Extract iMessage Attachments and Links into Organized Folders

In plain words

This tool is a zsh shell script that extracts attachments and links from macOS iMessages and organizes them into labeled folders. It reads directly from the Messages database to pull photos, videos, audio files, and URLs, sorting them by contact or group conversation and compiling links into CSV files. Designed for macOS users who want to back up or organize files shared over iMessage without storing entire conversations, the script requires only macOS and SQLite to run and outputs results to a desktop folder.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

iMessage Attachments and Links Extractor for macOS - iMessageAttachmentsLinksExtractor.sh

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In the maker’s words, at launch

I created a simple shell (zsh) script to help macOS users extract attachments (photos, videos, audio files) and URLs from their iMessages. The script pulls data directly from the Messages database (chat.db), organizes attachments into folders named after each contact or group conversation, and compiles all shared…

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