# How to change the year for many messages at once with TextPort

## Quick answer

In a chat from screenshots or Scroll Capture:

1. Tap **…** next to **Export**.
2. Tap **Edit Messages**.
3. Tap **Bulk Edit Timestamps**.
4. Next to **Shift years by**, tap **−** or **+**.
5. Tap **Apply Changes**.

Every dated message moves by that many years.

## What you need

- TextPort on your iPhone
- A chat imported from screenshots or Scroll Capture

## Steps

1. Tap **…**

   Open the chat. It is next to **Export** at the bottom.

2. Tap **Edit Messages**

   The **Edit Messages** card opens.

   Tip: No **Edit Messages**? The chat came from Messages, WhatsApp, or LINE. Its dates are exact.

3. Tap **Bulk Edit Timestamps**

   It is under the short video. **Bulk Edit Timestamps** opens.

4. Tap **−** or **+**

   It is next to **Shift years by**. **−** goes back a year. **+** goes forward a year.

   Tip: Tap again for more years. You can go up to 10 years either way.

5. Check the preview

   Under **Preview**, each year shows an arrow to its new year.

6. Tap **Apply Changes**

   It is the blue button at the bottom. The sheet closes.

7. Check the chat

   The dates in the chat show the new years.

## Done

Every message with a date moved by the same number of years. The day and time did not change.

## Problems

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **Apply Changes** is gray. | The shift is still **+0**. Tap **−** or **+** first. |
| **No Timestamps** | No message in the chat has a date. Long press a message. Tap **Edit Timestamp** to add one. |
| Only one day has the wrong year. | Long press the gray date line for that day. Tap **Edit Date**. See [Change the date of a whole day](https://textport.com/guides/change-the-date-of-a-whole-day.md). |
| Only one message has the wrong time. | Long press the message. Tap **Edit Timestamp**. See [Edit a message's text or time](https://textport.com/guides/edit-a-messages-text-or-time#time). |
| You moved the years the wrong way. | Do steps 1 to 6 again. Pick the opposite number. |
| **Error** | Check your internet. Tap **OK**. Then tap **Apply Changes** again. |
| None of these match. | Email [support@textportapp.com](mailto:support@textportapp.com). Say which step you were on. Say what you saw. We usually reply within a day. |

## Questions

### Why is the year wrong?

Many chat apps do not show the year on recent messages. TextPort has to guess it from your screenshots.

### Can I pick only some messages?

No. The shift moves every message that has a date. Use **Edit Date** on a date line to change one day.

## Next guides

- [How to change the date of a whole day with TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/change-the-date-of-a-whole-day.md): All the messages from one day will move to the right date.
- [How to edit a message's text or time with TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/edit-a-messages-text-or-time.md): The message will show the right words and the right date and time.
- [How to fix wrong text, times, or missing messages with TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/fix-screenshot-problems.md): Every message TextPort read wrong from a screenshot or recording will say the right thing.
- [How to read a chat in TextPort](https://textport.com/guides/read-a-chat.md): You will know who sent each message and when, and how to hide or show the times.

TextPort guide for iPhone. Updated 2026-11-10. Web page: https://textport.com/guides/change-the-year-for-many-messages-at-once