PhoneScrollHow to print text messages from iPhone to PDF (with date and time)
There's no "Print" button in the iPhone Messages app. Yet printing a conversation is often necessary: a file for your lawyer, an insurance claim, or simply keeping a record. Here are three ways to do it, from the simplest to the most complete.
1. Screenshots (free, but limited)
Open the conversation, take a screenshot (side button + volume up), scroll, repeat. You can then combine the images into a PDF from the Photos app: select them, tap Share, then Print, and spread two fingers on the preview to get a PDF.
Limitations: it quickly gets tedious for a long conversation, the time doesn't appear under each message (only in blocks), and nothing stops you from missing a section.
2. The Messages app on Mac (free if you have a Mac)
If Messages in iCloud is turned on, the conversation also shows up in the Messages app on your Mac. Open it, scroll back to the start of the period you want, then choose File › Print › PDF › Save as PDF.
Limitations: the printout doesn't show the time of each message, you have to load the whole history by scrolling manually, and it only covers text messages and iMessages (not WhatsApp).
3. A full export with PhoneScroll
PhoneScroll copies your iPhone to your Mac, then reads the messages database directly. Here's how:
- Connect the iPhone with a USB cable, unlock it and tap "Trust".
- Start the backup (free).
- Open the backup: your conversations look just like they do on the iPhone.
- Pick the conversation, narrow it down with search or a date range if needed, then click PDF.
The PDF lists every message in order, with the date, time, direction (sent or received) and contact. It works for text messages, iMessages and WhatsApp, and you can export to CSV for a spreadsheet.
| Method | Time of each message | Long conversations | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screenshots | No | Tedious | Yes | Free |
| Messages on Mac | No | Tedious | No | Free |
| PhoneScroll | Yes | One click | Yes | 29 € (export) |
Which method should you choose?
For two or three messages, a screenshot is enough. For an entire conversation, especially when dates matter (a dispute, an insurance claim, printing text messages for court), a full export avoids gaps and arguments about the order of the messages.
Backing up and reading are free in PhoneScroll: you can check that your conversation is there before upgrading to Pro for the export.
Read next: Using text messages as evidence in court: how to export them properly and How to save iPhone text messages to your computer (PC or Mac): 3 ways.