[beala]

I self host an Immich [1] instance to backup photos on my iPhone. It’s OSS and has a level of polish I’ve rarely seen in free software. Really, it’s shockingly good. The iOS app whisks my photo off to my home server several times per day.

What I’m not sure about is how to backup things like iMessages, Notes, and my Contacts. Every time I’ve looked, it appears the only options are random GitHub scripts that have reverse engineered the iMessage database.

1. https://immich.app/

[snowe2010]

The imessage db is literally just a sqlite db. If you have a Mac you can read the entire thing with an applescript. It’s really easy from what I remember from years ago

[unsnap_biceps]

I run a nextcloud [1] instance and use it for contacts, calendars, and reminders

1. https://nextcloud.com

[arendtio]

I use Nextcloud for files/contacts/calendar/etc. as well, but for photos I use PhotopPrism [1].

The reason is simple: photos require much more processing and focus on performance. In addition, photos take up much more space, so while my Nextcloud instance runs on an SSD, the photos reside on an HDD, mostly in sleep mode.

[1] https://www.photoprism.app

[css]

What's wrong with `imessage-exporter`?

https://github.com/ReagentX/imessage-exporter