TouchCopy is a desktop program from Wide Angle Software for copying content off an iPhone, iPad or iPod onto a computer. It runs on Windows and macOS. TouchCopy reads music, photos, messages, contacts, call logs, notes and several other kinds of data, then saves them as ordinary files or sends them into iTunes or the Apple Music app. TouchCopy is paid, though its free demo browses everything and only limits how much can be copied.
Connecting a device by cable or Wi-Fi
Nothing is installed on the phone. TouchCopy detects a device connected by USB. After the user taps Trust and enters the passcode, it opens the device’s content in a menu of categories. A Wi-Fi connection also works once the user enables “Show this iPhone when on Wi-Fi” in Finder, iTunes or Apple Devices. Both machines must share one network.
Where the data comes from depends on the category. TouchCopy reads music, photos, videos and files straight from the device. TouchCopy reads messages, contacts and call logs from an iPhone backup. It can create one on the spot or use an existing one. Call history on recent iOS versions needs an encrypted backup and its password.
Music, playlists and library sync
The Music section lists tracks, podcasts, audiobooks and ringtones and can play them on the computer. TouchCopy can copy selected songs to a folder on the hard drive or straight into the iTunes or Music library. Files keep their original format, and TouchCopy carries over ratings, play counts, last-played dates and album art.
When copying to a library, TouchCopy skips tracks that are already there. A report lists only the songs missing from the computer, so a lost library can be refilled from the device. TouchCopy recreates playlists in the library, with smart playlists arriving as regular ones.
Photo and video backups
TouchCopy saves photos and videos at original quality. It saves each album as its own folder unless that option is turned off. TouchCopy supports JPEG, HEIC, animated GIF and Apple ProRAW images. ProRAW shots come out as unmodified DNG files. In Settings, the user can convert HEIC images to JPG, keep them as they are, or save them both ways.
The Export New Photos function compares the device against a chosen backup folder. It copies only the items not yet saved there, so repeated backups do not create duplicates. On a Mac, TouchCopy can also send pictures to the Photos app or set one as the desktop wallpaper.
Saving and printing text messages
TouchCopy shows SMS, MMS, RCS, iMessage, WhatsApp and LINE conversations in a preview pane. It exports one or more of them as PDF, HTML, CSV or plain text. HTML keeps images, video and voice messages inside the file; CSV holds text, timestamps and senders for spreadsheets; plain text drops media. Conversations can also be printed.
A forensic export option adds details for legal or record-keeping use. These include a sequential number for each message, Bates page numbering with a custom prefix in PDFs, and a footer. The footer shows the device name, export date and optionally the device’s unique identifier.
Contacts, calendars, calls and notes
TouchCopy can export contacts as a single CSV file for Excel, Numbers or an Outlook import, or as separate vCard files. TouchCopy saves calendars as iCal files for calendar programs or as CSV. The call log view lists each call’s date, contact, duration and whether it was missed, including FaceTime and WhatsApp calls. The user can filter logs by date and save them as HTML, PDF or CSV.
Notes export as HTML with their pictures and videos (audio attachments go to a separate folder), as PDF or as plain text. TouchCopy also copies voicemails, voice memos, reminders, books, Safari history and browser bookmarks.
Using the device as file storage
The Files section turns the device into portable storage. Files and folders can be dragged onto the device, organized, deleted or copied back, within the folders Apple exposes in the device’s sandbox.
Demo and full version
The TouchCopy demo browses all content and plays music. It caps copying to a small number of tracks and photos and the first few messages of each conversation. Other categories are capped or unavailable. An activation code removes every limit.
