Have you ever needed a tangible record of your text conversations from your iPhone? Whether it’s to solidify agreements, resolve misunderstandings, or simply keep important exchanges on file, having a printed copy of your text messages can be incredibly useful.
While iPhones don’t offer a direct “print” option within the Messages app, there are still effective ways to get your text conversations onto paper. This guide will walk you through several methods to print text messages from your iPhone, catering to different needs and technical preferences. Whether you need to print just a few messages or entire conversations, we’ve got you covered.
For Android users looking for similar guidance, we also have dedicated Android tips available in another article.
1. Screenshotting Your Text Messages: The Quick and Simple Approach
The most straightforward method to print a small number of text messages is by taking screenshots. This method is ideal for short conversations or when you only need a visual representation of specific messages. Here’s how to do it:
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Open the Messages App: Navigate to the Messages app on your iPhone and select the conversation you wish to print.
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Capture the Screenshot: The screenshot process varies slightly depending on your iPhone model:
- iPhones with Face ID: Simultaneously press the side button (lock button) and the volume up button.
- iPhones with Home Button: Simultaneously press the home button and the side button (lock button).
Screenshot method on iPhone using lock button and volume button
Alt Text: Screenshotting iPhone text messages by pressing the lock button and volume up button simultaneously, as indicated by red circles on the buttons.
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Access Screenshots in Photos: Go to the Photos app, then tap the Albums tab, and select the Screenshots album.
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Select and Share Screenshots: Tap Select and choose all the screenshots you want to print by tapping on them (a blue checkmark will appear). In the bottom left corner, tap the share button (the square with an upward arrow).
Sharing selected screenshots from iPhone Photos app
Alt Text: Sharing iPhone screenshots for printing by tapping the share button in the bottom left corner of the Photos app, highlighted with a red circle.
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Choose Print Option: From the share sheet, select Print.
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Printer Settings and Print: Ensure your wireless printer is nearby and connected to your iPhone. Adjust printer settings as needed and tap Print in the upper right corner. Your screenshots of text messages will now be printed.
Printing screenshots of text messages from iPhone after selecting print option
Alt Text: Final step of printing text messages from iPhone screenshots, showing the print button in the top right corner after adjusting printer settings.
While screenshotting is quick for a few messages, it becomes less practical for lengthy conversations due to the number of screenshots required. For printing extensive text message history, consider the following methods.
2. Converting iMessage to PDF on Mac for Printing
If you use a Mac, you can leverage the iMessage app to save and print entire text conversations more efficiently. This method is suitable for longer conversations, although it may be less reliable for extremely long threads due to potential application limitations.
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Open iMessages on Mac: Launch the iMessages app on your macOS computer.
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Select the Conversation: Choose the text conversation you want to print by clicking on it in the Messages app sidebar.
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Scroll to Load Messages: Scroll back within the conversation to load all the messages you need to print. For very long conversations, it’s advisable to scroll in smaller chunks to avoid potential freezing or crashing of the application.
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Access Print Menu: Click File in the top menu bar, then select Print from the dropdown menu.
Accessing print option from File menu in iMessage app on Mac
Alt Text: Selecting the print option from the File menu in the iMessage application on a Mac computer, highlighted with a red box around the ‘Print’ option.
- Save as PDF: In the Print dialog box, look for a dropdown menu (often labeled “PDF” or the printer name). Click this dropdown and choose Save as PDF.
Saving iMessage conversation as PDF from the print dialog box on Mac
Alt Text: Choosing ‘Save as PDF’ from the dropdown menu in the Mac print dialog box, with the dropdown menu expanded to show file type options.
- Name and Save PDF: A save dialog box will appear. Choose a file name, select a location to save the PDF, and optionally add Title, Author, and Subject information. Click Save.
Saving PDF file with conversation texts and images on Mac
Alt Text: Saving the iMessage conversation as a PDF file, showing fields for ‘Save As’, ‘Where’, ‘Title’, ‘Author’, and ‘Subject’ in the save dialog box on a Mac.
- Print the PDF: Locate the saved PDF file on your Mac and open it. You can now print the PDF document containing your text messages like any other document.
This method allows you to save entire conversations as a single document before printing, making it more organized than printing multiple screenshots. However, the scrolling limitation for very long conversations should be considered.
