Short answer: the iPhone has no built-in way to export iMessages, so you need one extra tool on a computer. The free route is imessage-exporter on a Mac, which saves each conversation as a .txt file. The paid route is iMazing on a Mac or Windows PC, which saves a CSV. Upload the file to The Cringe iMessage analyzer and you see who texts first, how fast each person replies and your top words, plus an AI reading of each person's interest level.
What an iMessage analyzer does
You can scroll up in Messages for an hour and still not know what is going on. You remember the sweet texts and the long silences, and your brain fills in the rest.
An iMessage conversation analyzer reads the whole chat, from the first message to the last, and counts. Who writes more. Who starts the conversations. Who replies in seconds and who leaves you waiting. Then the AI part reads the tone and tells you what the patterns might mean.
The Cringe started as a WhatsApp chat analyzer. It now also reads iMessage, Android texts, Telegram, Instagram, Messenger and Snapchat. It works with 1-on-1 chats only. The Cringe is a website and a Chrome extension, so there is nothing to install on your phone. The Cringe is not affiliated with Apple.
Your iMessage Wrapped, for one person
Apple does not give you an "iMessage Wrapped". There is no screen that shows how many texts you two sent, who always texts first or what words you use the most.
This page gives you that. Think of it as an iMessage Wrapped for one chat: your numbers side by side, plus an AI verdict on what is really going on.
Green bubbles count too. The Messages app keeps your SMS texts (the green bubbles) next to your iMessages. Both export routes below include them, so the report shows the full chat.
How to export iMessages (the honest part)
There is no "export chat" button in Messages on the iPhone or on the Mac. So you need a helper tool on a computer. Here are the two routes the analyzer reads:
| Route | Cost | Works on | You upload |
|---|---|---|---|
| imessage-exporter | Free | Mac (and Windows with an iPhone backup) | One .txt per conversation, or a zip of the folder |
| iMazing | Paid | Mac and Windows | One CSV file |
If you are fine with typing a few commands, the free route works well. If you prefer clicking buttons, iMazing is easier.
Export iMessages from a Mac for free (imessage-exporter)
imessage-exporter is a free, open-source tool. It is a command-line tool, which means you run it in the Terminal app. Don't worry, you only need to copy and paste three things.
Step 1. Install it. If you have Homebrew, open Terminal and paste:
brew install imessage-exporter
Step 2. Give Terminal Full Disk Access. Your messages live in a protected folder on the Mac, so the tool needs permission to read them. Open System Settings > Privacy & Security > Full Disk Access and turn it on for Terminal. Then quit Terminal and open it again.
Step 3. Export your messages. Paste this in Terminal:
imessage-exporter -f txt -o ~/imessage_export
This creates a folder called imessage_export in your home folder. Inside, you will find one .txt file for each conversation. A 1-on-1 chat is named after the contact, or after their phone number or email if they are not in your contacts.
Step 4. Upload. Go to thecringe.app/analyze and upload the .txt file of the person you want to analyze. Or zip the whole imessage_export folder, upload the zip and pick the person from the list.
Tip: to export only the chats with one person, add their number to the command, like this: imessage-exporter -f txt -o ~/imessage_export -t "+15558675309". You can also add a date range with -s 2025-01-01 -e 2025-12-31.
Export iMessages from an iPhone (no Mac needed)
You can't export iMessages on the iPhone itself. But imessage-exporter can also read an iPhone backup on your computer. This works on a Mac and on Windows.
- Connect your iPhone to the computer and make a backup with Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows).
- Get imessage-exporter. On a Mac, use the Homebrew command above. On Windows, download it from the Releases page of the imessage-exporter project on GitHub.
- Run this command, with the path to your backup folder in place of
<backup folder>. On Windows, you can change~/imessage_exportto any folder you like:
imessage-exporter -f txt -a iOS -p <backup folder> -o ~/imessage_export
- Upload the .txt of that person, or the zipped folder, to The Cringe.
If your backup is encrypted, imessage-exporter has an option for that too. Its README on GitHub explains it.
Export iMessages with iMazing (paid, no commands)
iMazing is a paid desktop app for Mac and Windows. It reads the messages straight from your connected iPhone.
- Open iMazing and connect your iPhone.
- Click your device, then Messages. iMazing may ask for your iPhone passcode the first time.
