What each printed page needs to show
A printed message only helps if a stranger can read it without you there to explain. Before you print anything, check that each page answers four questions.
- Who sent it. The contact's name or number should be visible on the page, or on the first page of that conversation.
- When it was sent. The date and, ideally, the time of each message.
- What it was replying to. Enough of the messages before and after to show the context.
- That it's complete. Your replies as well as theirs, with nothing cropped or edited out.
Pages that pick out single lines can look like you're hiding the rest. A full, plain run of the conversation is easier to trust.
Way 1: screenshots on your phone
Screenshots are free and work on every phone. They're the best choice for a short exchange or a few key moments.
Start at the top of the conversation. The first screenshot should show the contact's name. Then scroll a little at a time. Let each screenshot overlap the last by a message or two. Then nobody can say a message is missing.
On an iPhone, swipe left on the conversation to show the time of each message before you take the screenshot. On Android, the date usually shows above each day's messages. Tap a message to see its exact time if it isn't shown.
Don't crop, highlight or draw on the screenshots you plan to file. If you want to mark something for your lawyer, make a separate copy.
Way 2: print a whole iPhone thread from a Mac
If you have a Mac and Messages in iCloud is turned on, your iPhone texts also appear in Messages on the Mac. That's the easiest way to print a long thread with every date in place.
Open the conversation in Messages on the Mac. Scroll up until the oldest messages you need have loaded. Then choose File > Print. To save a PDF instead of printing, open the PDF menu at the bottom of the print window and choose Save as PDF.
Check the result before you rely on it. Make sure the dates show and the oldest messages you need are included.
Way 3: export with a desktop program
Several paid desktop programs export a whole conversation from an iPhone or Android backup. They usually include every message, the exact time and the sender's number. Some add a header page listing the phone and the date of the export.
This suits long or disputed threads, where you need everything rather than the highlights. Before you pay, check that a sample export shows the date, time and sender of each message. Keep the backup the export came from.
Way 4: Android phones
Most Android messaging apps can't print a conversation straight from the app. Screenshots are the simplest route.
For a long thread, a backup app can save your texts to a file you open on a computer. Check what the file shows before you rely on it. You need the date, time and sender for every message.
If the messages came through WhatsApp, use WhatsApp's own export instead. Our guide to exporting a WhatsApp chat for court explains how.
Turn your screenshots into one PDF
A single PDF is easier to email to a lawyer, upload to a court portal or print in one go.
On an iPhone, select the screenshots in Photos and tap Share, then Print. From the print preview you can share or save it as a PDF instead of printing.
On Android, open the screenshots in your photos app and choose Print. Then pick Save as PDF as the printer.
On a computer, you can also drag the screenshots into a document, one per page, and save that as a PDF.
Order, number and label the pages
Put the pages in date order, oldest first. Number every page. Give each conversation a label the court can refer to, such as Exhibit 1 or Exhibit A. Your court's rules may set the style.
A short list at the front helps a lot. Give each exhibit's label, the dates it covers and one neutral line about what it shows. That list is a timeline. It's often the first thing a judge or lawyer reads.
Courts often expect a copy for the judge, one for the other parent and one for you. Check your court's rules on copies and deadlines before you go.
Keep the original messages
Printing is a copy. Keep the messages on your phone, and don't delete the conversation after you print it. The court can ask to see the originals, or the other parent can say a printout was changed.
Back up your phone before you change or reset it. If you swap phones, check the messages came across before you wipe the old one.
Which way should you print?
Pick the route that fits the conversation you need.
A few messages or one short exchange?
Use screenshots on your phone. Overlap each one with the last and keep the contact's name in the first.
A long iPhone thread, and you have a Mac?
Print from Messages on the Mac with File > Print, or save it as a PDF from the same window.
A long thread on Android, or no Mac?
Use a desktop export program or a backup app. Check that a sample shows the date, time and sender of every message.
Messages from WhatsApp?
Use WhatsApp's own Export chat option, then screenshot the key moments to show how they looked.
Hundreds of screenshots already saved?
Put them in date order and turn them into one numbered PDF, with a short list of what each part shows at the front.
Before you print: page checklist
Run through this list for every conversation you plan to print.
Keep a clean copy for the court and a separate marked copy for your own notes.
Court timeline
Turn your screenshots into a court timeline
Have the messages and receipts as screenshots? Casewell reads them, puts them in date order and turns them into a neutral court chronology with an exhibit pack. Try it free, and pay once if you download the documents.
Or keep a dated record as things happen in the Casewell app.
Can I just show the judge my phone?
Don't rely on it. Many courts want copies filed or shared before the hearing. That way everyone reads the same pages. Bring your phone as well, in case the court asks to see the originals.
How do I print a whole text conversation?
On an iPhone, the easiest route is Messages on a Mac. Open the thread and choose File > Print. A paid desktop export program also works for iPhone and Android. For a short exchange, screenshots that overlap are enough.
Should I print the other parent's messages and mine?
Yes. Print both sides. A reply makes sense only next to the message it answers, and leaving yours out can make the printout look one-sided.
Can I highlight the important messages?
Keep the copy you file clean. If highlighting helps your lawyer, make a separate marked copy and label it as yours.
Do printed text messages count as evidence?
Courts often see printed messages. The judge decides how much weight they carry. Clear dates, the full context and the original phone all help.
Sources
Legal steps and terms vary. These official sources were checked for the general points used in this guide.