This app is still my favorite for accessing stuff on my iphone. Is great to be able to export entire message text into xls (or pdf)... It is a bit expensive, but upgrades have been free since the beginning, so it's been cheap overall.
Invaluable. Lets you do essential things like save text conversations to PDF, and so, so much more. Actively developed (not sure about the guy who called it abandonware).
Bear in mind that iPhones have a lot of storage space, for a lot of data, so it needs to transfer to your Mac and that, unavoidably, takes time. Expect the first-time load to take quite a while.
This feels like abandonware which is a shame. It barely works anymore and takes FOREVER to load. One trick I realized is that you cannot let your phone sleep while Phoneview laboriously takes its time to transfer your phone's list of messages, email, etc. So you have to sit there and use your finger to wiggle the screen back and forth for almost fifteen minutes until the app to completes its scan. Ugh. Theoretically you could just play a half hour YouTube video but Phoneview doesn't recognize my iPhone 5s with iOS 10.3.3 via USB but it will by wifi, so choking up my wifi downloading a YouTube video will just take longer.
I've been using Phoneview for years, since version one, but it's probably time to move on. It seems like the developer already has.
Like (1)
Version 2.13.6
4 answer(s)
Jim-Leff
19 May 2018
It takes longer to load than previously because iPhone storage space has increased. The developers can't alter the laws of physics; it takes a certain amount of time for all the crap on your device to transfer to your Mac. Build that into expectations.
Like
Visible-Evidence
19 May 2018
In answer to Jim-Leff: Really? because I've had the same 30GB iPhone 5 since 2012 and I can definitely see a degradation in PhoneView's performance. FIFTEEN MINUTES seems like an excessive amount of time for ANY APP to take just to build a list of contents. And it doesn't seem to be any faster on an iPhone 4C, 5S, 6S, or 7, all of which I've tried as well.
PhoneView was a fantastic product but it needs some serious under the hood work to bring it back to its former glory.
Like
Jim-Leff
19 May 2018
15 minutes is nothing. It can take up to an hour. It is limited by the laws of physics. Data (a lot of it) is physically transferring from device to Mac. This isn't a problem with the app, it's a problem with physics. Complain to God.
You say you'd like a "list of contents" before those contents are actually available. First, I can't imagine what you'd do with it (most users would just aggravate themselves clicking on stuff to no avail), and, second, there's no way for the app to compile such a list. It must transfer data before it can offer the data. And data transfer takes time.
But it sounds like you mostly just want to be huffy and indignant, so....enjoy.
Like
Visible-Evidence
20 May 2018
In answer to Jim-Leff: There's nothing "huffy [or] indignant" about it. I wrote a fair review and you don't like it. I'm sure Ecamm is a nice company and you like working there so you troll review sites and try to defend it. But the app feels aged and poky. It needs some love which the developer doesn't seem to be giving it. You might think 15 minutes is fast but it used to do the same job in under *three minutes* back on IOS 6 until around.... IOS 9, I think. So yeah, it's slowed down some and that's *after* we all switched to lightning cables. It used to be pretty fast on USB on an iPhone 3.
I'm sorry you don't like my opinion but I actually paid full whack for the app back in the day. I have every right to post this review. If you want a better review than tell your bosses to put somebody on it and bring it up to date. *Sheesh, dude.*
The developer of this app has clearly stopped caring about this app. Trying to use this app to archive your Messages onto your computer is a ridiculous exercise in frustration, because this app hasn't improved a bit since all the way back in iOS 8!! It doesn't support any of the newer IOS 9 or iOS 10 or iOS 11 features, such as "tapping back" on a message with a thumbs up, a thumbs down, or a heart symbol. It actually TYPES THE WORDS of what you did, instead of showing the symbol! Another example: this app doesn't show the URL previews in the Messages archives, even though that is now supported in iOS 9, iOS 10, and iOS 11. This app even shows many of your Message comments in the WRONG ORDER ALTOGETHER within the Messages thread, because this app doesn't seem to evaluate the "full timestamp" of when each message was sent -- it just looks at the hour and time. The developer of this app has clearly checked out altogether.... he doesn't seem to care about improving this app anymore. Terrible lack of care & attention from the developer of this app. Seriously, Mr. Developer -- just discontinue this app if you're not going to keep it up-to-date, instead of frustrating your users!! THIS APP IS A WASTE OF MONEY.
