A single SMS text message can only contain 160 characters (including spaces). But make no mistake: There can be a ton of extremely important information being exchanged, including timestamps and more.

For that reason, it’s recommended that you enable auto-delete for your texts to prevent other people from accessing sensitive iPhone data. However, there may be times when the opposite is true, and you need to store these text messages for future use.

Saving text messages (or WhatsApp messages) is extremely easy. All that you have to do is take a screenshot, and a digital photograph of your screen is created (more on that in a moment). You can upload the screenshot to your iCloud, where it will be safely stored with any additional data that you’re archiving. Anything you keep in iCloud will stay there as long as you have the feature enabled. If you disable it, you’ll have 180 days before it’s deleted.

There may be some times when you’ll need to turn a digital text message (or even something like WhatsApp chats) into a physical picture. It might be relevant to a court case that you’re involved in, be necessary for business purposes/records, or simply be a cherished memory that you want to hang onto. Whatever the reason, it isn’t very hard to print out a text message, and you’ll have a few different options.

How Do You Take a Screenshot on an iPhone?

The first thing that you need to know how to do is how to take a screenshot. Technically, there are ways that you can print a text without creating a screenshot first, but it’s the most efficient way to get the entire conversation into a single picture.

You can crop out unnecessary parts of the screenshot by editing it using your Photos app. That way, you don’t have to waste ink printing out something that isn’t important. (Speaking of editing, with iOS 16, you can edit text messages).

The process can be a tad different depending on the iPhone model that you’re using. However, it’s extremely simple, and you should be able to get it within a few seconds.

Here is a quick, hassle-free tutorial on how to take a screenshot using:

iPhones Without a Home Button

The Home button was discontinued by Apple in 2016 when it released the iPhone 7. The iPad said goodbye to the home button in 2018. If you have an iPhone that was manufactured after this time, it doesn’t have the formerly iconic Home button on the bottom.

Here is how you’ll have to take a screenshot if you have such a device:

1. At the same time, press the Power button (sometimes called the Side button) located on the right side of your phone and the Volume Up button located on the left side.
2. Quickly release the two buttons whenever there is a visual or audio confirmation informing you that a screenshot of the messages was created.
3. A thumbnail should pop up in the lower-left-hand corner of your screen. You can immediately access the screenshot by pressing it or opening your Photos app and locating it there.

iPhones With a Home Button

If you’re using an older model iPhone, you’ll still have access to the Home button. The process is basically the same as the one listed above, except you’ll be using the Home button this time:

1. At the same time, press the Home button located at the bottom-middle of your screen and the “Power” button (sometimes called the “Top” button) located at the top of the phone.
2. Quickly release the two buttons whenever a visual or audio confirmation informs you that a screenshot was created.
3. You should see a thumbnail appear in the lower-left-hand corner of your screen. You can immediately access the screenshot by pressing it or opening your Photos app and locating it there.

iPhones With the AssistiveTouch Feature

Pressing two buttons at the same time to take a screenshot can be difficult for some people. If you haven’t been able to take a screenshot using the methods listed above, then it might be a good idea to use the AssistiveTouch feature. AssistiveTouch is an iOS device accessibility feature designed to help people use their iPhones if they have difficulty touching the screen or pressing the buttons.

Here is how you can enable it to help you take screenshots more easily:

1. Swipe down from the top of your screen to open the Settings app of your iPhone. The icon looks like a gear and should be located near the top of your screen.
2. Scroll down and select the “Accessibility” option.
3. Click on the “Touch” option and then toggle the Assistive Touch feature that’s located at the top of your screen.
4. You’ll now have the ability to create custom actions for various tasks. The best method for taking a screenshot would be to enable the “Double-Tap” option. If you do that, you can take a screenshot by simply pressing the digital Assistive Touch button twice in quick succession.

