At a glance
| Mac | Apple Silicon (M1 or later) |
|---|---|
| macOS | macOS 12 Monterey or later |
| iPhone backups | Supported range: iOS 14–18 and iOS 26. Test your backup in the trial. |
| Backup source | Local Finder, iTunes, or MessageHarvest backup |
| Encrypted backups | Supported with the original backup password |
| Other platforms | Intel Macs and Windows are not supported. There is no iPhone app. |
Creating a backup
Connect an unlocked, trusted iPhone over USB to back it up in MessageHarvest, or create a local backup with Finder. You can also open an existing backup without the phone connected. Allow enough free disk space for the backup, imported data, retained media, and exports; the amount depends on your device.
MessageHarvest’s in-app workflow can remove temporary backup files no longer needed after import. Existing Finder or iTunes source backups are read without being modified. Preserve a separate full backup if you need one for long-term storage.
What is available in the backup?
MessageHarvest does not access iCloud backups, recover a forgotten backup password, or recreate messages missing from the source. It does not read the Mac Messages database.
Permissions and internet access
macOS may require Full Disk Access to read a protected backup folder. If access is denied, check System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and reopen MessageHarvest after changing the permission.
Message processing and exports happen locally. Internet access is used for purchasing, license activation and validation, and update checks. Message content is not uploaded.
Test before purchasing
The trial previews the latest 6 messages per conversation and exports those visible messages to PDF, HTML, XLSX, or JSON without ZIP packaging. Full conversation viewing and exports unlock for the licensed iPhone.
Follow the complete setup guide or get help with an import problem.