Exporting and printing

How to print text messages from a Samsung Galaxy for court

Last reviewed 2026-10-17 · 3 official sources cited below

Galaxy phones use either Samsung Messages or Google Messages for texts. Neither one prints a whole conversation as a document, but you can get there for free.

Free route 1: Scrolling screenshots (short threads)

Galaxy phones can take a screenshot and keep extending it down the page (shown as a “scroll capture” option in the toolbar after you take a screenshot, on most One UI versions). Capture from the top of the relevant part of the thread so the contact name and the date headers are included. Long images are awkward to print, though, and the text isn’t searchable.

Free route 2: SMS Backup & Restore XML → PDF (any length)

1. Install SMS Backup & Restore (SyncTech). The developer lists the basic app as free.
2. Back up Messages → Selected conversations. If you need photos, enable the MMS option. SyncTech notes that RCS (“chat”) messages can be backed up on selected models, and that Samsung RCS chat records carry an extra s_chat field.
3. Copy the .xml file to your computer (Google Drive, email, or USB).
4. Open it in TextExhibits, select the conversation, set the time zone, and download the PDF.

The free PDF includes the first 30 messages with a watermark, so you can check the result. The paid export removes the watermark and adds Bates numbers and a hash certificate.

Make sure RCS chats are included

If the thread shows “Chat message” or RCS bubbles, check that the backup has the same number of messages as the phone for a sample day. If RCS messages are missing, note it and use screenshots for those parts. Never retype messages.

Before court

Keep the phone. Bring copies for the judge and the other side, and be ready to say how you made the printout, because the person offering evidence must be able to show it is what they say it is (FRE 901 and its state equivalents).

Sources

1. SyncTech — SMS Backup & Restore (features, price)
2. SyncTech — Fields in SMS Backup & Restore XML backup files
3. Federal Rules of Evidence, Rule 901 — Authenticating or Identifying Evidence (Cornell LII)

Sources were opened and checked on 2026-10-17. Laws and rules change; always read the current version.