Chatcove 0.2.0 for Windows

Chatcove 0.2.0 for Windows

This is the first public Windows version of Chatcove, an early release. It does the same job as the Mac app: get your WhatsApp history off your iPhone cleanly and completely, with a fair buy-once price. Everything stays on your computer. The Mac app stays on 0.1.8; this release is for Windows only.

Download: https://chatcove.app/download (or chatcove-0.2.0-x64-setup.exe below).

Windows will warn you, because the installer is not signed yet

We are getting a code-signing certificate for Windows. Until it is in place, Microsoft Defender SmartScreen shows "Windows protected your PC" when you open the installer (click More info, then Run anyway), and your browser may say the file "isn't commonly downloaded" (choose Keep). If Smart App Control is turned on in Windows 11, it blocks unsigned apps completely; we recommend waiting for the signed build rather than turning it off. Step-by-step guide: https://chatcove.app/windows-install

Only download Chatcove from chatcove.app or from this releases page. The installer's SHA-256 is listed on the guide page and next to the file below.

What works on Windows

• Detects your iPhone and guides the Trust prompt, and tells you when the Apple driver, the Apple Devices app or a pending restart is in the way.
• Encrypted backup with live progress, a calm "preparing" state while the iPhone asks for its passcode, locked-phone handling and a Cancel that stops cleanly.
• Browse chats, read conversations, see photos, videos and voice notes, and search across every message.
• Export to HTML, PDF, TXT and CSV, one chat or many at once with a folder per chat, then open the result in File Explorer.
• The backup password help from Mac 0.1.8: a plain explanation of what the backup password is, clear "Password needed", "Wrong password" and "Backup too old" cards, and recovery when a saved password no longer matches the iPhone or can no longer be read.
• Your backup password is stored protected by Windows.

Requirements

• Windows 10 (version 22H2) or Windows 11, 64-bit.
• The free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store (iTunes also works). It installs the driver Windows needs to talk to the iPhone. Chatcove tells you if it is missing and shows you how to get it.
• A USB cable and free disk space at least the size of your iPhone's backup.

License

• Buy once, no subscription. The same license key works on Mac and on Windows.
• A license covers 2 computers, Mac or Windows in any mix. Activation allows up to 3, so reinstalling or replacing a computer does not lock you out. To move a license, choose "Remove license" on the old computer.
• Without a license you can back up, browse and search everything. The free trial includes 3 exports of one chat each, with a small Chatcove line added to the export.

Updating

• This build cannot update itself until it is signed, so when a newer Windows version comes out, install it from chatcove.app over the old one. Your backups, settings and license stay.
• If you tested 0.2.0-beta.1 or 0.2.0-beta.2, install 0.2.0 the same way.

Known limits of this early version

• The installer is not code-signed yet (see above).
• Windows on ARM PCs run the x64 app under emulation; we have tested it, but most testing was on regular x64 PCs.

Files

File	SHA-256
chatcove-0.2.0-x64-setup.exe (Windows installer, 123,342,109 bytes)	104de682b1417ab948b6bc75cc4763619fccb0fb605c35937a9e744e40a635cc

Check it in PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\chatcove-0.2.0-x64-setup.exe -Algorithm SHA256

libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz is the source of the LGPL iPhone library bundled in the Windows app, with our patches.

Mac users: the Mac files attached here (Chatcove-0.1.8-arm64.dmg, the .zip, its .blockmap and latest-mac.yml) are the same Chatcove 0.1.8 build as the 0.1.8 release, byte for byte. They are attached here so that Mac auto-update keeps working while Windows has the newest release. The Mac app stays on 0.1.8, and the source of its bundled LGPL library is on the 0.1.8 release.

Chatcove 0.2.0-beta.2

Chatcove for Windows, beta 2. An early test build of Chatcove for Windows: back up your iPhone, read your WhatsApp chats and export them, all on your own PC. 64-bit (x64), Windows 10 (version 22H2) or Windows 11.

This is a prerelease for testers. It is not the current version for Mac users.

What changed since beta 1

• After you enter the passcode, Chatcove now shows a calm "preparing" screen while the iPhone gets ready, instead of a stuck "Action needed" banner.
• Backup progress now shows live on Windows, as it happens.
• No more duplicate passcode prompts.
• Before the backup, Chatcove checks for the Apple driver, a pending Windows restart and the Apple Devices app being open, and walks you through each fix step by step.
• Clearer wait screens everywhere: each one says what is happening, about how long it takes, and that there is nothing you need to do.
• You can send a problem report while a backup is running, and the report includes that backup.