3 Different Ways To Print iPhone Text Messages

Now that you know how to create a screenshot, we can talk about the different ways that you can print it out. Obviously, you’re going to need access to a printer to create physical copies of your digital screenshots. The easiest path would be to connect your iPhone to the printer via Bluetooth. If that’s not an option, then some methods of printing your texts won’t be available:

Print the Screenshot Directly (Requires Bluetooth or USB Cable)

1. Open your Messages app and locate the text message that you want to print.
2. Take a screenshot using one of the methods discussed earlier. You should hear a sound or see something on your screen to indicate the screenshot has been taken. It should automatically be saved and uploaded into your storage gallery.
3. Tap on the thumbnail of the screenshot in the lower-left corner of your screen, or go to your Photos app to open the screenshot you want to print.
4. Press the Up Arrow button and select the “Print” option. It might be listed as “AirPrint” in some cases. You’ll likely need an AirPrint-enabled printer.
5. If your phone has a Bluetooth connection to your printer, the screenshot should be printed out. If not, connect a USB cable directly to your printer before you select the “Print” option.

Email Yourself the Screenshot (Requires PC or Mac)

1. Open your Messages app and locate the text message that you want to print.
2. Take a screenshot using one of the methods discussed earlier. You should hear a sound or see something on your screen to indicate the screenshot has been taken. It should automatically be saved and uploaded into your storage gallery.
3. Tap on the thumbnail of the screenshot that appears in the lower-left corner of your screen, or go to your Photo app to open the screenshot that you want to print.
4. Press the Up Arrow button and select the “Mail” option. In the “To” section, enter your email address. Press “Send” whenever you see the attached screenshot appear in the message.
5. Use a computer connected to a printer to access your email account. You should see the email at the top of your inbox. If you don’t, wait a few seconds and hit the refresh button on the mail app or browser.
6. Open the email when you’ve located it and select the attached screenshot.
7. The program you use to open the picture should have a “Print” option. Select it, and a copy of the screenshot should print.

Use iCloud To Print the Screenshot (Requires PC or Mac)

1. Open the Settings app of your iPhone and select [your name] from the list.
2. Select the “iCloud” option followed by the “Photos” option.
3. Enable the “Sync This {device]” to automatically upload the contents of your Photos app to iCloud.
4. Open your Message app and find the text message that you want to print.
5. Take a screenshot using one of the methods discussed earlier. You should hear a sound or see something on your screen to indicate the screenshot has been taken. It should automatically be saved and uploaded to your iCloud account.
6. Open the web browser on your computer and enter “icloud.com.”
7. Enter your Apple ID and password to log into your account.
8. Select the “Photos” option and click on “Library” to see thumbnails of your photos and videos.
9. Click the screenshot you want to print out (hold the CTRL key to select multiple files), followed by the Download button at the top of the screen. The icon looks like a cloud with an arrow pointing downward.
10. Select the “Save File” option in the dialog box that appears and choose where you want them to be stored. Click “OK” to start the download.
11. Open up the screenshot from wherever you saved them. The program should have a “Print” option. Select the print option, and the screenshot should start printing momentarily.

When and How To Save Text Messages: Summary

Text message conversations are the preferred method of communication for a lot of people worldwide. The convenience can’t be beaten, and it allows you to reread previous iPhone SMS or iMessage. It also helps you create physical records of the conversation, which might be very handy in certain situations.

For security reasons, it’s usually smart to delete text messages periodically. That’s why it can help to take a few screenshots of significant messages that you might need to review in the future. These screenshots can be stored in your gallery or iCloud and accessed whenever needed. If you ever accidentally delete a text message, it’s okay because there are a few ways that you can recover them.

Printing out a screenshot of a text message requires a few steps. Unfortunately, there is no Print button in “iMessages” that you can press to easily create a physical copy. (Reminder: iMessages are for Apple users only. Android and Windows users will have green text bubbles on the iPhone, while iMessages are blue.)

However, you should be able to use one of the three methods listed above as long as you have access to a printer and/or computer. It’s not too bad once you get the hang of it, and you’ll be printing out your text messages in no time!

Sources:

How to Take a Screenshot on Every iPhone Model | Business Insider

Goodbye to the iPhone Home Button, Which Has No Home on the Apple's New Phones | Fortune

How to crop a photo on your iPhone in two simple ways, and revert a cropped photo back to its original version | Business Insider

Text messages sent in the U.S. 2021 | Statista