data transferdata-recoveryiphonemessagestext;
I managed to import all the photos off an old iPhone 3G I recently rediscovered while going through my junk drawer. I used Image Capture, but now I’d like to get all the texts.
I'd like to use only the terminal, ie. no downloads of third-party software, and I'd like to NOT use iTunes or iCloud. My Mac is running Sierra. Would like to get the notes off too if possible. Is this doable?
I found that Image Capture is still available and I can set it to be the default to launch when I plugin in my iphone as well.
To do that run Image Capture (click the search icon in the top right of the menu bar and type Image Capture.
Then in the bottom left there is the option for what should happen when your phone is connected.
best way to do this is via AirDrop, its super fast and doesn't require a internet connection (bluetooth and WIFI need to be switched on though). Works with iPhone5 or up, maybe 4S as well but i didn't try.
Best Answer
For anyone not bound by the strict “no third party” requirement - go get a copy of Phone View.
It does everything asked for and you can use it on all devices for one license. The free trial let’s you install and be sure it will work before paying for the software.
If I discover a way to get started or accomplish this using only Apple terminal and free Mac App Store apps, I’ll edit that in here as well. I would start with Apple Configurator and the command line tools it installs since that can read log files and get past the “trust” steps that iTunes and iCloud typically perform when getting data from iOS to macOS.