What you need

• A Windows 10 (22H2) or Windows 11 PC, 64-bit.
• The free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store (iTunes also works). Chatcove tells you if it is missing and shows a button to get it.
• An iPhone with WhatsApp, its USB cable, and your iPhone passcode.
• Free disk space at least the size of the iPhone's backup (a 128 GB phone that is half full needs about 60 GB).

Install (unsigned beta)

This beta is not code-signed yet, so Windows will warn you. That is expected. If you have beta 1, install this one over it; your backup and settings stay.

1. Download chatcove-0.2.0-beta.2-x64-setup.exe below.
2. Double-click it. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
3. Let Windows Defender finish its scan, then follow the installer. It installs just for you, no administrator rights needed.

First run

1. Start Chatcove. If Apple Devices is missing, or Windows needs a restart, follow the on-screen steps, then click Check again.
2. Plug in the iPhone and unlock it. Tap Trust on the phone and enter the passcode. Chatcove should show the iPhone within a few seconds.
3. Backup password: Chatcove makes the backup encrypted (WhatsApp is only included in encrypted backups). It sets a password for you and remembers it, or asks for the one your phone already has. Write down any password you choose. If you forgot an existing one, tell us instead of resetting it.
4. Start the backup and keep the phone unlocked and plugged in. Enter the passcode on the phone when asked.

What to test

1. The phone is detected and the Trust prompt works.
2. After the passcode, the "preparing" screen appears and the backup then runs with a moving progress bar and finishes.
3. Decrypt runs and your chats list appears. Open a chat and scroll; photos, videos and voice notes should show.
4. Export one chat to HTML, PDF and TXT, and use Show in File Explorer after each.
5. Select two or more chats and export them together. You should get one folder per chat.
6. Close and reopen Chatcove. It should offer to use the existing backup.
7. Send a problem report while a backup is running.

Known issues

• The installer is unsigned, so SmartScreen warns on it (see Install above).
• Auto-update is off for unsigned betas. Install this beta over beta 1 by hand, and later betas the same way.
• The first backup on a new computer can take several minutes to start after you enter the passcode. That is normal: the iPhone is preparing. Keep it unlocked and plugged in.
• If the phone is unplugged in the middle of a backup, the Device screen does not yet say that a backup was interrupted.
• Locking the phone or unplugging the cable in the middle of a backup is not fully tested on Windows yet.
• The first backup of a large phone can take well over an hour.

How to report

• Tell us your Windows version (Settings > System > About), whether you used Apple Devices or iTunes, which steps passed or failed, and what SmartScreen showed you.
• For any problem, use Report a problem in the app (Settings > Help and support). It is opt-in: it shows you exactly what would be sent, nothing leaves your PC until you choose to send it, and it contains technical details only, never messages, contacts or media.

Everything else stays on your PC: the backup, the decrypted chats and your exports are never uploaded.

libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz is the complete source of the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) that ships with Chatcove.

Chatcove 0.2.0-beta.1

Chatcove for Windows, beta 1. An early test build of Chatcove for Windows: back up your iPhone, read your WhatsApp chats and export them, all on your own PC. 64-bit (x64), Windows 10 (version 22H2) or Windows 11.

This is a prerelease for testers. It is not the current version for Mac users.

What you need

• A Windows 10 (22H2) or Windows 11 PC, 64-bit.
• The free Apple Devices app from the Microsoft Store (iTunes also works). Chatcove tells you if it is missing and shows a button to get it.
• An iPhone with WhatsApp, its USB cable, and your iPhone passcode.
• Free disk space at least the size of the iPhone's backup (a 128 GB phone that is half full needs about 60 GB).

Install (unsigned beta)

This beta is not code-signed yet, so Windows will warn you. That is expected.

1. Download chatcove-0.2.0-beta.1-x64-setup.exe below.
2. Double-click it. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway.
3. Let Windows Defender finish its scan, then follow the installer. It installs just for you, no administrator rights needed.

First run

1. Start Chatcove. If Apple Devices is missing, follow the on-screen step, then click Check again.
2. Plug in the iPhone and unlock it. Tap Trust on the phone and enter the passcode. Chatcove should show the iPhone within a few seconds.
3. Backup password: Chatcove makes the backup encrypted (WhatsApp is only included in encrypted backups). It sets a password for you and remembers it, or asks for the one your phone already has. Write down any password you choose. If you forgot an existing one, tell us instead of resetting it.
4. Start the backup and keep the phone unlocked and plugged in. Enter the passcode on the phone when asked.

