When a Client Only Has Screenshots of the Texts
Reviewed by Jacob Reed, founder of Verity ·
Short answer
First find out whether the screenshots really are all there is. The conversation is often still on the phone, on an iPad or Mac, in a backup, or on the other party's phone, and an export of it beats any set of screenshots. If screenshots truly are the only copy, keep the original image files with their dates, get the client to capture the whole stretch in order rather than highlights, and turn them into a numbered, dated record with the times marked as approximate.
Clients send screenshots because that is what they know how to make. It is usually not what they have.
Why screenshots alone are weak
They show what the client chose to capture, often without dates, often out of order, and an image is easy to question. See why screenshots aren't enough and fake text message screenshots.
Where the conversation may still be
- The client's phone: if the thread is still there, export it (steps in the export guide).
- An iPad or Mac on the same account; see texts on an iPad or Mac.
- An old phone in a drawer, or a computer or cloud backup.
- A co-parenting app's own record, if they used one.
- The other party's phone, through discovery; see discovery of the other parent's texts.
If screenshots are all there is
- Keep the original image files; a copy sent through a messaging app may be compressed and lose its file date.
- Ask for the whole stretch, in order, with each screenshot overlapping the last; see screenshotting a long conversation.
- Make sure the other party's name or number shows at the top of each one.
- Sort and index them; see organizing hundreds of screenshots.
Turning screenshots into a record
Verity's screenshot reader, on the consumer site, reads chat screenshots in the browser without uploading them, puts the messages in order and removes the overlaps, and asks the person to check every message before anything is built. Times come from the date headers in the screenshots, or are worked out, and every one is labeled approximate. From screenshots Verity offers the numbered list or the Standard report, not the Detailed one, because an export is stronger evidence. See analyzing text message screenshots.
This is general information for legal professionals, not legal advice. Whether screenshots are admitted, and on what foundation, is for the court.
Have the client try their own screenshots
The reader runs in their browser; nothing is uploaded. An export, if one exists, is still the better record.