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imessage-archive

Back up a trusted, unlocked iPhone with libimobiledevice and browse Messages using imessage-exporter.

  • Backup
  • Tools & Utilities
Back up a trusted, unlocked iPhone with libimobiledevice and browse Messages using imessage-exporter. Includes indexed search, scrollable conversation parts, HTML/text/CSV/ZIP exports, and resumable PDF rendering with image quality controls and progress. Requires a Linux amd64 host and USB pairing before backup. Privileged mode grants broad host access for USB hotplug: install only on a trusted private server. Encrypted backups are supported, but generated exports are not encrypted. Set a unique administrator password and session secret before use. Scheduled Wi-Fi backup requires an already paired, network-visible device.

Platform availability

Available on 1 of 6 install platforms

  • Unraid
  • TrueNAS (not listed)
  • Umbrel (not listed)
  • ZimaOS (not listed)
  • Proxmox (not listed)
  • Helm (not listed)

Also on GitHub

Health score

40/100 Fair

Maintained
72last commit 1 day ago
Popular
61 GitHub stars
Easy to install
201 install platform, Docker image
Light to run
No data

Based on 3 of 4 factors.

How is this calculated?

A 0-100 score computed nightly from four factors: maintained (40%: recent commits and steady activity), popular (25%: GitHub stars, log scale), easy to install (20%: platforms, install notes, setup guides, Docker image) and light to run (15%: minimum RAM, ARM support). Factors without data are left out and the rest are rescaled.

Availability: platform listings confirmed today

GitHub stars
1
Open issues
2
Last commit
2026-10-05
Latest release
v4.0.1
License
GPL-3.0
Activity
rising

Checked today - source: GitHub (crywolf203/imessage-archive)

Resources & Compatibility

Requirements not published yet.

Checked today - source: Docker Hub image tags and published docs

First-install notes

No first-install notes yet.

Alternatives

No alternatives collected yet.

Common questions

Why does the backup need my iPhone to be unlocked and trusted?

The iPhone must be unlocked and trusted before a backup can start. A first backup can take hours, and later backups are incremental unless Force full backup is selected.

What credentials do I need to set before using it?

Choose a username, set a unique administrator password, generate a session secret once, and check the storage paths. Leave performance settings and scheduling off until a manual backup and export work.

Are my exported messages encrypted if I use an encrypted iPhone backup?

Encrypted local backups include more protected iPhone data, but HTML, text, CSV, ZIP, and PDF outputs are not encrypted. Keep the export shares private.

How much free space do I need on the cache share?

The cache must have room for the first full iPhone backup. Large exports can use an array-backed share.

Can it back up over Wi-Fi instead of only USB?

The project adds a USB and Wi-Fi backup workflow.

Answers sourced from github.com

Community

No community discussions collected yet.