Download Lembic for Mac
Turn any iMessage conversation into a clean, AI-ready file, all on your Mac. Free to download and explore. A one-time purchase unlocks exporting.
Version 1.0.0 · macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later · free download
Signed and notarized by Apple
A direct download, notarized so macOS Gatekeeper opens it cleanly. No App Store, no unsigned installer to talk yourself into.
Open-source engine
The engine that reads your messages is open source. You can read it or compile it yourself.
Pay once
Download and explore for free. A one-time purchase unlocks exporting. No subscription, ever.
What to expect on first launch
Lembic works on your Mac and asks for one permission up front. Here is the whole flow, so nothing is a surprise.
- 1
Install it
Open the disk image and drag Lembic into your Applications folder.
- 2
Grant Full Disk Access
On first launch, Lembic asks for Full Disk Access so it can read your local Messages database. It is the same permission macOS gives Time Machine and other backup tools. You grant it once, and you can revoke it anytime.
- 3
Texts on your iPhone? Turn on Messages in iCloud
Lembic reads the messages synced to your Mac. If your history lives on your iPhone, turn on Messages in iCloud so it syncs across, and Lembic fills in as the messages arrive.
PRIVACY
Nothing to upload, because there is nowhere to upload it
Lembic has no backend. It opens your Messages database in place, reads it, and never copies or uploads it. Building the transcript happens on your Mac. When you take that transcript to an AI, you are using your own ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini account.
System requirements
- macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later, on Apple silicon or Intel
- Full Disk Access, granted once on first launch
- Messages set up on your Mac, ideally with Messages in iCloud on
What's new
Version 1.0.0
June 2026- · First public release. Turn any iMessage conversation into a clean, AI-ready transcript, entirely on your Mac.
- · One-click prompts, a token meter, and on-device redaction for passwords, account numbers, and codes.
- · In-app automatic updates, signed and notarized by Apple, so you never re-download the app.
Pay once. Yours forever.
Download and explore for free. A one-time purchase unlocks exporting, 50% off for the first 500 with code FOUNDING50.