The TextTimeline Importer copies your text messages off your phone into one
file you keep, with every date, time, and sender intact. The export runs on
your own device. Nothing uploads unless you decide to upload it afterward.
Most people should not download from this page. Go to
https://texttimeline.com/download, which picks the right build for your
device and walks you through it.
On an iPhone, read this first
Apple does not let any app read your messages on the phone itself, ours
included. So the export happens once on a Mac or a Windows PC, with your
iPhone plugged in by cable. You cannot do this step on the phone.
After the export is done, everything else works from your phone again.
Files
| File | Platform | Size |
|---|---|---|
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_aarch64.dmg |
Apple Silicon Mac only (M1 or later), macOS 12 or newer | 47 MB |
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_x64-setup.exe |
Windows 10 or newer | 74 MB |
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_x64_en-US.msi |
Windows, for managed installs | 75 MB |
The Mac build runs on Apple Silicon only. If your Mac has an Intel
processor, this will not open, and macOS cannot translate in that direction.
To check: Apple menu, then About This Mac. If it says Intel, use the Windows
app on any Windows PC instead, or write to evan@texttimeline.com and we will
tell you when an Intel build exists.
On Windows the .exe is what almost everyone wants; the .msi exists for
deploying across managed machines. Windows also needs Apple Devices, free
from the Microsoft Store, because that is what reads the iPhone backup.
Windows may warn you on first open. Here is why, and what to do.
Both installers are code signed as EVANPARRA.AI LLC.
macOS opens with no warning. This build is notarized by Apple and the
ticket is stapled to the file, so Gatekeeper accepts it whether or not you are
online.
Windows SmartScreen may say "Windows protected your PC". That is
reputation, which a brand new signing certificate has to earn over time, and no
signature skips it. It does not mean anything is wrong with the download. You
can confirm the publisher in the file's Properties under Digital Signatures.
Choose More info, then Run anyway.
Verify what you downloaded
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_aarch64.dmg
9b45157651d35fc6c1fb1840396031636aed139d804cfbe94fb9f40392d6f286
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_x64-setup.exe
e84e315f111a492bb2eadebe7405a32c9c34401797937722e8541e53cf782fe4
TextTimeline-Importer_0.1.7_x64_en-US.msi
a95d09ad2ecb21615e408e60a829aef3732e85ceab56cfc679c8f6c4682f6fd3
The same values are published on https://texttimeline.com/download. If your
file does not match both places, do not run it, and email
evan@texttimeline.com.
Signing details, if you want to check them yourself:
- macOS: Developer ID Application, EVANPARRA.AI LLC (Team 785N7MRA2Z),
hardened runtime enabled, notarized by Apple with the ticket stapled, and the
bundled sidecar is signed too.spctlreportssource=Notarized Developer ID. - Windows: Authenticode,
CN=EVANPARRA.AI LLC, O=EVANPARRA.AI LLC, L=Saint Augustine, ST=Florida, C=US, through Microsoft ID Verified Code
Signing, RFC 3161 timestamped.
Android is not in this release, because it ships elsewhere
Android is live on Google Play:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.texttimeline.importer
The Android app runs entirely on the phone and needs no computer. We publish
no APK, because Play is the only Android channel we distribute through. Play
also re-signs and repackages the app for each device, so a checksum from us
would not match what you install, and we do not publish one.
What it does not do
It does not upload your messages, and it contains no analytics or crash
reporting. It cannot read anything on someone else's phone: it needs the
device in your hand, unlocked. It does not claim to be tamper proof or to
guarantee admissibility. It makes a metadata-preserving copy of your own
message store, which is a different and more honest claim.
Keep your phone and its original backup until your case is over. The export is
a copy, and the original is what an expert would examine if anyone challenges
it.