Comment by CapstanRoller
2 years ago
It is possible to export iMessage threads by purchasing an Apple computer and enabling "iCloud for Messages", at which point the messages will be synced to the computer and stored locally in an SQLite database then exported using open source tools... unless you sent too many messages or attachments, at which point you also have to purchase an additional iCloud subscription based on how much storage you need.
Hopefully you can accomplish all this within the return window of the computer (or purchase a used one). The iCloud subscription fees are non-refundable. You can also just give up, keep the computer, and embrace the Apple ecosystem.
Thank you Tim Apple, very cool!
Sent from my iPhone
> It is possible to export iMessage threads by purchasing an Apple computer and enabling "iCloud for Messages"
And hoping Apple's broken client actually downloads full history or by forcing it to download by scrolling up through years of chat by hand.
And hoping Apple doesn't interpret a read lock on the db as malicious activity and temporary ousting you from iMessage and causing every message you send on unrelated hardware to drop to SMS until you login / logout from every device you "own".
nothing you’ve cited has any factual basis in reality other than that you have convinced yourself that it’s a possibility. it’s purely a mirror of your own personal preconceptions and fears, none of which have a supportable factual basis.
gotta love when someone is so deep into fanboyism that they go through life utterly paralyzed and victimized by the apple that only exists inside their head.
literally, unsarcastically, why do you do this to yourself? it’s a fearsome depth of parasocial attachment in a way that’s incredibly unhealthy and warping. Why do you choose to get this bent out of shape about what phone other peolle buy? it doesn’t matter.
https://paulgraham.com/fh.html
I'm someone who has primarily used OS X, iOS, and Linux for pretty much the entirety of my life. The story about getting data out of iMessage comes from 100% personal experience. This isn't fanboyism — Apple's hostility toward people like me is palpable and factual.
Interacting with Apple's products as a software developer who cares about open source, data portability, etc. is getting harder and harder to justify. The same goes for Google.
What drew me to Apple initially was that they had an actually-existing polished POSIX-compliant desktop environment that was far more open than anything Windows had (or has, to this day).
What you're seeing here are the lamentations of early adopters witnessing all those great features, and the philosophy behind them, slowly going away.
Everything above is an anecdote that happened to me personally when I pointed a SQLite client at chat.db on my Mac.