Situations
Save the thread before it disappears.
Messages can be deleted, edited on some apps, or simply lost with a phone. The safest copy of a thread is the one you keep yourself.
Paste the thread, import an export file, or upload a screenshot. Custody Ninja only reads the file you upload — it never touches anyone else’s phone or account.
What to save, and how
- Paste the thread
- Copy the messages in. Dates are split into separate lines when they are present.
- Export file
- A WhatsApp .txt or .zip export, or a spreadsheet of messages.
- Screenshot
- Upload the image. The text is read out and the image is kept as the exhibit.
- Source
- Text, iMessage, WhatsApp, email, or another app.
- Date
- Kept from the message itself. Nothing is dated for you if the date is missing.
- Flag the important ones
- So a packet can lead with them.
In the appMessages → Import: paste a thread, upload an export, or add a screenshot.
Scout is free. The other parent never gets a login.
Questions parents ask
What if they already deleted them?
Save whatever you still have — your own copy, a screenshot, or an export from your phone. Save the rest going forward, the same week it arrives.
Can you get messages off their phone?
No. Nothing is read from the other parent’s phone or accounts. Only the files you upload yourself are read.
Do screenshots count?
They are kept as exhibits with the date you saved them. A full export is stronger, because it keeps the timestamps.
Related guides
Other situations
Custody Ninja is a documentation tool. It is not a law firm and this page is not legal advice. Talk to an attorney about your order and your case.
Custody Ninja is a documentation tool. It is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.