3. Sending Text Conversations to Another Phone for Printing
In situations where you don’t have immediate printer access but need to print your messages later, or if you want to share specific parts of a conversation for printing elsewhere, sending the messages to another phone is a viable option. This is particularly useful for sharing excerpts rather than entire long threads.
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Open iMessage Conversation: Launch the iMessage app on your iPhone and open the conversation you wish to export.
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Select Messages to Share: Tap and hold on a message bubble within the conversation. When the menu appears, tap More….
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Choose Messages: Manually select all the messages you want to include by tapping the circles to the left of the message bubbles. Selected messages will be indicated with a checkmark.
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Share Option: Tap the Share option located at the bottom right of the screen.
Sharing selected text messages from iPhone by tapping the share option
Alt Text: Sharing selected iPhone text messages by tapping the share option, highlighted at the bottom right of the screen with a red circle, after selecting messages with checkmarks.
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Enter Recipient: In the “To” field, enter the phone number of the phone you want to send the conversation to. This could be your own phone or another device with printing capabilities.
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Send Messages: Tap the up arrow in the green circle to send the selected messages as a new text message thread to the recipient number.
Once sent to the other phone, you can utilize that device’s capabilities to print the received messages. This method is effective for selective printing and sharing, but the messages will be sent as a new conversation thread, potentially losing some of the original context.
4. Utilizing Third-Party Apps: iMazing for Comprehensive Printing and Export
For users needing to print entire message threads, including very long conversations, or require more control over the export and printing process, third-party applications like iMazing offer robust solutions. iMazing allows you to export your messages as PDF files, which can then be printed from your computer. This is the most efficient method for archiving and printing extensive text message histories in a readable format.
- Download and Install iMazing: Download the iMazing app from the official website and install it on your computer. Launch the application after installation.
Download iMazing app for printing iPhone text messages
Alt Text: Downloading the iMazing application, a third-party tool for printing iPhone text messages, with a download button and the iMazing logo displayed.
- Connect iPhone to Computer: Connect your iPhone to your computer using a USB cable.
Connecting iPhone to computer for printing text messages using iMazing
Alt Text: Connecting an iPhone to a computer using a USB cable to facilitate printing text messages via the iMazing application.
- Trust Device: Unlock your iPhone. When prompted with “Trust This Computer?”, tap Trust Device on your iPhone screen.
Trusting the computer connection on iPhone for iMazing access
Alt Text: Trusting the computer connection on iPhone by tapping ‘Trust Device’ on the iPhone screen when prompted, allowing iMazing to access data.
- Access Messages in iMazing: In the iMazing sidebar, select your device, and then click Messages to access your text messages.
Accessing iPhone messages in iMazing application sidebar
Alt Text: Navigating to ‘Messages’ in the iMazing application sidebar after selecting the connected iPhone device, as highlighted in the sidebar menu.
- Select Conversation and Date Range: Choose the conversation you want to print by clicking on it. In the top right corner, specify the date range of messages you want to include by selecting “from” and “to” dates.
Selecting conversation and date range for printing in iMazing
Alt Text: Selecting a specific conversation and defining the date range for export and printing within the iMazing application interface.
- Print Option in iMazing: Click the Print button, typically located in the bottom right corner of the iMazing window.
Print button in iMazing for printing selected text messages
Alt Text: Locating and clicking the ‘Print’ button in the iMazing application interface to initiate the printing process for selected iPhone text messages.
- Adjust Print Settings and Print: Adjust the printer settings as desired, ensure your printer is connected to your computer, and click Print again in the print dialog box to start printing.
Final print confirmation screen in iMazing with print button
Alt Text: Confirming print settings and clicking the ‘Print’ button again in the final print dialog box of iMazing to proceed with printing iPhone text messages.
Alternatively, to save a digital copy, you can choose Export to PDF instead of Print in iMazing. Follow the prompts to name and save the PDF file to your computer.
Key Takeaways
Printing text messages from your iPhone, while not a direct feature, is achievable through various methods. For quick prints of a few messages, screenshots are convenient. Mac users can leverage the iMessage app to create printable PDFs. Sending messages to another phone offers flexibility for sharing and printing elsewhere. However, for comprehensive archiving and printing of entire conversations, third-party apps like iMazing provide the most robust and efficient solutions. Choose the method that best suits your needs and the volume of messages you need to print.