What to test

1. The phone is detected and the Trust prompt works.
2. The backup runs with a moving progress bar and finishes.
3. Decrypt runs and your chats list appears. Open a chat and scroll; photos, videos and voice notes should show.
4. Export one chat to HTML, PDF and TXT, and use Show in File Explorer after each.
5. Select two or more chats and export them together. You should get one folder per chat.
6. Close and reopen Chatcove. It should offer to use the existing backup.

Known issues

• Not yet tested on a real Windows PC with Apple's own driver. All testing so far ran in a Windows virtual machine with the iPhone attached to a Mac. That is the main reason for this beta, so please tell us anything odd about the Apple Devices step, the Trust prompt or USB detection.
• Locking the phone or unplugging the cable in the middle of a backup has not been tested on Windows yet. Locked-at-start and Cancel are tested and work.
• The installer is unsigned, so SmartScreen warns on it (see Install above).
• Auto-update is off for unsigned betas. The next beta is installed by hand from its own download link, over this one.
• After Cancel, the iPhone may take a little while to be ready for a new backup.
• The first backup of a large phone can take well over an hour.

How to report

• Tell us your Windows version (Settings > System > About), whether you used Apple Devices or iTunes, which steps passed or failed, and what SmartScreen showed you.
• For any problem, use Report a problem in the app (Settings > Help and support). It is opt-in: it shows you exactly what would be sent, nothing leaves your PC until you choose to send it, and it contains technical details only, never messages, contacts or media.

Everything else stays on your PC: the backup, the decrypted chats and your exports are never uploaded.

libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz is the complete source of the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) that ships with Chatcove.

Chatcove 0.1.8

Chatcove 0.1.8 for macOS.

The iPhone backup password is now much easier to understand.

• New: "What is a backup password?" explains it in one place, on every card about the password and next to every password field. It is not your iPhone passcode, your Apple ID password or your Mac login password. A Learn more link opens the full guide on docs.chatcove.app.
• Fixed: when this Mac could no longer read the saved backup password (for example after its keychain was reset or restored), Chatcove got stuck between "On and verified" and "Password needed". It now simply asks you for the password.
• Clearer wrong-password messages: a typed password that does not open the backup asks you to check it for typos, and a saved password that no longer matches says why and how to fix it.
• When the backup on this Mac is older than the saved password, the card now says "Backup too old" and asks for one fresh backup, instead of reporting a wrong password.
• "Password needed" now says where an existing password may have come from (Finder or iTunes, another app such as iMazing, or Chatcove on another Mac) and walks you through resetting it if you forgot it.
• Delete everything for an iPhone now also forgets a saved backup password Chatcove cannot use: one that no backup has confirmed, or one this Mac can no longer read. A confirmed password is kept, because the iPhone still uses it.

Apple Silicon (arm64), macOS 12 Monterey or later. Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.8-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz. libplist, libimobiledevice-glue and libusbmuxd ship unmodified; the app's licenses/SOURCES.md names their upstream source tarballs with SHA-256.

Chatcove 0.1.7

Chatcove 0.1.7 for macOS.

• Fixed: after a finished backup in the step-by-step view, the app could stop responding instead of moving on to reading the backup. It now moves straight on.
• Fixed: when the iPhone's backup password changed after Chatcove saved it (for example after a reset, or when it was set again in Finder or on another computer), Chatcove kept trying the old one and ended in "Wrong password" with no way out. It now says the saved password does not match and offers two ways forward: enter the password the iPhone uses now, or reset it on the iPhone and let Chatcove set a new one.
• If the backup on this Mac was made before the password changed, Chatcove now asks you to back up again instead of reporting a wrong password. You can also save a typed password that the older backup cannot confirm; the next backup checks it.
• Problem reports now say whether a backup password is saved for the iPhone and whether it was confirmed (never the password itself), use full dates in the tool log, and fold repeated log lines into one, so we can help you faster.

Apple Silicon (arm64), macOS 12 Monterey or later. Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.7-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz. libplist, libimobiledevice-glue and libusbmuxd ship unmodified; the app's licenses/SOURCES.md names their upstream source tarballs with SHA-256.

Chatcove 0.1.6

Chatcove 0.1.6 for macOS.

