Updated November 15, 2026Exporting and printing

How to export text messages from a specific date range

Short answer

The Messages app cannot filter a conversation by date, so on the iPhone you have to scroll back to the day you need and work from there. An export app on a Mac can take a start and end date and write every message in that range, in order, with the range and the message count stated on the cover page.

On the iPhone

Search in Messages finds words, not dates. To reach an old date, scroll up in the conversation; tapping the status bar at the top of the screen scrolls up faster. Then screenshot forward from there, swiping left to show times.

With TextExhibit

  1. Open the conversation and choose a date range.
  2. Check the preview: the first and last messages should be the ones you expect.
  3. Export. The cover page says the range, the time zone and how many messages and attachments it contains.

Mind the time zone at midnight

A range from March 1 to March 19 means midnight to midnight in a particular time zone. A message sent at 11:30 PM in California is already the next day in New York. Pick the time zone first, then the range, and the export states both.

What to keep in mind

  • A date range can make a conversation look cut off. Lawyers sometimes ask for a little before and after the key dates, or the whole thread. See what lawyers ask for.
  • The range can only include what the source has. Messages deleted from the phone before the backup are not there.

Questions

Can I export several ranges into one PDF?

Export each range on its own; each gets its own cover page saying which range it covers, which keeps things clear.

Will page numbers start at 1 for a range?

Yes. Each export is its own document. If you use Bates numbers, start each export where your lawyer tells you.

Does the range include the end date?

Yes. The end date is included through 11:59:59 PM in the time zone you chose.

Export the whole conversation

TextExhibit turns a conversation into one PDF with exact times, names and numbers, photos in place and page numbers, on your Mac. Free to preview; $24.99 once to export.

Download for Mac See a sample page