TextPort review (2026): what it does well, what it doesn't, and who it's for
TextPort is an iPhone app that pulls your conversations straight out of iMessage (and works with WhatsApp, Instagram, and other messaging apps too) and turns them into clean PDF, CSV, or plain-text exports, without a computer. As of August 2026 it holds a 4.3 out of 5 average across more than 1,100 App Store ratings.
This review is published by TextPort, so read it as an interested party's account: how the app works, what it does well, and where it isn't the right tool. If you want fully independent opinions, the App Store reviews are public.
What TextPort does
The problem TextPort solves: iPhones give you no good way to get a conversation out of a messaging app. Apple offers no iMessage export. WhatsApp's built-in export is limited. Instagram, Telegram, and Signal offer little or nothing. The fallback, screenshotting everything, produces a camera roll full of images instead of a document.
For Messages, TextPort's approach is a direct import:
- Pick a conversation. Open TextPort, tap Import, choose the iMessage conversation, and pick the date range you need.
- TextPort imports it. Straight from iMessage: every message with sender, timestamp, and order preserved. You can review everything before exporting.
- Export. PDF (formatted and print-ready), CSV (for Excel or Google Sheets), or TXT.
No screenshots, no scrolling, no computer. TextPort also works with WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Signal, and other messaging apps, so it isn't limited to iMessage, which backup-reading desktop tools can't match.
What it does well
No computer required. The full workflow runs on the phone. For most people who need a conversation exported — often in a stressful week involving a lawyer, a landlord, or an HR department — not needing to install desktop software, find a USB cable, and decrypt a backup is the single biggest practical advantage.
Every app, not just iMessage. iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram DMs, Telegram, Signal, and anything else on screen. Desktop tools like iMazing and Decipher TextMessage read the iPhone backup, which covers iMessage/SMS well but leaves most third-party apps out of reach.
Clean, structured output. Exports preserve sender names, timestamps, and message order in a readable layout. PDF is the format most users choose (it's what attorneys and courts want to see), and there are no volume limits: a 40-conversation export costs the same as one.
Reviewable before export. The import isn't a black box. You see the full conversation, can edit any message, and can correct timestamps before generating the file. For legal use this review step is essential, and the app is built around it.
Privacy posture. No account or email required, payment handled entirely by Apple, an App Store privacy label showing only diagnostics and purchase data in the "Data Not Linked to You" category, and imported content retained only until you delete it. The full breakdown is in Is TextPort safe?
A desktop escape hatch for bulk jobs. If you need your entire history, dozens of threads going back years, the desktop companion app for Mac and Windows pulls it all from a local backup in one pass, processed locally on your machine. It's included with the same subscription.
Where it falls short
iMessage conversations import directly on the phone, and the included desktop app does the same from an iPhone backup for entire histories. The trade-offs that remain:
It's a subscription. Full export access requires a weekly or annual subscription; the current price for your region is shown on the App Store purchase screen before you confirm. If you want a one-time purchase you keep forever, TextPort isn't built that way; the intended pattern for one-off projects is subscribing for a week, exporting without limits, and cancelling. That works, but some people reasonably prefer a perpetual license, and desktop tools offer that.
Review before you file. The in-app review step lets you check every message before exporting; for court use, read the export against the original before filing. For years of iMessage history at once, the desktop app pulls everything from a backup, at the cost of needing a computer.
iPhone and iPad only. There's no Android app. The desktop app is a companion for iPhone backups, not a standalone Android solution.
It's not a certified evidence service. TextPort's terms say this in capital letters: it's a software tool, not a court reporter, forensic imaging service, or provider of authenticated transcripts. Exports are regularly prepared for legal proceedings, but admissibility is a question for your attorney, not an app.
TextPort vs. the alternatives
| TextPort | iMazing | Decipher TextMessage | Manual screenshots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Computer required | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| iMessage / SMS | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Signal… | Yes (any messaging app) | Partial (WhatsApp; most others no) | No | Yes, as images |
| Output | PDF, CSV, TXT | PDF, CSV, TXT | Image files | |
| Pricing model | Subscription (weekly/annual) | Annual subscription | Paid license | Free |
If you only need iMessage/SMS, own a computer, and prefer a license to a subscription, Decipher TextMessage and iMazing are credible tools; we've reviewed both. If the conversation lives in Instagram, Telegram, or Signal, or you don't want to involve a computer at all, TextPort is effectively the only structured option, and that's the space it is built for. A wider tool-by-tool comparison is in best apps to export text messages from iPhone.
Who TextPort is for
- Legal and dispute documentation — custody cases, harassment records, workplace disputes, immigration evidence. Timestamped PDFs are the core use case; in TextPort's survey of 1,081 U.S. adults, 38% had seen texts used in a formal proceeding they were involved in.
- Business records — client conversations and agreements made over text, exported to CSV or PDF for the file.
- Personal archiving — preserving conversations before switching phones, or backing up an entire history via the desktop app.
Who it's not for: Android users, people who want a one-time-purchase desktop utility for iMessage only, and anyone expecting certified forensic output.
Verdict
TextPort turns messaging-app conversations into clean, usable documents with less friction than anything else in the category: no computer, no account, any app, unlimited volume, and a free tier that lets you check the export quality on your own conversations before paying. The subscription model, and the capture step for third-party apps, are real trade-offs, and we've tried to be plain about them.
The best way to review it, though, is with your own conversation: download TextPort, import a chat on the free tier, and judge the result yourself.
Frequently asked questions
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TextPort holds a 4.3 out of 5 average across more than 1,100 App Store ratings. Its strengths are working entirely on your iPhone with no computer, pulling conversations straight out of iMessage, supporting other messaging apps too, and producing clean timestamped PDF, CSV, and TXT exports. Its main trade-off is subscription pricing.
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iMazing is desktop software that reads your iPhone backup over USB — reliable for iMessage and SMS, but it requires a computer and has limited third-party app support. TextPort runs on the phone itself, imports iMessage conversations directly, and also works with Instagram, Telegram, Signal, and other apps that backup-based tools can't reach.
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Yes. The core workflow — importing a conversation straight from iMessage and exporting it to PDF, CSV, or TXT — runs entirely on an iPhone or iPad. A desktop companion app for Mac and Windows exists as an option for bulk-exporting an entire message history at once.
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TextPort exports are formatted with sender names and timestamps and are commonly prepared for legal proceedings, but no export tool can guarantee admissibility — that depends on your jurisdiction and case. TextPort's terms are explicit that it is a software tool, not a certified transcript service. Review your export for accuracy and confirm requirements with your attorney.
Start exporting your messages
Available for iPhone, Mac, and Windows. No computer required.
