Text messaging has become one of the most popular forms of communication between people in recent years, but it has some drawbacks. One of them is that the message itself is limited to the device to which it is sent. This makes sharing rather inconvenient, as you either have to show it to people individually or deliver the message itself to multiple people.
Fortunately, technology offers ways to solve this problem, for example by printing these messages. Not only does this make electronic information on your cell phone more tactile, but it also gives you a way to save those messages for future use.
In this article, we'll show you how to print text messages for those times when you might need to.
How to Print Text Messages from Android to Printer Directly
If you want to print a message directly from your mobile phone to a printer, you must meet several conditions. These are:
- Your printer must be able to connect to Wi-Fi or a local network. Unless you have a Wi-Fi enabled printer, direct printing will not be possible. To check Wi-Fi connectivity, refer to your printer's manual. Alternatively, if you see a Wi-Fi button on your printer, that clearly indicates that it is Wi-Fi ready.
- Your phone should be able to connect to a printer. As Android devices have different manufacturers, not all Android phones and tablets are guaranteed to be able to connect to a printer out of the box. To check, do the following:
a. Open your Parameters menu. To do this, swipe down and then tap the gear icon in your quick menu, or swipe up to show the app menu, then find and then tap Parameters.
b. In the settings menu search bar, type Print, then tap Search.
vs. If results such as Services d’impression, Print jobs ou Impression display, your phone is able to print directly.
- Your Android phone and printer must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Refer to your printer manual to check how to connect your particular printer model to your Wi-Fi network.
Once your printer and Android device are connected, you can proceed to print your text messages by following these steps:
- Take a screenshot of the message you want to print. This is necessary because Android does not have a built-in method to print messages directly from the SMS app. To take a screenshot, press and hold the power button and volume down simultaneously.
- Open your device's Screenshots folder. This can be done by:
a. Open the apps menu by swiping up on the main screen.
b. Find and tap the Files icon. This is usually represented by the image of a folder.
vs. Open the main menu by tapping the three-line icon in the top left.
D. By tapping on Pictures.
e. By tapping on Screenshot. - Choose the image containing the messages you want to print, then tap it. If you're prompted to choose an app to open, the default Photos app should be fine.
- Press Share. It should be the icon of the three connected circles or the Share icon.
- In the list of icons that appear, tap Print.
- You will be offered several printing options. Adjust them as you wish. When you're done, tap the drop-down arrow in the upper right corner, then select your printer's name from the list.
- You will again have the option to change printer options, such as page range and number of copies. Once you have confirmed that the current values are correct, press the Print button.
- If your printer is currently connected and turned on, it should automatically start printing.
- Repeat the process for all screenshots if necessary.
How to Print Text Messages from iPhone to Printer Directly
Printing messages directly to a printer can also be done when using an iPhone. To do so, follow these steps:
- Have a Wi-Fi enabled printer ready and connected to the same network that your iPhone uses.
- Open the text message you want to print.
- Take a screenshot of the message by pressing the power and home buttons simultaneously (or, if you don't have a home button, press the power button and volume up button). volume). As mentioned, you'll need to take screenshots because the iPhone text messaging app doesn't have a direct way to print conversations.
- Open the images of your saved conversations using the Photos app on your iPhone.
- Scroll to the menu below, then press Print.
- Press Select printer and choose the printer currently connected to your Wi-Fi network.
- If your printer is on and currently connected, it should start printing automatically.
How to Print Text Messages from iCloud
The Apple iCloud allows users to back up data from their Apple devices to the cloud for later use. It's a great way to archive data, but it doesn't directly print messages from the iCloud app itself. As a workaround, you can install third-party software that lets you print the messages instead.
AnyTrans is a good program to use, as its interface is quite intuitive, and it comes with a free trial if you only want to use it for a short time. Install AnyTrans on your Mac or PC, then follow the instructions below.
To use iCloud to print text messages, you must first enable it. To do so, follow these steps:
- On your iPhone, open the apps menu.
