How do I backup iMessages to my PC for free? I'm getting ready to wipe and sell my old 4th-generation iPod touch, and I'd like to get a human-readable copy of all of my iMessages before I do so.

So far, I've found two solutions, but unfortunately they both cost money:


imessage-backup.com - basically you upload a certain file from the backup and it does some processing on the backend to make it human-readable. $7.99 per backup file.
iExplorer can also grab iMessages. You can see them within the app, but it forces you to register ($34.99) to export them.


Obviously there is some way to extract the data. I opened up the backup file in a text editor, and I could see messages, but it wasn't really "human-readable." I tried opening the backup file in SQLite Database Browser (the format in which the iMessages are supposedly backed up in), but it came up blank. 

Is there a free way (preferably on Windows or Linux) to export iMessages?
Have you tried extracting them from your back up file? See this link.