• Export several chats at once: tick the box next to each chat in the Chats list (shift-click ticks a range), then click Export selected. Export one chat and Export all work as before.
• Each chat gets its own folder, named after the chat. Exporting several chats (or all of them) creates one dated Chatcove-Export-... folder with a subfolder per chat, each holding that chat's file and its own media folder. A single chat is saved in a folder named after it with the date and time added, so a new export never overwrites an earlier one.
• Folder names are made safe for macOS and USB drives. Emoji and right-to-left names are kept, and two chats with the same name get "Name (2)".
• Progress shows which chat is being exported ("Exporting 3 of 7: ..."). If one chat fails, the others are still exported and the failed chats are listed at the end.
• Round video messages now show in conversations and are included in HTML and PDF exports. Earlier versions skipped them.

Apple Silicon (arm64), macOS 12 Monterey or later. Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.6-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz. libplist, libimobiledevice-glue and libusbmuxd ship unmodified; the app's licenses/SOURCES.md names their upstream source tarballs with SHA-256.

Chatcove 0.1.5

Chatcove 0.1.5 for macOS.

• Photos, stickers, videos and voice notes now show inside conversations. In earlier versions the app's own security policy blocked them, so every image read "Image unavailable".
• Media you open, or that an export needs, no longer gets deleted by the media cache right after it is decrypted. Earlier versions treated freshly decrypted files as the oldest in the cache, so once the cache filled up they were removed first, and HTML exports of media-heavy chats could come out with photos missing.
• An image that fails to load is fetched again once, automatically.
• No need to clear the media cache after updating: files already in it are kept and are cleaned up as usual.

Apple Silicon (arm64), macOS 12 Monterey or later. Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.5-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz. libplist, libimobiledevice-glue and libusbmuxd ship unmodified; the app's licenses/SOURCES.md names their upstream source tarballs with SHA-256.

Chatcove 0.1.4

Chatcove 0.1.4 for macOS.

• Runs on macOS 12 Monterey and later. Every device library bundled with the app (libimobiledevice and everything it loads, including OpenSSL) is now built from pinned source for macOS 12, instead of reusing Homebrew builds made for macOS 26.
• OpenSSL in the bundled device tools moves to 3.6.4, with the same feature set as before, so older iPhones still connect.
• The app now declares macOS 12 as its minimum, so macOS 11 shows the standard "needs a newer version of macOS" message instead of failing.

Apple Silicon (arm64). Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.4-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz. libplist, libimobiledevice-glue and libusbmuxd ship unmodified; the app's licenses/SOURCES.md names their upstream source tarballs with SHA-256.

Chatcove 0.1.3

Chatcove 0.1.3 for macOS.

• Backups that stopped at "Could not perform backup protocol version exchange, error code -1" now get further. The bundled libimobiledevice accepts the newer handshake that recent iPhones may use, and when the handshake still fails it reports the real error code instead of -1.
• If the iPhone does not answer at the start of a backup, Chatcove now retries on its own (up to 3 more attempts), then shows clear steps to get it going instead of the raw error.
• New: Report a problem, from the Help menu, Settings, and every error card. You see exactly what will be sent before anything leaves your Mac: technical logs, versions, error details and the screenshots you choose to keep. It never includes your messages, contacts or media. You can also save the report to a file instead.
• Logs now live in ~/Library/Logs/Chatcove, with the backup password, licence key and personal details redacted.

Apple Silicon (arm64). Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.3-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on an earlier version: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.

Source for the modified libimobiledevice (LGPL-2.1-or-later) is attached as libimobiledevice-1.4.0-chatcove-source.tar.gz.

Chatcove 0.1.2

Chatcove 0.1.2 for macOS.

• Licensing: if you activate while offline, Chatcove now registers this Mac the next time you connect. You have 21 days. Until then, Settings shows how many days are left.
• The same applies to installs updating from 0.1.0 or 0.1.1 that were activated without registering: they register on their next connection, and the 21 days start from the first launch of 0.1.2.
• If this Mac cannot be registered because the license key is already in use on its maximum number of Macs, Settings now says so and explains how to free one.

Apple Silicon (arm64), macOS 11 Big Sur or later. Signed and notarized by Codama Inc.

New install: download Chatcove-0.1.2-arm64.dmg, open it, and drag Chatcove to Applications. Already on 0.1.0 or 0.1.1: the app downloads this update and offers to restart, or use Check for Updates in the app menu.