# How to filter a chat by date on Mac

## Quick answer

In TextPort for Mac:

1. Click the chat in the list on the left.
2. Click the date range in the toolbar, next to **Export**.
3. Click a day under **From** and a day under **To**.
4. Click **Done**.

To see every date again, click the date range, then **Reset**.

## What you need

- TextPort for Mac, set up with Messages access

## Steps

1. Click the chat

   It is in the list on the left. Its messages show on the right.

2. Click the date range

   It is in the toolbar, next to **Export**. Two calendars open, **From** and **To**.

3. Click the first and last day

   Click a day under **From**. Click a day under **To**.

   Tip: Dots under a day mean it has messages. Use the arrows to change the month.

4. Click **Done**

   The calendars close. The chat shows only those days.

## Done

The chat shows only the days you picked. The toolbar shows those dates.

## Problems

| What you see | What to do |
| --- | --- |
| **No messages in range** | Those days have no messages. Click the date range. Pick other days, or click **Reset**. |
| **No attachments found** | The **Attachments** tab has nothing in those days. Click the date range. Pick other days, or click **Reset**. |
| The dates went back to the full chat. | This happens when you open another chat, click a search result, or click a quote from outside those dates. Pick the dates again. |
| The export has every date. | Click **Export** in the toolbar. **Command-E**, **File › Export**, right-click and **Export All** save every date. |
| 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

### Does a printout use these dates?

No. Printing always uses the whole chat. To print some dates, see [how to print a chat](https://textport.com/guides/print-a-chat-from-your-mac#problem-every-date).

### Does the filter change or delete messages?

No. TextPort only reads your messages. It hides the other days while you look.

### Does search use these dates?

No. Search looks at the whole chat. When you click a result, the date range opens up.

## Next guides

- [How to export one chat to PDF, CSV, or TXT on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/export-one-chat-to-pdf-csv-or-txt-on-mac.md): You will get a file of one chat on your Mac, as a PDF, a spreadsheet, or plain text.
- [How to search inside a chat on Mac](https://textport.com/guides/search-inside-a-chat-on-mac.md): You will find a message in a chat and jump right to it.
- [How to print a chat from your Mac](https://textport.com/guides/print-a-chat-from-your-mac.md): You will have a chat printed on paper, with each message's date and time.

TextPort guide for Mac. Updated 2026-11-05. Web page: https://textport.com/guides/filter-a-chat-by-date-on-mac