- Scroll down and press Parameters.
- Press your iCloud Account. If you don't have one, you will need to register. Apple provides free storage for all iPhone users.
- In the menu below, press iCloud.
- Find it messages icon and make sure the iCloud the toggle is on.
Now that your iPhone has backed up your messages, you can print those files through a printer connected to a computer. You'll need the AnyTrans app for this, so make sure it's already installed. Then do the following:
- Open Anytrans on your computer.
- Click on the iCloud Manager Tongue.
- Open your iCloud Account.
- On the Category page, find and click ICloud backup.
- From the list of devices, choose the one that contains the messages you want to print.
- In the left menu, click messages.
- Find the message you want to print, then make sure its box is checked.
- Click on the To computer icon located in the upper right corner of the screen.
- On your computer, locate the export folder. Posts should have been saved as html files and images will be located in the img folder. You can now use the printer connected to your computer to print the files.
How to Print Text Messages by Copying from Phone to PC First
Forwarding text messages from your phone to your computer is also a possible way to print them, although this requires third-party software. Mobile text messages are delivered in a file format that your computer cannot read. If you want to use these SMS, you must first make them readable by your PC.
The advantage of this method is that you don't need a Wi-Fi enabled printer to print the messages themselves. As long as you have a printer connected to a computer that you are going to send the messages to, that will suffice. If you're using an iPhone, refer to the iCloud transfer method above, as that would be the easiest way to do it on iOS. If you're using an Android phone, choose one of the following apps:
Android Manager
Available for Mac and Windows, Android Manager app allows users to backup data including SMS messages from any Android device to PC. It also has options for users to view and print text messages that have been forwarded. You need a USB cable to connect the phone to the computer, but most Android devices usually come with it.
Android Manager is paid software, but there is a free trial period for those who want to try it.
Dr Phone
Dr. Fone is another popular app for those who frequently transfer data from phone to phone. This app is free to download and use, and is also available for Android and Mac. Similar to Android manager, you will need USB cable to connect phone and computer.
Android Mobile Recovery
Another free app, Android Mobile Recovery, not only transfers existing text messages from your phone to PC, but it can also recover previously deleted messages. It is a handy backup utility if you want to transfer messages from your phone to your computer.
The big difference between this app and others is that your device must be rooted if you want to use it. If you already have a rooted Androidphone, that's not a big deal. If you don't want to do this, choose one of the other apps instead.
Once you have transferred the messages using any of the above applications, all you have to do is open the messages on the PC. Once they have been opened through one of these applications, you can use the provided tools to print them.
Additional FAQ
When discussing printing text messages, this is usually the most frequently asked question:
Can I use these impressions for the court as evidence of communication?
Legally, electronic data such as text messages have the same legal value as other printed documents. This means that they can be used as proof of communication, but you will still need to meet a few requirements. Different states have different evidentiary stipulations, but the most common are authenticity, admissibility, and relevance.
All of these conditions must be met for printed text messages to be accepted by the court.
1. For printed text messages to be considered authentic, they must be identifiable using what is known as a digital signature. Essentially, you need to be able to prove that the person you say sent the messages actually sent them.
2. For messages to be considered admissible, they must not have been obtained by illegal means. Some states have laws that even make authenticated messages inadmissible if they have been recovered through hacking or theft.
3. For a post to be considered relevant, it must relate to the legal issue that must be proven in court. If the text message does not prove or disprove a fact that is the subject of legal questioning, the judge may declare it irrelevant and refuse to accept it as evidence.
Ultimately, it's up to the judge to accept the printouts as evidence. Although he must meet all three requirements, it is still not guaranteed that the judge will accept them.
Provide physical records
Text message impressions provide a physical record of what can be considered intangible data. Whether for legal reasons or for record keeping purposes, printing text messages can be very useful. All you need is the know-how.
Do you know any other ways to print text messages from your phone? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
