How to backup or download text messages from iphone to computer

DB Browser for SQLite is a technical way to Download text messages from iPhone to Mac, ideal for users who prefer extracting data directly from backup files.

It allows you to read and export iPhone messages from a local backup without dedicated iOS apps, but you need to manually find the database file in the backup folder.

First, create an unencrypted iPhone backup on your computer. Go to the backup directory and find this file:

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This is the renamed sms.db file that stores all messages. Download and open DB Browser for SQLite, load the file, go to Browse Data, select the message table, then export all data to CSV.

Its advantages include being 100% free and open-source, supporting CSV export for Excel, and giving full access to raw message data.

Its drawbacks include being difficult for beginners, requiring manual file searching, and only working with unencrypted backups.

This allows you to Download text messages from iPhone to Mac by directly reading the system database, perfect for advanced users.