IMazing can also access and export text messages, but only from an existing device backup. My personal pet peeve is how long the application takes to perform an initial scan of iCloud Photo Library thumbnails, although devices with fewer images won’t have this problem. As a result, iMazing occasionally feels slower to use than iTunes. Certain data types including Messages, call history, voicemail, Contacts, and Notes can only be accessed from a backup, rather than the device itself.

There are other limitations to be aware of. Better yet, photos can now be transferred from computer to iOS via drag-and-drop, although albums created this way can’t be deleted from the Photos app and won’t be included in backups. In addition to managing apps, photos, music, videos, notes, call logs, and voice memos, iMazing 2.2 adds the ability to transfer ebooks and PDF documents to iBooks. IMazing allows iOS device backups to be saved anywhere, but only Mac or PC formatted volumes work for archives. (Archives work on Mac or PC-formatted volumes, not on network-attached storage devices.) J. Annoyed by how iTunes saves device backups on your internal drive? With iMazing, you can store these enormous files anywhere you’d like, and browse archives with Time Machine-style simplicity. iMazing also does many things Apple’s media player can only dream of, like exporting iMessage conversations.

Think of iMazing as iTunes without media purchasing or playback, but a whole lot more versatile. Available for Mac or PC (the license can be used on either platform), iMazing doesn’t sync files in the traditional sense, but rather acts as a conduit for transferring files between desktop computers and iPhone, iPad, or iPod devices. IMazing ($40 for a single-user license multi-user licenses available) is an iOS device management utility designed as an alternative to iTunes.

Imazing software review