- Select the conversation (or several conversations).
- Click Export at the bottom right and choose CSV.
- Keep the default options and save the file.
- Upload the CSV to The Cringe. If you exported several conversations, they all go into one CSV, so pick the person from the list.
Apps change small things in their menus from time to time. If a label looks a little different on your screen, pick the closest one.
Which file to upload
| What you have | What to do |
|---|---|
| One .txt from imessage-exporter | Upload it as it is |
| The whole imessage_export folder | Zip it, upload the zip, then pick the person |
| A CSV from iMazing | Upload it, then pick the person |
| A group chat | Not supported, only 1-on-1 chats work |
| An Android phone | See the text message analyzer instead |
What the iMessage report shows
The report puts both people side by side. For each person, you see:
- Messages sent: the total count for each side
- First message date: when the chat started
- Average reply time: how long each person usually takes to answer
- Who texts first: who starts conversations more often
- Longest message: the biggest wall of text each person sent
- Top words: the words each person uses most
The AI report goes deeper. It gives:
- An interest level for each person
- Attachment styles (anxious, avoidant or secure)
- Red flags, with real quotes from your chat
- A final verdict on what is going on
You can read more about how the AI part works on the AI relationship analyzer page.
Is the iMessage analyzer free? Uploading your chat and trying it is free, with no sign-up. The full report is unlocked with Premium. You can see pricing here.
Is it private?
Here is what happens to your chat:
- The stats are computed in your browser.
- The website saves an encrypted copy of the chat you upload, so you can reopen your report later. You can delete it any time in My reports.
- For the AI report, a sample of messages goes to our AI provider, with phone numbers, emails and links removed.
- We never sell your chats.
Honest limits
- You need a computer. There is no way to export iMessages on the iPhone alone.
- The free tool uses the Terminal. It is only a few commands, but it is not a normal app with buttons. iMazing is the click-only option, and it costs money.
- Only what is saved gets counted. If you deleted old messages, they are not in the export, so the report can't see them.
- Photos and videos are not text. The analyzer reads what people wrote, not what is in a picture.
- Group chats don't work. Only 1-on-1 chats are analyzed.
How to read your iMessage stats
- Reply time depends on the person. Some people answer everyone slowly. Our guide on what reply time really means explains the common patterns.
- Who texts first matters. Read who texts first and what it says.
- Fast replies but never the first text? That is its own pattern. See replies fast but never texts first.
- Look at changes over time. A chat that was busy and is now quiet tells a different story than a chat that was always slow.
Not sure where you stand yet? Try the free does he like me quiz first.
Other chats you can analyze
- Android texts: back up your SMS with a free app and upload the file. See the text message analyzer.
- Telegram: export the chat as JSON from Telegram Desktop. The Telegram chat analyzer page has the steps.
- Instagram: download your messages from Meta. See the Instagram DM analyzer.
- WhatsApp: follow our WhatsApp export guide, or make your own WhatsApp Wrapped.
FAQ
Can I export iMessages from my iPhone?
Not on the iPhone itself. Apple has no export button in Messages. You can back up the iPhone to a computer with Finder or iTunes and read the backup with the free tool imessage-exporter, or use the paid app iMazing to export a CSV.
How do I export iMessages from a Mac?
Install imessage-exporter with brew install imessage-exporter, give Terminal Full Disk Access in System Settings > Privacy & Security, then run imessage-exporter -f txt -o ~/imessage_export. You get one .txt file per conversation in the imessage_export folder.
Is there an iMessage Wrapped?
Not from Apple. The Cringe gives you one for a single chat: upload your exported conversation and see your messages, reply times, who texts first and top words side by side, plus an AI verdict.
Is the iMessage analyzer free?
Uploading your chat and trying it is free, with no sign-up. The full report, with all stats and the AI reading, is unlocked with Premium.
Does it include SMS (green bubble) texts?
Yes. Your SMS texts live in the same Messages app as your iMessages, and both export routes include them.
Can I analyze an iMessage group chat?
No. The Cringe only analyzes 1-on-1 chats. If your file holds many conversations, you pick one person from the list.
Do I need a Mac?
Not always. imessage-exporter can read an iPhone backup made with iTunes on Windows, and iMazing runs on Windows too. Exporting straight from the Messages app on a Mac is the simplest route, though.