Message Mammoth
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Guides · Updated November 2026
By Nicolas Zawadzki, who makes Message Mammoth, one of the apps compared here.
Best apps to export iPhone text messages for court
This is a comparison written by a vendor, so the criteria are listed and the free options are included. Details come from each vendor's website in November 2026.
Short answer. The right app depends on your computer and on who will read the export. For a few messages, screenshots are enough. On a Mac, Message Mammoth combines texts, WhatsApp and call records in one numbered PDF. On Windows, ChatExport has a court-focused layout. If your lawyer needs RSMF for a review platform, look at Text2Store, ChatExport or iMazing.
This guide isn't legal advice. Courts set their own rules for evidence; your lawyer or the court clerk can tell you what format they want.
What was compared
A record for a lawyer or a court needs more than a file. These are the points compared here:
- Source: whether the app reads the messages themselves rather than images of a screen.
- Timestamps: a date and time on every message, with the time zone.
- Identity: who sent each message, with a name and number.
- Citation: a number on each message or page, so a reader can point to an exact line.
- Disclosure: a statement of what was included and which filters were applied.
- Integrity: a hash or similar record for checking whether a file has changed since export.
- Practical fit: which computers it runs on, what it costs, and how it is licensed.
"Not stated" means the vendor's website does not mention the feature. The app may still have it.
Comparison
| App | Runs on | Reads | Price | Evidence features stated | RSMF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Message Mammoth | Mac | This Mac's Messages, or an iPhone over a cable. Texts, WhatsApp and calls in one timeline | $29.99 once. Free preview and trial exports of 20 messages in total | Message numbers, UTC offset on every message, cover page with filters and counts, SHA-256 hashes, page stamps, declaration template | No |
| Decipher TextMessage | Mac, Windows | This Mac's Messages, or an iPhone backup. WhatsApp is in a separate app, Decipher Chat ($19.99) | $29.99 once | Date, time and contact details on every message. Message numbering and hashes not stated | Not stated |
| iMazing | Mac, Windows | An iPhone. Messages and WhatsApp are exported separately | Subscription only, since June 2025 | Date, time with time zone and contact details on every message, page numbers, device details in the footer, PDF signing on a Business subscription | Yes, on a Business subscription |
| Text2Store | Mac with Apple silicon, Windows | An iPhone backup. WhatsApp sits in its own tab beside your texts | $29.99 once, for every device you own | Tamper-evident verified export. Message numbering and a cover page not stated | Yes |
| ChatExport | Windows | An iPhone backup, or a WhatsApp export file | $34.99 once. Trial limited to 50 messages per conversation, with a watermark | Numbered messages in Court View, integrity page, SHA-256 hashes, optional Bates numbering | Yes |
| TextPort | iPhone | iMessage. WhatsApp through a chat export file | Free to download. A subscription is required to export: $4.99 to $9.99 a week or $59.99 a year on the App Store | Paginated, timestamped PDF. Numbering and hashes not stated | Not stated |
| Print from Messages | Mac | What Messages has loaded on screen | Free | None | No |
| Screenshots | iPhone | What is on screen | Free | None | No |
Which app fits your situation
- A few messages: screenshots. See how to print text messages for court.
- You have a Mac and a long or contested conversation: Message Mammoth, Decipher TextMessage, iMazing or Text2Store (on Apple silicon).
- The record spans texts, WhatsApp and calls: Message Mammoth, which puts them in one timeline. No other app's website describes texts and WhatsApp in one timeline; ChatExport places calls between messages in one-to-one chats.
- You have only a Windows PC: ChatExport, Decipher TextMessage, iMazing or Text2Store.
- You have no computer: TextPort runs on the iPhone. You can also borrow a Mac from a friend or family member.
- Your lawyer uses an eDiscovery platform: ask whether they need RSMF, then look at Text2Store, ChatExport or iMazing.
Notes on each app
Message Mammoth. A Mac app that reads your Mac or your iPhone. Every message gets a number and a full timestamp with its UTC offset, and the cover page lists every filter applied and how many messages were included or excluded. You can read every message before you buy. It runs on Mac only and has no RSMF export. It is also the newest app here, so it has fewer customer reviews.
Decipher TextMessage. A long-established exporter for Mac and Windows, with hundreds of published reviews. Its website states the date, time and contact on every message. It exports to PDF, HTML, CSV and text. WhatsApp requires Decipher Chat, a separate purchase.
iMazing. A full iPhone manager that also exports messages, with PDF, Excel, CSV and RSMF options. It has a detailed legal export guide. Its exports show the date, time with time zone and contact details on every message. PDF signing requires a Business subscription. It has been sold only by subscription since June 2025.
Text2Store. Keeps dated archives of iPhone backups on your computer and exports to PDF, CSV, text and RSMF. One license covers every device you own. Its website lists macOS on Apple silicon and Windows.
ChatExport. A Windows exporter with court-focused features. It has Court View, Bates numbering and RSMF. There is no Mac version.
TextPort. The option for people without a computer. It exports PDF, CSV and text from the iPhone, and imports WhatsApp through a chat export file. A subscription is required to export.
What no app can do
- No app decides what a court accepts. Each court and judge makes that decision.
- An export shows what is on the device when it is made, not what was there earlier.
- An app can't replace the original phone. Keep the phone and the conversation.
Whichever app you choose, ask your lawyer what format they want before you export.
It's free to preview every message and to try exports of up to 20 messages in total, calls and group events included. Unlimited exports are $29.99 once.
Decipher TextMessage, Decipher Chat, iMazing, Text2Store, ChatExport and TextPort belong to their respective owners. Message Mammoth is not affiliated with them. Check each vendor's website for current details.