ThreadlodeHow-to guides for text message backups
Practical steps for finding, reading and exporting SMS and iMessage history from backups you already have.
Text messages for courtPrepare SMS, iMessage or MMS conversations as evidence: what a clear export shows, screenshots vs export, keeping the original, steps for iPhone and Android.Where iPhone backups are storedExact locations of iPhone backups made with iTunes, the Apple Devices app or Finder, how to recognise the right backup folder, and how to tell if it is encrypted.Make an unencrypted iPhone backupMake an unencrypted local iPhone backup in Finder, iTunes or Apple Devices, what it leaves out, and Apple's Reset All Settings route for a forgotten password.Back up Android text messagesGoogle's backup restores SMS but can't be opened. Make a readable SMS/MMS and call-log backup with SMS Backup & Restore, and read or export it on a PC or Mac.Search old text messagesPhones make it hard to scroll years back. How to search old SMS and iMessages by keyword or date on the phone, and how to search a whole backup on your computer.Export call log to ExcelTurn an Android call history backup (calls-….xml from SMS Backup & Restore) into an Excel-ready CSV with number, name, date, duration and call type.
Converter pages
Open SMS Backup & Restore XML on a PCSMS backup to PDFText messages to Excel / CSViPhone backup messages on WindowsExport iMessages to PDFExtract photos from a text backupsms.db / chat.db viewerPrint text messages
Read your backup now. Threadlode opens Android SMS Backup & Restore XML files, unencrypted iPhone backups (sms.db) and the Mac Messages folder (chat.db) in your browser, with photos and search, and exports PDF, Excel, CSV or an HTML archive. Nothing is uploaded. Reading and search are free; a $15 one-time license removes the export limit.
Sources and product names: iPhone, iMessage, iTunes and Finder are trademarks of Apple Inc.; Android of Google LLC; SMS Backup & Restore is an app by SyncTech. Threadlode is independent and not affiliated with them.