Does TextKeep work with group messages?

Yes, TextKeep fully supports group message export. The app handles both iMessage group chats and MMS group conversations, preserving the complete conversation history including all participants and their individual messages.

Participant Tracking

Group message data in the chat.db database uses a many-to-many relationship structure. The chat_handle_join table links conversations to participants, while the message table identifies individual senders for each message. TextKeep parses these relationships to reconstruct the complete participant list for each group conversation, ensuring every message is attributed to the correct sender.

Message Threading and Context

Group conversations create additional complexity compared to one-on-one chats because multiple people can send messages simultaneously or respond to different parts of the conversation. TextKeep preserves chronological ordering and includes sender identification with each message, maintaining the natural flow of group discussions. Inline replies and reactions are also included when present in the database.

Group Membership Changes

Group membership can change over time as participants are added or removed. The database tracks these changes through system messages that record when participants join or leave. TextKeep includes these system messages in exports, providing a complete record of group composition changes throughout the conversation history.

iMessage vs. MMS Group Chats

iMessage group chats (all participants using iMessage) function differently from MMS group texts (including non-iPhone users). iMessage groups support features like naming the group, reactions, and inline replies. MMS groups have limited functionality and may display differently depending on participants' devices. TextKeep exports both types but preserves the features available in each format—iMessage-specific features appear in iMessage group exports, while MMS groups show only the basic message content supported by that protocol.

Export Considerations

Group conversations with many participants and lengthy message histories create larger export files than individual chats. Consider the export format carefully—CSV format is particularly useful for group chats when you need to filter or analyze messages by sender, timestamp, or content. PDF and HTML formats provide more readable visual representations but may become unwieldy for very long group conversations.