Works great, no expensive upgrades like iMazing.. Compatible with latest versions of iOS (10 at time of this writing). No hassle install. Ecamm is doing some great work taking care of their customers by minimising friction.. Buy with confidence.
We didn't test the third party apps but wanted quick access to photos and music without going through the Apple nightmare apps (like Photos).
Used to be very good. Now it doesn't recognise 90% of the apps installed in t iPhone 7 Plus.
The old iPad (1st gen, 64GB) I'm trying to extract app data from to import into My iPhone - isn't supported altogether - doesn't even show up in PhoneView.
I have been using PhoneView for my Mac for many year but i just got a new iPhone and want to export everything before I set up the new iPhone but for some reason I can not get anything to load, it just spins.
For me it is plain simple. If you need access to your iDevice, you need PhoneView.
I used iExplorer for a long time but after two lockups rendering my iPad useless, I switch to PhoneView and never looked back.
The GUI is a bit out dated for OSX10.11 but works as expected. A top-notch highly recommended tool for your iDevices.
Before i amazing there was PhoneView and have been using It for years . compared with i-Amazing I find PhoneView to be a very simple strait forward app which doesn't threaten to move and screw up your iPhone library at start up which Is a big Plus to me. Both Companies have very good customer service however when my 8 year old iMac bit the dust I was pleasantly surprised that the folks at Ecamm offered to extend my old license to my new iMac which Is quite rare these days. so five stars to PhoneView and Ecamm!
Before i amazing there was PhoneView and have been using It for years . compared with i-Amazing I find PhoneView to be a very simple strait forward app which doesn't threaten to move and screw up your iPhone library at start up which Is a big Plus to me. Both Companies have very good customer service however when my 8 year old iMac bit the dust I was pleasantly surprised that the folks at Ecamm offered to extend my old license to my new iMac which Is quite rare these days. so five stars to PhoneView and Ecamm!
Like (1)
Version 2.11.3
1 answer(s)
Dellsuxx
26 September 2015
I seem to have posted twice by mistake. Sorry about that.
2.11's added ability to view messages, call logs, and voicemail from encrypted iTunes backups is a much welcomed feature, thanks Ken and Glen (Ecamm Network founders)! :)
Since updating to iOS 8.3, the available Mac version of PhoneView 2.10.8 (demo) appears to be unable to access the App files directory content.
Urgent fix needed !
I am running into a time sensative problem. When trying to connect my phone, it says unable to download because possibly not enough storage on mac. I have 24gigs on my mac. What can I do to resolve this issue? I am current on updates as well.
Trying to update from 2.10.4 to 2.10.5
Download is a demo, nowhere to register
Update from within the app does not work
No desire to trash all settings
Please advise
Thanks, great App
Paul
Like
Version 2.10.5
1 answer(s)
Panico
01 December 2014
Update:
Support sent me an automated e-mail with a download link
This program, like the rest of Ecamm's software is top-notch. It works very well with every iPhone that I've ever owned and they keep updating it for free to keep it working properly with the latest OS updates. It is a great alternative method of getting your data off your phone and backing it up.
I'd been using PhoneView since 2011 then abruptly stopped 2012 because I mistakenly thought It would cost me to upgrade to the new version. Was going to uninstall It today when It occurred to me to check Ecamm's website to inquire about the cost of an update. Well Imagine my shock when they said upgrades were free to registered customers! I also found out today ecamm makes one of my all time favorite iOS to Mac printing utilities Printopia which allows anyone to print or send photos wireless from iPhone to mac without a hitch.
This app is still my favorite for accessing stuff on my iphone. Is great to be able to export entire message text into xls (or pdf)... It is a bit expensive, but upgrades have been free since the beginning, so it's been cheap overall.
Like (6)
Version 2.9.8
1 answer(s)
AshBP
08 January 2014
Forgot to say that if your phone is jailbroken, it can access *everything* (cydia apps, etc). Also, works on Maverics.
