Messages has no built-in export. Your conversations live in a database on your Mac.
what Notes Exporter exports
Notes Exporter turns every conversation into a Markdown file on your Mac:
- one file per conversation, with a heading per day
- reactions attached to the message they belong to, edited messages with their history, replies as real links
- the photos people sent you, converted so they display in the file
- contact cards cross-linked: a chat links to the person, a person lists their conversations
- you pick which conversations export — and it keeps syncing, so new messages land in the file automatically
Everything is local: your messages never leave your Mac. Plain files are also readable by AI tools — see use in Claude.
Your 10 most recent conversations export free and stay syncing free. Unlimited conversations are a one-time $4.99 (US price, adjusted per country) — not a subscription.
Download Notes Exporter for Mac
More: export your contacts · faq