Export text messages from iPhone to PDF for court: what the PDF should show

By Caner Kaya, Kayabyte · Last updated 16 October 2026

Getting your texts into a PDF is the first half of the job. The second half is making sure the PDF is something a judge, a lawyer or the other side can read, refer to and trust. This guide is a checklist for that second half, and it works whichever tool you use.

It’s not legal advice. Courts have different rules about what they accept and how it must be filed. Check your court’s rules, or ask a lawyer or the court’s self-help service.

If you haven’t exported anything yet, start with How to print text messages from iPhone for court.

1. Every message has a date and time

The most common problem with texts in court is missing times. On the iPhone, Messages shows the date only at the start of a block of messages, and the time only when you swipe left. In a printout, every message should have its own date and time, so nobody has to guess.

Also check the time zone. If you or the other person travelled, or if the messages cross a clock change, a note of the time zone avoids confusion.

2. Every message shows who sent it, with a number

A contact name is what you typed into your phone. The court needs to know which phone number or email address the message came from. A good export shows both, for example “Jordan Smith (+1 555 0100)”. If your export only shows names, add a separate page listing each name with its number, and keep a screenshot of the contact card on your phone.

3. It’s complete, or the gaps are clear

The other side can usually ask to see the rest of a conversation if you show only part of it. That’s why many lawyers prefer either:

• The whole conversation for the relevant dates, or
• Selected messages with context: a few messages before and after each key one, with a clear marker where messages were left out.

Don’t quietly leave messages out. If you skip a part, make it obvious on the page.

4. Pages are numbered

“Page 12 of 40” on every page lets everyone in the hearing find the same message quickly. In bigger cases, lawyers often add Bates numbers: a unique code on every page, such as “SMITH-000012”, that stays the same even when documents are combined. Your court or lawyer may tell you which to use.

5. Photos and attachments are included

If a photo, screenshot or voice note matters, it should appear in the PDF next to the message it came with. Audio and video can’t play in a printed PDF, so keep the original files in a folder alongside it, and list them in the PDF by name.

6. It shows it hasn’t been changed

Anyone can edit a screenshot, so it helps to show that your export is a faithful copy.

• Don’t edit the PDF after exporting. No highlighting, cropping or retyping.
• Keep the originals. Keep the conversation on your phone and keep your iPhone backup.
• Fingerprints help. A SHA-256 fingerprint (a “hash”) is a long code calculated from a file. If even one pixel of a photo changes, the code changes. A list of fingerprints for your attachments lets anyone check later that the files are the same ones you exported.
• Explain how you made it. A short note saying which device, backup and software you used, and when, makes it easier for you or a witness to explain it if asked.

7. It’s labelled as an exhibit

Courts often ask for each document to be marked as an exhibit, with a number or a letter. A cover page that says what the exhibit is (for example “Exhibit 4: text messages between Alex Brown and Jordan Smith, 1 March 2025 to 30 June 2025, 312 messages”) saves time for everyone. Ask your lawyer or check your court’s guidance for the labelling style.

8. Private details are handled carefully

Messages often contain other people’s phone numbers, addresses, a child’s school, or bank details. Some courts require certain personal details to be hidden in filed documents. If you redact:

• Redact before you export, using a tool that removes the text, not one that just draws a black box on top (which can sometimes be removed).
• Keep an unredacted copy safe in case the court asks for it.

9. The file works for e-filing

If you’re filing online, check your court’s rules. Many require a text-searchable PDF, and some set file size limits or prefer the PDF/A archival format. Large exports with many photos may need to be split into parts.

10. You’ve read every page

Before you send it, read it from start to end. You know the conversation best. Check the first and last messages are the ones you expected, the dates look right, and nothing private slipped through.

Doing this without special software

You can meet most of this list by hand: screenshots with times visible, a page listing names and numbers, page numbers added in Pages or Word, and the original photos saved in a folder. It takes time, but it’s free. Mac users can also try printing from the Messages app on a Mac.

Where Exhibitly helps

Exhibitly is a Mac app we make that does this checklist for you. From an iPhone backup made in Finder (encrypted ones too) or the Messages on your Mac, it creates:

• A PDF with date, time and sender on every message, with phone number or email, page numbers and photos inline.
• A folder of original attachments with SHA-256 fingerprints, and an Excel file of every message.
• Excerpts with context and redaction, chosen in the app before export.
• With the Evidence Bundle edition: an exhibit cover page, Bates numbers with your prefix, and iPhone and Mac messages merged into one conversation. Personal exports one device at a time.

It all runs on your Mac and nothing is uploaded. Try the free preview (50 messages per export, watermark on the PDF) to see the result before buying. For the bigger picture of organising your case, see Custody evidence binder: what to include.