact or deceased account process.
Do I need my parent’s Apple Account password to use BackupPaper?
No. BackupPaper reads the backup on the PC. If the backup is encrypted, it needs the backup password, which is separate from the Apple Account password.
Will opening the backup change it?
No. BackupPaper opens it read-only.
Can I print the conversations?
Yes. Export the PDF, which has a header with the device, participants and date range, and every page numbered, then print it.
Is BackupPaper useful for an estate or a legal matter?
It saves a plain record with a SHA-256 hash. It makes no claim about how a court or anyone else will treat the file. Ask the estate’s lawyer what they need.
Try BackupPaper
BackupPaper is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store, with a 15-day free trial. Copy the backup first, open the copy, and see which conversations are there. For more, see read text messages from an iTunes backup or the BackupPaper product page.
Keep the conversations that matter, in a file your family can open.
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iPhone, iMessage, iTunes and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. BackupPaper is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple.
Last updated 17 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.