Extract text from message log files (MESSAGES)
To convert MESSAGES message logs to another format, you need Apple Messages or other Backup software.
To convert other file formats to the "Chat History Backup" file type, you need software like Apple Messages or a similar tool.
A .messages file typically stores archived chat histories, SMS/MMS backups, or system event logs. Different applications use this extension for entirely different purposes. Common uses include encrypted backups for WhatsApp, protected cloud message histories for Skype, or Apple iOS Messages app archives. It is also widely used by Unix-like systems as a plain-text system event log (found in /var/log/messages), and by Google Cloud Storage for access logs.
The main disadvantage of .messages files generated by modern chat applications is that they are highly proprietary and deliberately encrypted. A WhatsApp or Skype backup is practically useless outside its native ecosystem. You cannot natively read these files in a web browser or standard text editor unless they are unencrypted JSON files, like those exported by the Android SMS Backup & Restore app, or plain text Unix logs.
If the file contains unencrypted text or JSON data, you should convert it to TXT, JSON, or CSV to read the contents across different devices.
This file format is notoriously difficult to open or convert when it is used as an encrypted chat backup. Usually, only the original software can properly restore and read the data. However, convert.guru can still identify the file format, inspect the file, and show text or internal content. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or conversion may still be possible. Just drag and drop your file to see what it is and convert it if supported.
Convert.Guru analyzes your MESSAGES file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted TBL, NUM, VERSION, PDF and TEXT files.
If you want to convert MESSAGES file to PDF or TEXT, you can use Apple Messages or similar software from the "Message History Archive" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert files to MESSAGES, try Apple Messages or another comparable tool in the "Message History Archive" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our MESSAGES converter.