Python tool/script to generate HTML-based archives of messages from iOS backups.

This Python script is meant to generate HTML archives of chats from an iOS backup. Each chat (which can be with a single person or multiple) is created as a single HTML file with a similarly named directory for attachments. The filenames, in this version, are named with the chat identifier (used in the SQLite DB) and all the contacts that are in the chat. Image attachments are inserted into the HTML file and all attachments have a link inserted into the HTML for ease of access. As much information as possible is inserted into the HTML, like timestamps (including read time, when known) and messaging service (SMS or iMessage). This script now, also, reads the address book database from the backup and uses that information to map the phone number or email address in the message to a first and last name or the company name. These are used in the HTML and file names.

python ios_backup_message_archiver.py --help
Usage: ios_backup_message_archiver.py [options] <path to backup directory>

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -o OUTPUT_DIR, --outdir=OUTPUT_DIR
                        Directory where the archive will be stored. [default:
                        ~/out]
  -l LOG_FILE, --logfile=LOG_FILE
                        File to write logs. If unspecified, stdout.
  -v, --verbose         Turn on debug logging.
  -q, --quiet           Turn off all logging. This beats all other log
                        options.

In OS X, iTunes keeps your backups of your iOS device under ~/Library/Application\ Support/MobileSync/Backup/. I do not know where iTunes keeps them on Windows, but the internet can let you know. Each backed-up iOS device will have a separate directory for it. It gets named with some kind of hash. I don't know what that is, but you can easily identify the desired directory based on last modified time. That directory is the one you'll need to supply to this script. If you have your backups set to be encrypted (something your employer might enforce), this script will not work.

As of this commit, this script is functioning with backups from iOS 11. It should function with previous versions as it tries to be smart about where to find necessary files, which changed locations in iOS 10, as well as inspecting the date fields, and adjusting, to account for a change from seconds to nanoseconds in iOS 11. I have not tested this iteration with any backups before iOS 11.