TextExhibit alternatives for court
Published October 13, 2026
Short answer: TextExhibit is a good fit if your messages are ordinary SMS or MMS on an Android phone and you want a PDF with Bates numbers and hash reports. It does not fit if the conversation is in WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger or another app, if your phone is an iPhone and you have no computer, or if you only need a short exchange presented clearly. Those are the cases the alternatives below cover.
What TextExhibit is
TextExhibit comes in two parts. The Android app reads the phone's SMS and MMS database on the phone itself and produces PDFs, with optional Bates numbering, a SHA256 and MD5 hash report for the output files, and attachments saved to a folder. The maker lists it at $19.99 as a one-time unlock. The desktop program for iPhone backups runs on Windows or Mac and reads a backup of the iPhone made on that computer; the personal licence is $19.99 for one iPhone, and there are monthly and annual subscriptions for unlimited phones. The free trial watermarks the PDF, redacts some messages and allows three exports.
Two limits matter for court use. The maker's own FAQ says it covers only native SMS and MMS, not WhatsApp, Messenger or other apps, and that some RCS messages on Android may be missing from exports. It also says the iPhone route needs a local computer backup; iCloud backups are not supported.
The alternatives, by situation
Android, and you want a free export
SMS Backup & Restore (by SyncTech) saves your messages to an XML file, and a separate app with a similar name, SMS Backup, Print & Restore, prints one conversation at a time to PDF, CSV or HTML. Both are free. The output is a plain list without numbering or a cover sheet, and it does not include screenshots. See SMS Backup & Restore to a court PDF.
iPhone, with a Mac or PC
Decipher TextMessage ($29.99 one-time, two devices) and iMazing (subscription, with a one-time option on the store) both read an iPhone backup on the computer and export whole conversations with a time on every message. iMazing also handles WhatsApp and offers RSMF, the format used by legal review platforms. See Decipher TextMessage or iMazing for court.
Any phone, any app, no computer
Screenshots with a transcript. Screenshot the conversation, then turn the screenshots into a numbered, dated transcript with the originals attached. This is the only route that works for WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Snapchat or a group chat, and the only one that needs nothing but the phone. Court Texts does this part: upload the screenshots, it reads them, removes the overlap, and builds the PDF. Free preview, $19 to export. It shows only what is visible in your screenshots, so it does not add times the app did not display, and it is not a forensic extraction.
A long history where authenticity will be fought
None of the consumer tools above, TextExhibit included, prove who was holding the phone. When the other side will seriously dispute the messages, a digital forensics examiner who images the device and testifies is the route lawyers use. It costs hundreds to thousands of dollars. See the six ways to get text messages for court.
Can you pick up Sofia at 3 today?
I told you I can't on Tuesdays.
Side by side
| TextExhibit | SMS Backup & Restore | Decipher / iMazing | Screenshots + Court Texts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Android | Yes, on the phone | Yes, on the phone | No | Yes |
| iPhone | Via computer backup | No | Via computer backup | Yes |
| WhatsApp and other apps | No | No | iMazing: WhatsApp | Yes, anything you can screenshot |
| Needs a computer | Android no, iPhone yes | No | Yes | No |
| Numbered pages, cover sheet | Bates numbers | No | Partly | Yes, numbered messages and a cover sheet |
| Original screenshots attached | No | No | No | Yes |
| Price | $19.99 one-time per platform | Free | $29.99 one-time / subscription | Free preview, $19 per transcript |
What to check whichever you choose
- Count the messages. One TextExhibit reviewer reported whole months missing from an export; the maker's FAQ notes RCS gaps. Compare the export against the conversation on the phone before you rely on it.
- Keep the conversation on the phone and bring the phone. Every tool here produces a copy; the original is what settles arguments.
- Be ready to say how you know who sent the messages. No PDF does that for you. See how to authenticate text messages for court.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Prices and features were checked on the makers' own sites in October 2026 and change; confirm before buying. The other products named belong to their own companies, which have no connection to Court Texts, which makes a competing tool.
Common questions
Is TextExhibit free?
There is a free trial that watermarks the PDFs, redacts some messages and allows three exports. The full Android app is a $19.99 one-time unlock, and the desktop program for iPhone backups is $19.99 for one personal iPhone, with subscriptions for more phones. Prices are the maker's as of October 2026.
Does TextExhibit work with WhatsApp or iMessage?
Its FAQ says it covers only native SMS and MMS. iMessage conversations on an iPhone are included when it reads a computer backup of the phone, because they live in the same database. WhatsApp, Messenger and other apps are not supported; for those, screenshots are the usual route.
What is the simplest alternative if I only have my phone?
Screenshots. Scroll through the conversation taking overlapping screenshots, then use a tool that turns them into a numbered, dated transcript with the originals attached. It works for any app and needs no computer.
Do I need Bates numbers?
Usually not for a self-represented case in family or small claims court. Bates numbering is a convention for large document productions between law firms. A clearly numbered transcript is what most judges want to see.
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