iMessage Export to PDF for Submission: Steps and Verification
iMessage has no built-in export. This page outlines the routes, how to make a clean PDF in your browser and how to check the result.
Not legal advice. This page is general information. Whether a court admits or relies on a chat is for the court; convokeep does not promise admission or any outcome. Ask a qualified lawyer or a local advice service about your case.
How do I get an iMessage conversation out?
The route is covered in how to export an iMessage conversation: an exporter that reads your Messages data on a Mac, producing text or CSV. Follow that tool's own instructions for permissions, and keep your original data untouched.
How do I make the PDF?
Drop the text file on the app, check the preview, choose the Record layout for dated pages and an integrity page, and save. See iMessage to PDF.
What should I check in the result?
Check names, the date range, time zone and that long messages and attachments appear as you expect. Compare a few messages with the phone. Fix anything by re-exporting, not by editing the file.
How do I verify the files later?
Calculate the SHA-256 again and compare it with the value recorded. On Windows use Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 file.pdf in PowerShell; on a Mac use shasum -a 256 file.pdf in Terminal. Or drop the file on the hash checker.
Will a court accept it?
That is for the court and the rules where you are. This page promises no outcome. A clean, dated PDF is easier to read than screenshots, and the hash shows only that the file is unchanged since export.
Privacy
The file is read and the PDF is built in your browser. No chat or attachment is uploaded and there is no account. Hashing happens locally too. Read the privacy policy and the disclaimer.
Sources (checked 2026-10-29)
- iMessage exporter documentation (open-source imessage-exporter): https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter (repository opened 2026-10-29)
- Sources marked "not opened" were not opened while writing; check the current text yourself.
Related guides
- How to export an iMessage conversation
- iMessage to PDF
- Screenshots vs export
- What a SHA-256 hash proves about a chat
- Preparing chat evidence for your lawyer
Ready to try it?
Drop your exported chat file on the convokeep app for a free preview. The first 3 pages are free (watermarked, no integrity page); saving the full PDF is a one-time paid feature. No chat or attachment is uploaded: the file is read in your browser. To check later that a file is unchanged, use the hash checker.
This document was generated locally in the user's browser; no content was uploaded.