How does TextKeep export my messages?

TextKeep works by accessing the local message database on your Mac where iMessages and SMS texts are stored after decryption. This approach allows complete message export without requiring Apple's cooperation or cloud access.

Database Access

When you first run TextKeep, the app requests "Full Disk Access" permission from macOS. This permission allows TextKeep to read the Messages folder at ~/Library/Messages/, which contains the chat.db SQLite database. This is the same database that the built-in Messages app uses to display your conversations.

Reading and Parsing

TextKeep opens a read-only connection to the chat.db database, ensuring your original message data remains untouched. The app then parses the complex relational schema, linking messages to conversations, participants, and attachments through multiple interconnected tables. Recent macOS versions store message text as hex-encoded blobs rather than plaintext—TextKeep automatically decodes this to extract readable message content.

Reconstructing Conversations

The chat.db database stores messages in a normalized format optimized for synchronization, not human readability. TextKeep reconstructs complete conversations by joining data from multiple tables, ordering messages chronologically, resolving contact information, and identifying message senders and recipients. This process transforms the raw database structure into readable conversation threads.

Export Formats

Once conversations are reconstructed, TextKeep exports them to your chosen format—typically PDF, HTML, or plain text. The export includes message timestamps, sender identification, and proper conversation threading. Attachments that are stored locally are included in the export; those offloaded to iCloud appear as placeholders with notes indicating they're in cloud storage.

Privacy and Security

TextKeep performs all processing locally on your Mac. No message content is uploaded to remote servers or transmitted over the internet. The app only reads data—it never modifies your message database. This approach preserves the privacy and security of your conversations while enabling complete export functionality.