On February 8, 2024, the author delves into their annoyance at forgetting things, turning to their iMessage history for clarity. They find the process of searching through text messages fascinating, uncovering surprising insights from past conversations. Frustrated by the limitations of the iMessage interface, they take matters into their own hands by extracting their messages onto a computer using SQLite. They discover a helpful imessage-database crate that simplifies the process, allowing them to generate beautifully formatted PDFs using LaTeX. Embracing XeLaTeX to support emojis, the author creates a physical book of their conversations, showcasing a unique and creative approach to preserving memories.
https://benkettle.xyz/posts/message-book/