I have had this app for a while, have updated every time, but to this day it has not been able to show, much less export, the iMessages/SMS or Voicemail files on my iPhone 4S 64GB. With the latest update it actually continually shows a spinning icon next to Messages in the sidebar but keeps rebooting the iPhone. Alas, even though the features may be 4-5 stars, I am yet to have any luck with it. I emailed the developers at their web site and hope there is some resolution to this because messages and voicemails are things I cannot get to from iTunes where I have all my music etc. Safely stored and backed up.
Imran
Like (2)
Version 2.9.2
1 answer(s)
Kaspesla
08 December 2013
Imran,
Sorry for the trouble. Was support able to help you resolve this?
-Ecamm
Wow. eCamm really did a UI makeover with PhoneView 2.9. It looks modern, now supports Lion fullscreen, and of course bugfixes.
MUCH better than using iTunes USB sharing, and gives you access to all Apps if you need it.
Highly recommended.
This is a great program when it works. The problem is that it rarely works. It almost never automatically launches itself when you plug your iPhone into your Mac, even if you've checked the checkbox for it to automatically launch itself. So therefore, your PhoneView data is usually out-of-date for a very long time until you manually remember to launch PhoneView, which copies your data from your phone.
Like (2)
Version 2.8.4
1 answer(s)
Higherterrain
28 November 2012
You mean it's something like Printopia. It works if you can get installed maybe, but getting it installed is the hardest part.
I use it with my iPod touch (4th Gen.) and iOS 5.
works very well.
It's very handy to explore the stuff from Apps that dont use "iTunes file sharing" and to copy files from my iPod on to my Mac.
For those who like to browse the "Library" folders it is a very cool tool.
Great utility... and more now that I have an iPad with the camera connection kit, which creates events with the photos downloaded from the camera and once synced to the Mac the events remain empty like ghosts on the iPad and there is no way to delete them directly from the iPad.
With this utility I can see the folder structure in the iPad, get to the pictures folder and delete the empty events folders that remain there.
I hope Apple solves this problem soon, but even once solved, PhoneView will be an essential utility in my arsenal.
I've used this little app to access some iPad at work that had cache problems in some applications.
Very useful, BUT, if more than one iOS device was connected to the computer while I was using this software, the software was crashing.
Last time I used this software was this summer and the version I was using was 2.7.1. Since then, maybe a software update did correct this issue.
Good app, I am very happy because I've searched for long time a good way to perform a complete backup of my iPhone, now I've found! Easy to use, good graphics and cheap! Thank you!
The advertisement above says, "store any type of data", but I discovered the following notes in the manual after I bought the product. :(
Note: Adding notes is not available for iOS 4 devices.
Note: The edit feature is not available for iOS 4 devices.
Note: The delete feature is not available for iOS 4 devices.
Like (1)
Version 2.7.1
2 answer(s)
jmhbpc
17 November 2011
While I am waiting for a support query reply, I should mention: PhoneView on my system:
MacOS 10.7.2/iTunes 10.5.x/PhV 2.7.x does not have those features for iOS 5 either
Like
jmhbpc
17 November 2011
oops , and it has just dawned upon me that ecamm's caveat regarding these features and iOS 4 refers to iOS 3 not functionality for iOS 5. hmmm
Perfect for saving text messages, call logs, for which I need constantly and update regularly. My iPhone went and had to be replaced. I only lost the day I had the phone replaced.
I purchased PhoneView because I was trading in my old crippled iPhone for a new one, and didn't want to lose my text messages. When I hooked up my new iPhone - PhoneView put everything on it automatically. All my text messages live on.
Other than that, I haven't used it much - but out of the box I am really impressed. Worth the 14.95! And I love that you can save individual text conversations to PDF files for posterity. - As far as the demo version complaints, it was a tad confusing where I was supposed to download from, so I ended up with the demo version at first, but there is a link to the paid version somewhere on the email.
With this version, PhoneView is able to delete photos from the Camera Roll, and I no longer need to use Image Capture. I now use PhoneView exclusively to transfer media from my phone, and store stuff on my phone in "disk mode." Unlike competing free and paid apps (I've tried them all), PhoneView works flawlessly, is easy to use, and looks good.
Like (3)
Version 2.6
1 answer(s)
Drdul
09 March 2011
I should add that the other thing I use PhoneView for is to hack into apps on my phone. I do this to backup and copy settings and data, and transfer them to my wife's phone and vice versa. I also do this to change the icons on a couple of apps, as I can't stand having ugly icons on my phone.
