iPhone users save the important data in their devices, and they can get access to the files they need immediately when they want to. The text messages in iPhone contain much private and important information, and the iPhone users may never want to lose these messages. But using iPhone sometimes will lead to data loss which are irrevocable. The text messages can also get erased so the iPhone users may lose the important information contained in their iPhone. At this moment, people may want to know how to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer for a backup.

Part 1: How to Transfer Text Messages from iPhone to Computer with iTransfer

When it comes to transferring text messages from iPhone to computer, people may wonder how they can finish the task. In fact, people have two ways to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer for a backup. The first method is using the screenshot function of iPhone. When iPhone users have located the important text messages in their iPhone, they can take screenshot(s) of the conversation, and then transfer these screenshots to computer for a backup. As for transferring photos, people will feel easy to do that, and they only need to connect iPhone to computer with USB cable, and copy the screenshots to computer. With this method, people can save the important text messages on their computer.

As is known, the screenshots of iPhone only save the current data in the iPhone screen, which means you’ll have to take more than a few screenshots if you have many messages to save. So it’s not that convenient, and the screenshots can take much storage space in iPhone. If you don’t want to use the screenshot function of iPhone, you can use the third-party iPhone transfer software to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer.

Among all the iPhone transfer programs, Leawo iTransfer is regarded as one of the best. This software is used for transferring files among iOS devices, iTunes and computers without the sync of iTunes, and it helps users to transfer various kinds of files easily. The following guidance will show you how to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer, and you can free download the software to have a try.

Step 1. Run Leawo iTransfer and connect iPhone to computer with USB cable.
Step 2. Click the name of iPhone and choose Messages in the left sidebar. The text messages will show up in the right part.
Step 3. Select the messages you need in accordance with the contacts. Then click Export at the top middle.
Step 4. Choose a target folder on your computer to save the messages. Then name the file and click Save.

When the transfer finishes, you will get a file named with .messages extension in your target folder. When you lose the text messages in your iPhone, you can import the .messages file into your iPhone with Leawo iTransfer, so that you can keep the messages in your iPhone. The following guidance will show you how to import text messages to iPhone.

Step 1. Run Leawo iTransfer and connect iPhone. Choose Messages and click Import at the top middle of the window.

Step 2. Select the .messages file on your computer, and click Open.

When the transfer is finished, you will get the messages in your iPhone Messages app. With Leawo iTransfer, you could not only transfer data and files from iPhone to computer or iTunes, e.g. transferring videos from iPhone to computer, but even transfer data and files from iPhone to other devices like transferring photos from iPhone to SD card, putting Notes from iPhone to Android, etc.

Part 2: How to Backup Text Messages on iPhone with iOS Data Recovery

Beside Leawo iTransfer, a piece of iPhone data recovery software will also help you to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer for a backup. Leawo iOS Data Recovery is professional data recovery software for iOS devices, and it enables users to backup iPhone, iPad and iPod touch files to computer. The following guidance will show you how to backup text messages on iPhone, and you can free download the software to have a try.

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Step 1. Run Leawo iOS Data Recovery and choose Recover from iOS Device.
Step 2. Connect iPhone to computer with USB cable, and click the Start button in the window. Then the software will analyze your iPhone.
Step 3. The software will scan your iPhone when the analysis is done. After the scan, check Messages and choose the ones you need. Then click Recover.

Step 4. Click Open in the pop-up dialog to choose a target folder to save the text messages. Then click Go to start transferring text messages from iPhone to computer.

After the software finished transferring iPhone messages to computer, you will be able to view them in the target folder. The software export and save the text messages in 2 viewable files, one is a CSV file (open with Excel), and the other is an HTML file (open with Internet browser).

With Leawo iOS Data Recovery, you could not only recover and backup text messages from iPhone to computer, but also restore messages from iTunes backup, and extract text messages from iCloud backup. Similar to Leawo iTransfer, Leawo iOS Data Recovery could recover and restore up to 14 types of deleted data and files, and extract existing data and files to computer from iOS devices, iTunes backup and iCloud backup.

Part 3: Transfer A Few Text Messages from iPhone to Computer through Email

Both the above mentioned methods could help you easily transfer text messages from iPhone to computer in batch. If you have quite a big amount of text messages to transfer from iPhone to computer, they are perfect choices. However, what if you only want to send one or 2 messages from iPhone to computer as backup or note? What would you do if you currently have no computer in hand?
In fact, if you only have several text messages to transfer from iPhone to computer, you could email text messages from iPhone to computer. Simply copy your text message content as email content, and then email the content to yourself.

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Follow the below steps to learn how to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer via email:
1. Open the Messages app on your iPhone.
2. Open the messages you want to transfer and then copy the message content by long pressing on the message text and then choosing “Copy” option.
3. Open your email app and then create a new email.
4. Give the new email a title and set your own email address as the recipient.
5. Long press on the spare of the mail content and then choose “Paste” option to paste the text message you just copied.
6. Click the “Send” button to send this email. Then, on your computer, open your email server to receive and download the text messages you’ve received from yourself.
This method is totally free but obviously it is time consuming when you have a large number of text messages to transfer.

Part 4: Transfer Text Messages from iPhone to Computer using iTunes

We all know that Apple has provided its users iTunes to manage data and files on iOS devices (iPad, iPhone and iPod), and iTunes. Therefore, you could firstly back up and transfer text messages from iPhone to iTunes, and then get the backup file on your computer easily. This would be even better since iTunes offers totally free backup and transfer service for you.

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Follow the below steps to learn how to transfer text messages from iPhone to computer by using iTunes:
1. On your computer, launch iTunes and then connect your iPhone to computer via the USB cable provided by Apple.
2. On iTunes, click the iPhone icon and then you will see your iPhone information.
3. Click the “Summary” tab on the left sidebar.
4. On the right panel, in “Backups” tab, choose “This computer” option. You could also choose to backup text messages to computer from iPhone with encryption by ticking “Encrypt iPhone backup” option.
5. Click the “Back Up Now” button.
6. iTunes would then immediately start to back up iPhone.
Your text messages would be transferred and backed up to computer from iPhone along with other data and files like music, movies, notes, etc. as an entire folder. You could then go to the iPhone backup folder to extract the iPhone backup. You could view the directory of iTunes backup folder at “iTunes > Preferences > Devices” option.
It should be noted that iTunes transfers and backs up your entire iPhone including text messages, notes, calendars, movies, music, apps, etc., while iTransfer and iOS Data Recovery allow you to selectively transfer text messages from iPhone to computer as backup.