Does search look at the whole chat?

Yes. It checks every message in the chat, even outside the date filter. When you click a result, the date filter is cleared so you can see the message.

Does capital or small letters matter?

No. Searching for maya also finds Maya.

The search button is gray. Why?

Pick a chat first, and wait for its messages to load. A chat with no messages cannot be searched.

How do I find a chat, not a message?

Use the Search chats box at the top of the chat list. See how to find a chat .

How to search inside a chat on Mac

You will find a message in a chat and jump right to it.

Mac 4 steps · Updated Sep 25, 2026

What you need

✓TextPort for Mac, set up with Messages access
✓A chat open in TextPort

Looking for one message in a long chat? Search finds it in seconds.

Steps

1

Open the chat

Click the chat in the list on the left. Its messages show on the right.
2

Click the search button

Click the round magnifying glass at the top of the chat. Or press Command-F. A Search Messages box opens.
3

Type a word

Type a word or a few words from the message. A list called Results shows every message that has them.
4

Click a result

Click the message you want. The chat jumps to it. The message glows for a moment so you can spot it.

Done

You are at the message you were looking for.

Tips

Press Return to jump to the first result.
Press Esc or click the x in the box to close search.
See No Results? Check the spelling. Or try a shorter word.
Search looks at message text only. It does not look at photo or file names.

Questions

: Yes. It checks every message in the chat, even outside the date filter. When you click a result, the date filter is cleared so you can see the message.
: No. Searching for maya also finds Maya.
: Pick a chat first, and wait for its messages to load. A chat with no messages cannot be searched.
: Use the Search chats box at the top of the chat list. See how to find a chat.