"This download is the demo only. To get the latest update of the full version, registered users should use the same link received after purchasing. Registered users will receive an upgrade notification via email shortly."
I have only ever received one upgrade notification by email and the link has now stopped working without warning.
The product is excellent but the customer support could do with some more work.
Like (1)
Version 2.6
1 answer(s)
Ecamm Network, Llc
18 January 2011
If you lose your link, then you can always get your latest update using this form:
http://www.ecamm.com/cgi-bin/selfservice
I agree 1000% w/h the the comment above, FINALLY a direct access to my iPhone and my iPad w/out the problems of Fuse or others mess around!
I ready paid the fee and I am very happy w/h all the features....... :-)
Thnks to the developers.
I have other ways and applications to access my iPhone and iPad, even via jailbreak. None is as convenient as PhoneView.
No MacFUSE, no FTP tricks, no janky APIs. Just the superquick USB without the hassle of iTunes. In more places than iTunes.
This software just does it. Phoneview LIVES in my dock, right next to *cough* iTunes, which is now hardly ever used for doc sharing. If only I could get rid of iTunes!
2.53 is a welcome update, now I can see my (i)books on my iPad. Thank you!
Stable, dependable, does what it says. Another win from ECamm.
I don't give out many 5-star reviews.
In the new 2.5 (and 2.5.1) version, if I cannot delete some of the past calls or some of the last sent SMS, and I cannot write new notes (directly from the application) to be inserted in the phone,
why do I need to buy this software?
Ever since I purchased this program, when it was v2.2.1, I've had no problems with it (thought it was great!) but on downloading and installing v2.5, it no longer seems to work. It cannot access anything on my iPhone 3G!
Sent an email asking for support to this problem. Hope they reply soon, as I am stuck at the moment.
Like (1)
Version 2.5
1 answer(s)
Kaspesla
29 June 2010
Hi, Glen here from Ecamm. Sorry for the trouble with v2.5. Ensure that you have v2.5.2, which resolves a handful of issues reported by v2.5 users.
Works very precisely and well - bought it.
No crashes. I was able to delete some faulty data in my film roll on the not jailbreaked iphone.
Like (3)
Version 2.2.4
3 answer(s)
Xplicit
14 October 2009
jailbroken ?!
Like (1)
Version 2.3
Tubo
14 October 2009
No, absolutely not. The more remarkable is the working of this application. Look for further details on their site. Running well and fast. The problem I had was an apparently 'void' photo album in the phone. It was accessible from the syncing Mac, but NOT on the phone, all new photos became hidden immediately in an invalid album. There are a lot of similar complaints of other users. I didn't see this problem reappear under 3.1.2.
Like (1)
Version 2.3
Tubo
14 October 2009
Didnt get it ... neither jailbreaked nor jailbroken ;-)
What a lovely program - it works flawlessly. I bought it earlier in the expectation of getting an iPhone. Finally, I got the iPhone. Then I received an email from the developer telling me of an upgrade! So I installed the newer version and it has worked perfectly. It is also intuitive and an attractive program, as well.
About the only thing it cannot do is display the books I've purchases through various apps, but then again, they are in proprietary formats.
This will be my go-to program for editing the files on my iPhone and copying to and from the iPhone when I need more than iTunes.
Great program.
Most helpful
Read 61 PhoneView User Reviews
Rate this app:
I've been using Phoneview for years, since version one, but it's probably time to move on. It seems like the developer already has.
PhoneView was a fantastic product but it needs some serious under the hood work to bring it back to its former glory.
You say you'd like a "list of contents" before those contents are actually available. First, I can't imagine what you'd do with it (most users would just aggravate themselves clicking on stuff to no avail), and, second, there's no way for the app to compile such a list. It must transfer data before it can offer the data. And data transfer takes time.
But it sounds like you mostly just want to be huffy and indignant, so....enjoy.
I'm sorry you don't like my opinion but I actually paid full whack for the app back in the day. I have every right to post this review. If you want a better review than tell your bosses to put somebody on it and bring it up to date. *Sheesh, dude.*
We didn't test the third party apps but wanted quick access to photos and music without going through the Apple nightmare apps (like Photos).
edit: Oct 26 Update fixed this for me!
Support sent me an automated e-mail with a download link
Thanks!