# ReagentX/imessage-exporter

Export iMessage data + run iMessage Diagnostics

Repository: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/imessage-exporter
Language: Rust
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: apple, backup, cli-app, export, imessage, reverse-engineering
Last push: 2026-08-26T04:37:10+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 96/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:39:23.370411+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 89, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 1582, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 76, "gap_med": 19.0, "n_releases_24m": 25}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5535, forks 302 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:22.028012+00:00)

## What it is
A Rust CLI tool and companion library that exports iMessage data to portable txt/html formats while preserving attachments and full message features, and runs diagnostics on the iMessage database. It reverse-engineers Apple's proprietary database formats to give users ownership of their message history.

## Use cases
- export imessage history to html
- backup imessage conversations with attachments
- migrate message history between devices
- diagnose problems with imessage database
- archive text messages for legal compliance
- read imessage database on linux or windows

## When to choose
- you need a comprehensive, feature-complete export of iMessage data including tapbacks, threads, and edited messages
- you want open portable formats instead of Apple-locked archives
- you need to inspect or diagnose the iMessage SQLite database

## When to avoid
- you need to export messages from other platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram
- you want a GUI tool rather than a command-line interface
- you need to send or modify messages rather than read and export them

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: cli, backup, parser, file-system
- domain: apple-ecosystem, files, privacy, reverse-engineering
- platform: windows, cli, rust
- tags: imessage, message-export, html-export, chat-backup, database-diagnostics, rust, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- ReagentX/imessage-exporter (main) score 96

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:22.028012+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:55:44.086228+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:22.028012+00:00, sha 4349640d1535)
  - registry_crates: https://crates.io/api/v1/crates/imessage-exporter (fetched 2026-08-29T08:51:04.169148+00:00, sha 0e5074288ee7)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.