Question 1

How do I export an iMessage conversation?

Accepted Answer

Pick the conversation and click Export. You get a clean text file of the whole thread, ready to read or hand to an AI like ChatGPT or Claude. No Terminal, no PDF wrangling.

Question 2

Can I export an entire iMessage conversation, including old messages?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Lembic reads your full local Messages history, so you can export a whole thread or just a date range.

Question 3

How do I get my texts into ChatGPT or Claude?

Accepted Answer

That's the whole point. Export, click Copy, and paste into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini. You can send a one-click prompt along with it, like “summarize this relationship.”

Question 4

Do I need an iPhone plugged in?

Accepted Answer

No. Lembic reads the Messages history already synced to your Mac. Nothing needs to be connected.

Question 5

Is it safe? Do my messages get uploaded?

Accepted Answer

No. Lembic runs entirely on your Mac, with no servers and no account. The export engine is open source, so you can verify exactly what it does instead of taking our word for it.

Question 6

Why does it need Full Disk Access?

Accepted Answer

macOS keeps your Messages database behind Full Disk Access, the same switch you grant Time Machine and other backup tools. You grant it once, and you can revoke it anytime in System Settings.

Question 7

Is it a subscription?

Accepted Answer

No, it's a one-time purchase. Pay once and your exports are yours for good. Join the waitlist for launch pricing.

Question 8

Does it export to PDF?

Accepted Answer

The core export is built for AI, so it's clean, token-efficient text rather than a PDF. Need other formats? The Pro plan adds PDF, CSV, DOCX, and more. If you only want a printout for legal or archival use, a plain PDF exporter may be all you need.

Question 9

Which macOS versions are supported?

Accepted Answer

Recent versions of macOS. The exact requirements will be listed at launch. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know.

Questions, answered.

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