Documenting harassment, stalking, and threats
Preserve harassing text messages exactly as they appeared on your phone. ScribeHold produces a verifiable, tamper-evident archive you can hand to police, an attorney, or the court for a TRO or restraining-order petition — Bates-numbered PDF/A, a separate SHA-256 manifest, and an affidavit cover bound to your matter.
What ScribeHold gives you
- Bates-numbered PDF/A of the harassing conversations you select
- A separate SHA-256 manifest file so police, opposing counsel, or the court can verify nothing has been altered
- A separate affidavit cover page with matter caption, case or report number, and jurisdiction
- A separate metadata CSV with timestamp, sender, delivery status, and message type for every message
- Full-resolution photo and other attachments included in the bundle
- A redaction step so you can remove unrelated personal messages before sharing
How it works
- Install ScribeHold on your Windows PC. The free version browses the last 30 days.
- Plug in your iPhone via USB cable. Enter your passcode on the device when prompted (Apple requires this on iOS 16.1+). ScribeHold detects, backs up, and indexes automatically — no app to open.
- Open the Legal Export wizard. Enter your matter caption, case or police-report number, and jurisdiction.
- Select the harassing conversations and date range. Redact anything you do not want in the bundle.
- Save the multi-file archive. Hand it to police, your attorney, or file it directly with your petition.
ScribeHold is an export tool, not a forensic-analyst substitute. It produces a verifiable, tamper-evident artifact you can independently re-hash.
If you are in immediate danger, contact local law enforcement. ScribeHold is a preservation tool, not an emergency service.
How ScribeHold compares
| Your question | ScribeHold | iMazing | Decipher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Will my export hold up if opposing counsel objects? | ✅ Bates-numbered PDF/A, separate SHA-256 manifest, affidavit cover, and per-message metadata CSV — all matter-bound to your case caption and jurisdiction | ❌ No Bates numbering, no hash manifest, no affidavit cover * | ❌ Single PDF export; no separate manifest, no affidavit cover * |
| Does it sync automatically in the background? | ✅ Windows Service — plug in + tap your passcode once; ScribeHold detects, backs up, and indexes automatically. No app to open. [1] | ✅* iMazing Mini provides background backups on Windows * [2] | ❌ Manual; requires iTunes installed and the app open * |
| What does it cost? | ✅ $2.99/mo or $19.99/yr Pro · $44.99 one-time Legal Export Pack ($34.99 with Pro) · Free for 30 days | ❌ $29.99–$49.99/yr — no monthly tier; subscription-only since June 2025 * | ✅ $29.99 one-time PDF tool — no monthly tier * |
| Can I find any message in seconds? | ✅ Full-text search (SQLite FTS5) across iMessage, SMS, MMS, RCS | ✅ Search within the app | ❌ Print/export tool; no searchable archive * |
| Can I use this on my Windows PC? | ✅ Windows-first | ✅ Windows + Mac | ✅ Windows + Mac |
| Can I use this on my Mac? | ❌ Windows-only by design | ✅ | ✅ |
| Does it support WhatsApp? | ❌ iMessage, SMS, MMS, RCS only | ✅ | ❌ Requires separate Decipher Chat product * |
[1] USB connection and a passcode tap on the device are required for each backup (Apple requires this on iOS 16.1+). [2] iMazing Mini's background-sync behaviour on Windows has not been independently verified by ScribeHold. Claim sourced from imazing.com/mini. Competitor claims verified May 2026. Sources: imazing.com, deciphertools.com.