When the scheduled calls with your child keep going unanswered, the record lives in your phone's call history, and scrolling through months of it is hard to show anyone. Exhibit A is an app built for exactly that: it reads iPhone call history and iMessages and lays them out as a color-coded calendar you can export as a PDF. For a lot of parents with that problem, it's a good fit.
People look for an alternative when their phone is Android, when the conversation is in WhatsApp, when they don't have a computer handy, or when they want texts numbered and kept with the rest of their evidence. Here's a fair look. The facts about Exhibit A come from its own homepage, pricing and FAQ as of October 30, 2026. Check it again before you buy, because prices and features change.
What Exhibit A does well
- Calls at a glance. It turns call history into a calendar: green for connected days, red for denied, with your notes and incident markers on the exact days.
- Texts beside calls. It shows iMessages next to the calls from the same day.
- Stays on your computer. The Mac app reads what's already on your Mac; on Windows it opens an iPhone backup in Chrome or Edge. No account; your call and message data stay on your computer.
- Free to try. The free tier shows your whole calendar and exports with a watermark. A $39 Case Pass removes the watermark for 90 days, with no subscription; paid options also include Pro ($14 a month or $79 a year) and Lifetime ($149).
If your record is mainly missed or denied calls and you have an iPhone and a computer, Exhibit A may be all you need for organizing that part of your record.
When another tool may fit better
| Your situation | Why Exhibit A may not fit |
|---|---|
| Your phone is Android | Its page describes reading a Mac or an iPhone backup, not Android |
| The conversation is in WhatsApp | It reads iPhone call history and iMessages |
| You only have a phone | It runs on a Mac, or in Chrome or Edge on a computer reading an iPhone backup |
| Your call history doesn't go back far enough | Its FAQ notes that macOS keeps only a limited window of call history, so older calls may need logging by hand |
| You want texts numbered and kept with your other evidence | It builds call and message exhibits; organizing them with photos, a timeline and other files is up to you |
A call calendar and a call log do different jobs
A calendar shows the pattern in seconds: how many scheduled calls connected and how many didn't. A written log explains each one: the date and time, who called whom, whether your child was reached, and a short, factual note. Many parents use both, with the calendar as a summary page and the log behind it. Our free phone call log for family court template covers the written side, and our guide to call logs as evidence explains what call records can and can't show.
Getting calls and texts off each kind of phone
iPhone
Desktop tools read a backup made on your computer. For call history, Apple only includes it in an encrypted backup, so turn on "Encrypt local backup" and keep the password somewhere safe. Our guide to exporting iPhone text messages for court walks through the options for texts.
Android
Take screenshots of the call history that show the contact, date and time, and ask your carrier for the records on your own account, which usually list numbers, dates, times and durations. For texts, a backup app can save them to a file you open in a log tool. See exporting Android text messages for court.
Use "Export chat" inside each conversation, which creates a text file most tools can import. Export each chat separately and note the date you exported it.
Keep it private and safe
- Know where your data goes. Check whether a tool uploads anything or works only on your device, and read its privacy page.
- Keep two copies of every export and backup, and note the date range each covers.
- Don't edit the originals. If something needs to be left out, ask a licensed attorney or the clerk how your court handles that.
- Use only your own records. Don't access someone else's phone or account. If you're in danger, call 911; for confidential support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.
What any call or text exhibit should show
Whichever tool you use, judge it by what the printed page shows, not by the app's features. A clear exhibit usually has:
- Who: the contact's name or number on every call and message, and which side is yours.
- When: a date and time on every entry, not only at the top of the page.
- The whole stretch, in order, including calls that connected and messages that went well.
- A short summary on top, such as scheduled calls, calls completed and calls missed by month, with the detail behind it.
- Page numbers, so anyone can find "page 14" quickly.
- The originals kept. Leave the calls and messages on your phone and keep a backup.
Courts differ on exhibit format and on what they need to accept a printout. The clerk's office, a self-help center or a licensed attorney where you live can tell you what yours expects. Our guides to printing text messages for court and labeling exhibits go step by step.
Questions to ask before you pay for any evidence tool
- Does it read my phone? Check which phones and which apps it supports before you buy, and try the free option on one short stretch first.
- How far back does it go? Some records only cover what your phone or computer still keeps. Fill gaps with screenshots, carrier records for your own account, or a written log.
- What does the free version leave out? A watermark, a date limit or a page limit is fine for checking your data, but know what you'll pay for the version you'd print.
- Is it a subscription? A one-time pass suits a single hearing; a subscription may suit a longer case. Put a reminder on your calendar either way.
- Where does my data go? Read the privacy page, and prefer tools that work on your own device or let you delete everything.
A one-parent option for texts from any phone
Custody Commander doesn't read call history. It takes the text exports you already have, from an iPhone, an Android phone or WhatsApp, and turns them into a chronological, numbered PDF log (MSG-00001 onward) with an index page. It runs in a web browser, so a phone is enough, and your co-parent never joins or gets notified.
- Free preview first. The free text message log preview numbers your texts in your browser. Your texts never leave your device.
- One log for $39, no subscription, when you need the full PDF.
- Or the Full Suite, which keeps the log with your evidence, timeline and hearing prep, free for 7 days (card required).
It's self-help software: it organizes what you provide. It doesn't decide what to file or how a court will see it. Custody Commander isn't affiliated with Exhibit A.
Try the free text log previewFree plan, no card · Full Suite free for 7 days
