iOS SMS / iMessage (sms.db)
iOS stores SMS, MMS, and iMessage conversations in a single SQLite database including timestamps, read receipts, attachments, and reply threading.
Where to find it
Default filesystem paths and registry locations. Collect these with your preferred live-response or disk-image tooling.
- $/private/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db
- $Backup: HomeDomain/Library/SMS/sms.db
Forensic significance
Common scenarios in which this artifact becomes decisive evidence.
- Communication history in harassment / threat cases
- OSINT-resistant messages (iMessage end-to-end)
- Recovering deleted iMessages from recently_deleted table
- Phishing / romance scam evidence
Tools that parse it
unJaena AI and other DFIR tools commonly used to extract evidence from this artifact.
Related artifacts
iOS Call History
CallHistory.storedata logs every cellular, VoIP, FaceTime, and third-party call (WhatsApp, KakaoTalk) with duration, direction, and contact information.
iOS Safari History
Safari History.db records visits with timestamp, URL, title, visit count, and referrer. Combined with tabs.db it reconstructs a user's mobile browsing session.
KakaoTalk iOS
Korea's dominant messenger. iOS client stores chatrooms, messages, contacts, and attachment metadata in SQLite databases inside the app sandbox.
Android SMS (mmssms.db)
Android Telephony provider stores SMS and MMS in a single SQLite database accessible via content providers, often recoverable even after app reinstall.
Stop parsing artifacts by hand
unJaena AI ingests disk images, live-response output, and mobile backups, then automatically correlates every artifact on this page — and 200+ more — into an investigator-ready timeline.
Try unJaena AI →