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Preparing text messages for court or a lawyer

Courts, tribunals and lawyers usually want text messages that are complete, readable and traceable to the phone. This guide covers the practical side; it isn't legal advice – rules on evidence differ by country and court, so ask your lawyer or the court what format they accept.

Updated 2026-10-26 · 6 min read

What a good export shows

  • The other party's phone number (not only the contact name you saved).
  • Date and time of every message, and who sent it.
  • The whole conversation for the relevant period, not selected bubbles.
  • Photos and attachments that are part of it.
  • Page numbers on a printout.

Screenshots vs an export

Screenshots are quick but show no timestamps on every message, are easy to crop, and become dozens of images for a long thread. An export from a backup lists every message with its date, time, direction and number. Many lawyers ask for both: a few screenshots from the phone plus a full export.

Keep the original

  • Don't delete the conversation from the phone.
  • Keep the backup files (iPhone backup folder, Android XML) unchanged and make a copy. Threadlode only reads backups – it never modifies them.
  • Note when and how the backup was made.
  • For disputed cases, a forensic examiner can extract and certify the data; ask your lawyer whether that's needed.

Steps: iPhone

  1. Make an unencrypted local backup with Finder (Mac) or iTunes/Apple Devices (Windows) – see where it's stored.
  2. Open the backup folder in Threadlode, pick the conversation.
  3. Export PDF (print), and Excel/CSV for a sortable list with one row per message.

Steps: Android

  1. Back up with SMS Backup & Restore (see how) and copy the .xml to your computer.
  2. Open it in Threadlode – MMS photos and group messages are included.
  3. Export PDF and/or Excel/CSV.

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.

Open Threadlode – free

Questions and answers

Can deleted messages be recovered for court?

Threadlode can't recover messages deleted before the backup. A forensic service may be able to; ask your lawyer.

Will the PDF show phone numbers?

Yes, conversations are labelled with names from the backup's contacts where available and the phone numbers/handles of the participants.

Sources and product names: General e-discovery practice; Apple and SMS Backup & Restore documentation. Not legal advice. 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.