Chat Archive

Support

Chat Archive is being prepared for release. These instructions describe the current Mac edition.

Import from your Mac

  1. Choose File > Import Messages, then Mac Messages.
  2. Choose Choose Folder. The picker suggests your Mac's Messages folder. Select the folder and approve access.
  3. Select the available archive and choose Import.

macOS privacy protections may prevent access even after you select the folder. Chat Archive cannot bypass them. Use an accessible saved archive or a supported computer backup instead. The app does not require a Terminal command or an administrator password.

Import an iPhone computer backup

  1. Wait for Finder to finish the backup. Follow Apple's guide to locating backups if needed.
  2. In Chat Archive, choose Import Messages > iPhone Backup > Choose Folder.
  3. Select a backup folder, or the folder containing your backups. Choose the device and backup date from the list, then Import.

You do not need to find the database's hashed filename. Chat Archive reads the backup index and imports only its Messages database.

Encrypted backups are not supported. The app never asks for your backup password. Keep your existing security settings; do not turn off backup encryption just for this app. A computer backup may not contain messages already synced with iCloud. See Apple's backup contents guide.

Import a saved archive

Choose Saved Archive and select a complete chat.db or sms.db, or its containing folder. If companion -wal and -shm files exist, keep them together and select the folder. A database copied without its pending records can be incomplete.

Export PDFs

Select one or more conversations and choose Export Selected, or choose Export All. Confirm, then choose a destination. Each conversation becomes a separate PDF in a new folder. Existing exports are not overwritten. The preview shows at most the latest 300 parsed messages; that limit does not apply to exports.

PDFs contain private information. A cloud-synced destination may upload files through your cloud provider. Attachment filenames are included, not the media itself. Sender phone numbers or email addresses may appear instead of contact names because Chat Archive does not access Contacts.

Manage your imported copy

Importing replaces the retained copy only after successful validation. File > Open Sample Conversations uses fictional data without replacing your archive. Return using File > Open Imported Archive. Choose Chat Archive > Erase Imported Archive to remove the retained database. Your original files and exported PDFs are unchanged.

Something is missing or failed

Only messages present in the imported source can be exported. Re-import a newer complete archive if needed. Check free disk space and that your destination is writable. Canceling an export does not publish a partially completed export folder. Unsupported or corrupt databases are rejected; never modify your original database to troubleshoot.

Contact support

Email Sam Towers at samuel.towers@icloud.com. Include the app version, macOS version, import type, and steps that failed. Do not send conversations, database files, complete backups, passwords, or unredacted screenshots. We can work with a fictional example.