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--- export-iphone-text-messages [2025/04/25 19:16] – created Roman Sheydvasser
+++ export-iphone-text-messages [2026/07/16 16:44] (current) – Roman Sheydvasser
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+===== Exporting iPhone Text Messages =====
 Over time, text messages and their attachments (photos, videos, etc.) can accumulate and take up a significant amount of space on both your iPhone and Mac. If you’ve been using your devices for years, you might notice that these files can easily take up over 50GB of storage.
-This guide walks you through the process of exporting and backing up your text messages, along with their attachments, so you can safely clear up space on your devices.
+This page walks you through the process of exporting and backing up your text messages, along with their attachments, so you can safely clear up space on your devices. It also provides info about other export options.
-==== Steps ====
+===== Install Tools =====
 . **Install [[https://crates.io|Cargo]]:**
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   brew install ffmpeg
-. **Export Messages (by year or by quarter):**
+===== Bulk Export and Backup =====
-Use the following command to export text messages, including attached videos and pictures, from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. The export will be saved in a folder named `2025-jan-mar` in your current directory:
+. **Export Messages (by year or by quarter):**
+Use the following command to export text messages, including attached videos and pictures, from January 1, 2025, to March 31, 2025. The export will be saved in a folder named ''2025-jan-mar'' in your current directory:
   imessage-exporter -c clone -f html -o 2025-jan-mar -s 2025-01-01 -e 2025-03-31
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 For more parameters and options, refer to the [[https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter/blob/develop/imessage-exporter/README.md#how-to-use|official README]].
 . **Set iPhone to Automatically Delete Messages Older Than 1 Year:**
 Go to **Settings > Messages** on your iPhone and enable the option to delete messages and attachments older than 1 year. For guidance, see the official Apple support article: [[https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/delete-messages-and-attachments-iph2c9c4bfcb/ios|Delete messages and attachments]].
 . **Backup Your Text Messages Every 3-6 Months:**
 Regularly export, zip, and back up your messages to keep your devices free from unnecessary data while retaining important memories.
+===== Specific Person or Number =====
+You can use specific flags with imessage-exporter to isolate a single person and export only the text. Alternatively, you can use https://github.com/rsheyd/imessage-tui to browse your imessage conversations and export messages via a terminal app.
+. **Target One Specific Person**
+You can use the conversation filter flag (''-t'' or ''--conversation-filter'') followed by the person's phone number, email address, or contact name.
+. **Export Just the Text**
+Instead of exporting to HTML (which formats everything nicely and links attachments), you can switch the format flag (''-f'') to ''txt''. By default, if you don't use the ''-c clone'' flag, it won't copy over all the heavy media attachments.
+. **The Command**
+Combine these options into a single terminal command:
+  imessage-exporter -f txt -t "Contact Name or Phone Number" -o "MySingleExport"
+> **Tip:** If you use a phone number, include the country code (e.g., ''+15558675309''). If you use a name, put it in quotes just like the example above.