What about Android? Is there a Windows version?

TextKeep is only available for macOS. There are no plans for Android or Windows versions due to fundamental architectural differences in how these platforms handle messaging.

Why Mac Only?

TextKeep works by accessing the local message database that macOS stores on your computer. iMessage conversations are saved in an SQLite database at ~/Library/Messages/chat.db on your Mac. This database contains your complete message history after messages have been decrypted for display.

This approach is only possible on Mac because:

• Android doesn't have iMessage: iMessage is exclusive to Apple devices. Android phones use SMS/MMS and RCS messaging, which are different systems with their own message storage. TextKeep specifically exports iMessage conversations.
• Windows doesn't run iMessage: While you can access iMessage through iCloud.com on a Windows PC, this is a web interface that doesn't store messages locally. There's no chat.db database on Windows to export from.
• iOS is locked down: Even though iPhones have the same chat.db database, iOS doesn't allow third-party apps to access this protected system data. Only macOS provides the "Full Disk Access" permission system that allows TextKeep to safely read message data.
• Database structure is Mac-specific: The chat.db schema, hex-encoded message format, and attachment storage system are designed for macOS and iOS internal use only. Replicating this on other platforms isn't feasible.

What About iCloud Messages?

While "Messages in iCloud" syncs your conversations across Apple devices, this doesn't help with Windows or Android compatibility. The messages are still encrypted and stored in Apple's proprietary format. Even if you enable iCloud Messages, the only way to export them is through a Mac where they're downloaded and decrypted into the local chat.db database.

Alternative Export Methods

If you don't have access to a Mac but need to export iMessages, your options are limited:

• iTunes/Finder backup: You can create an iPhone backup on a Windows PC using iTunes (or Finder on Mac), but extracting message data from these backups requires specialized forensic software and technical expertise.
• Screenshots: The simplest but most tedious method is taking screenshots of important conversations on your iPhone.
• Third-party backup tools: Some commercial iPhone backup utilities can extract messages from iOS backups, but these often require payment and may have limited export formats.

For the most reliable and complete message export, TextKeep on macOS remains the best solution.