Hermes - Encrypted iMessage Extractor and Viewer

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Features
• Prerequisites
• Installation
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Contributing
• Troubleshooting
• Changelog
• License
• Contact

Overview

Hermes is a powerful tool designed to securely extract and view iMessages from macOS devices. It provides a user-friendly interface for accessing and managing your iMessage data, ensuring privacy and ease of use.

Features

• GUI Viewer: Intuitive interface for browsing and searching messages
• Secure Extraction: Safely extract iMessages from macOS devices
• Export Functionality: Export conversations or selected messages

Prerequisites

• macOS device with iMessages enabled
• Python 3.x
• Homebrew (for easy Python installation)

To set up Text Message Forwarding from your iPhone to your Mac, follow these steps:

1. Access Settings on iPhone:

   • Open Settings.
   • Navigate to Messages.

2. Enable Text Message Forwarding:

   • Tap on Text Message Forwarding.

3. Verify Account Consistency:

   • Note: If you do not see the Text Message Forwarding option, ensure that you are signed in with the same Apple ID on both your iPhone and your Mac.

4. Select Your Mac:

   • Turn on the option for your Mac listed under devices.

5. Authentication:

   • If you are not using two-factor authentication, a six-digit activation code will appear on your Mac.
   • Enter this code on your iPhone and tap Allow to authenticate.

Installation

Conda is an open-source package management and environment management system. It functions like a library, where you can easily access and manage collections of software packages without conflicts.

Installing Python with Homebrew

1. Install Homebrew: If you do not have Homebrew installed, run this line in your terminal:

   /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
   

2. Install Python: Once Homebrew is installed, you can install Python by running:

   brew install python
   

3. Verify Python Installation: After installation, you can verify that Python is installed correctly by checking its version:

   python3 --version
   

4. Set Up Python Environment (Optional): If you need to manage multiple Python environments, you can install pyenv using Homebrew:

   brew install pyenv
   

   Then you can create a new environment, for example with Python 3.9:

   pyenv install 3.9.1
   pyenv global 3.9.1
   

5. Update PATH: Ensure that the Homebrew Python version is used when you run python commands by adding the following line to your .zshrc file:

   export PATH="/usr/local/opt/python/libexec/bin:$PATH"
   

   Save and close the file. Then, source the .zshrc file to update your environment:

   source ~/.zshrc
   

6. Verify Python Environment: Check that the correct version of Python is being used:

   python --version
   

   This should reflect the version installed via Homebrew or pyenv.

7. Run run.sh: To execute the run.sh script, which will install required Python packages and run the GUI application:

   • Ensure the script has execute permissions:

     chmod +x run.sh
     

   • Run the script:

     ./run.sh
     

   This will install necessary Python packages from requirements.txt and start the GUI application.

Usage

1. Launch the Application: Run ./run.sh from the terminal to start Hermes.

2. Select Conversations: In the left panel, click on conversations to add them to the processing list.

3. Export: Click the "Export" button when your list is complete. Name the subdirectory when prompted. Exports are saved to Documents/exported_chats.

4. Search: Use the search bar to find specific keywords or phrases within selected conversations.

5. Google Drive Export: To export to Google Drive, follow the instructions in model/README.md.

6. Quit: Close the application window to exit Hermes.

License

This project is open-source and available under the MIT License.

Contributing

• Contributing

Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting

Changelog

• Changelog

Contact

For support or inquiries, please contact gibbsngresge@gmail.com.