| Messages | File to choose | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Android texts and picture messages (SMS, MMS) | sms-….xml from the SMS Backup & Restore app | Export Android texts |
| WhatsApp on iPhone | WhatsApp Chat - Name.zip (contains _chat.txt) | Export a WhatsApp chat |
| WhatsApp on Android | WhatsApp Chat with Name.txt or a .zip | Export a WhatsApp chat |
| iPhone Messages (iMessage, SMS) | Not yet: the iPhone has no export button | Options that work today |
Turn text messages and WhatsApp chats into an exhibit PDF
Open an Android text backup or a WhatsApp export and get a clean, chronological PDF with a cover sheet, a participants index, Bates numbers, “page x of y” and a source log with the file’s SHA-256 hash.
- Free to use
- Files never leave your device
- No account
- Android texts + WhatsApp
Your files stay on this device. Everything below runs in your browser: files are read here and the PDF is built here. Nothing you open is uploaded. How we keep this true
1 Choose your export files
No export yet? See how to export Android texts or a WhatsApp chat. iPhone Messages: what works today.
2 Choose what goes in
3 Cover sheet and page numbers
What the PDF contains
Cover sheet
Court, case caption, case number, exhibit label, who prepared it, the date, a description, the message count, the date span, the page count and the Bates range.
Participants index
Everyone who sent a message, with phone number or ID, the name in the source file, how many messages they sent, and the first and last date.
Every message, in order
Date headers, the time (with time zone for Android), the sender, the full text and any attachment names. Each message gets a number (#1, #2…) so it can be cited.
Bates and page numbers
Every page is stamped with your Bates prefix and number (for example DOE000001) and “Page 3 of 14”. Bates numbering explained
Source log
The last page lists each file’s name, size and SHA-256 hash, computed in your browser, plus every setting used, including what was left out. Why the hash helps
Optional redaction
Remove or mask phone numbers, email addresses and any words you list. The text is removed before drawing, not covered. How redaction works
Files you can use
Private by design
Message histories are personal. This tool is built so it never needs to see them: your browser reads the file you choose, parses it, computes its SHA-256 hash and builds the PDF on your own device. The site sends a strict security policy that only allows the page to connect to this site, and the page only sends anonymous counters (for example “a PDF was created”). You can confirm it in your browser’s developer tools: after you choose a file, no request carries its contents. Read the privacy policy.
Before you file anything
This is software, not a law firm. Courts set their own rules for exhibits, redaction and proving that messages are authentic. A tidy PDF does not decide whether evidence is admitted. Confirm what your court requires with the court clerk, the local rules or an attorney. Our step-by-step guide covers the usual checklist: how to turn text messages into a court exhibit.
Questions
Are my files uploaded?
No. The page reads your files with your browser and builds the PDF in your browser. The site's security policy only lets the page talk to this site, and the only things it sends are anonymous counters such as "a PDF was created", never file contents, names or numbers.
Is it free?
Yes. You can import, preview and download the PDF for free. Free PDFs carry a light diagonal PREVIEW watermark.
Will the court accept the PDF?
We cannot promise that, and no tool honestly can. Each court sets its own rules for exhibits and for proving that messages are authentic. Confirm the requirements with the court or an attorney.
Which files work?
Android text and picture messages saved with the SMS Backup & Restore app (.xml), and WhatsApp chat exports from iPhone or Android (.txt or .zip). iPhone Messages (iMessage and SMS) cannot be exported by the phone itself; see the iPhone guide.