https://github.com/sethrj/iphone-message-export

Hackish tool to export Messages and attachments from an unencrypted iphone backup
https://github.com/sethrj/iphone-message-export

Last synced: about 1 month ago
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Hackish tool to export Messages and attachments from an unencrypted iphone backup

• Host: GitHub
• URL: https://github.com/sethrj/iphone-message-export
• Owner: sethrj
• License: apache-2.0
• Created: 2021-08-13T18:28:01.000Z (almost 3 years ago)
• Default Branch: main
• Last Pushed: 2022-06-25T16:11:48.000Z (about 2 years ago)
• Last Synced: 2024-02-07T05:57:39.506Z (5 months ago)
• Language: Python
• Size: 10.7 KB
• Stars: 15
• Watchers: 1
• Forks: 2
• Open Issues: 0
• Metadata Files:
  • Readme: README.md
  • License: LICENSE

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• project-awesome - sethrj/iphone-message-export - Hackish tool to export Messages and attachments from an unencrypted iphone backup (Python)

README

        
# About

This is a hackish tool to export Messages and attachments from an unencrypted

iPhone backup. I've only tested it on my backup (which contains messages that

date back to 2010ish) with

- iOS 14.7 on macOS 11.5

- iOS 15.5 on macOS 11.6

This is meant as a starting point for other people who want to hack around

with their backups and *not* as a finished product of any kind, although it

*may* work the first time for you.

It's my first time using SQL so undoubtedly some of the queries could be run

more efficiently. However, the limiting factor seems to be the bandwidth of

copying files rather than the queries themselves (and/or the `stat`ting which

is less than optimal). But this is supposed to be run maybe once a year at most

when you want to export your messages, rather than repeatedly.

The output is a series of directories named after the chat identifier (usually

the recipient's message handle or `chatNNN...` for group), inside of which is a

JSON messages file. Attachments are copied from the decrypted backup to a

subdirectory inside each chat.

This requires at least Python 3.6, and probably 3.7.

Usage:

```console

$ python3 export.py "~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/...."

"~/Desktop/iphone-export"

```