Develop Bugs

[Q] backup texts

hello,
just wondering if you knew of any good apps that can backup and restore texts.
currently use titanium backup for all my apps. but love flashing roms, so something to save my texts would be great.
thanks you in advanced

mybackup pro will do the trick for you. it will also backup apks and data too. i use that instead of ti backup

been using SMSbackup+ (free from market) for a couple of months without any probs

I use sms backup and restore, got it set to automatically back up every 6 hours and it archives them all in to one file.
Doesnt backup mms though so all those nude pics you get from random women will have to be saved first or lost for all eternity
backsup thousands of texts in less than a minute and restores in a few minutes

superliam said:
hello,
just wondering if you knew of any good apps that can backup and restore texts.
currently use titanium backup for all my apps. but love flashing roms, so something to save my texts would be great.
thanks you in advanced
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Handcent has integrated backup of MMS/SMS/Settings. To access this setting you will have to pay a fee. Not much, but still a fee. I did it, and is happy with this service that they provide.

I think that SmsBackup+ is the best tool. It uses your gmail account to store your smses. What's best, it can also restore everything. You can set it to backup on a schedule or on sms arrival. It's really great, has no ads. I really am thankful for the author for I would not use the app if it had ads in it. THANK YOU SO MUCH, if for some reason u see this!

snakeeyes21 said:
I use sms backup and restore, got it set to automatically back up every 6 hours and it archives them all in to one file.
Doesnt backup mms though so all those nude pics you get from random women will have to be saved first or lost for all eternity
backsup thousands of texts in less than a minute and restores in a few minutes
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for this app. It's amazing at how fast it backs up and restores!

Switched to CM10, can't restore contacts

Ok so I've made the jump to CM10 after running Calk's ROMs since GB 1.1, then ICS since 1.0..
For some reason, every time I wipe, I have issues with my contacts. The numbers disappear from Google, and all that syncs is about 500 useless email addresses of everyone I've ever sent an email to. I have always been able to get the numbers back by restoring the "Contact Storage" data on TiBu. But for some reason it isn't working now.
I have tried three different backups, from three different versions with no luck. The very first time I tried it (with Contacts 4.0.3), the numbers showed up, I immediately tried to sync it, and the phone crashed and rebooted. When it restarted it did the "Android is upgrading" routine, and when I looked again the list is back empty. Nothing actually synced back to Google either. The phone list shows zero. I have tried all combinations of restoring the backups, Data only, App+Data, App only then data only, I even tried restoring the other Contacts app+data/etc.
I did at one point (during a prior wipe) export a vcf, but it turns out that only contained the same list of email addresses and no numbers. I never checked it because I didn't need it - I was always able to restore from TiBu.
Anyone have any ideas?

Yes, start storing ur numbers in Google instead of your phone. No matter what is flashed ur contacts will go with you when you enter your Google account info during setup.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

dante32278 said:
Yes, start storing ur numbers in Google instead of your phone. No matter what is flashed ur contacts will go with you when you enter your Google account info during setup.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
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Click to collapse
Umm yeah.. Tried to many times. Never works.
The numbers disappear from Google, and all that syncs is about 500 useless email addresses of everyone I've ever sent an email to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

While Titanium backup has recently introduced a feature to backup to xml. I have been using Super Backup to backup and restore my contacts, messages and call logs since I clean wipe and flash roms up to twice a day testing things.
Backing up the data for a system application and restoring it to another version is a nono. If I understand it correctly that seems to be what your doing? You mentioned trying VCF i think that is the format that Super Backup uses for one of the three things.

Taz420nj said:
Ok so I've made the jump to CM10 after running Calk's ROMs since GB 1.1, then ICS since 1.0..
For some reason, every time I wipe, I have issues with my contacts. The numbers disappear from Google, and all that syncs is about 500 useless email addresses of everyone I've ever sent an email to. I have always been able to get the numbers back by restoring the "Contact Storage" data on TiBu. But for some reason it isn't working now.
I have tried three different backups, from three different versions with no luck. The very first time I tried it (with Contacts 4.0.3), the numbers showed up, I immediately tried to sync it, and the phone crashed and rebooted. When it restarted it did the "Android is upgrading" routine, and when I looked again the list is back empty. Nothing actually synced back to Google either. The phone list shows zero. I have tried all combinations of restoring the backups, Data only, App+Data, App only then data only, I even tried restoring the other Contacts app+data/etc.
I did at one point (during a prior wipe) export a vcf, but it turns out that only contained the same list of email addresses and no numbers. I never checked it because I didn't need it - I was always able to restore from TiBu.
Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Assuming you have a nandroid backup, have you tried pulling them out of it using something like appextractor? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300311

I cna vouch for storing the contacts on the google account.

Taz420nj said:
Umm yeah.. Tried to many times. Never works.
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Click to collapse
It does work if you do it correctly....otherwise it wouldn't have been suggested. Anytime you store a number ur phone always asks if it should be stored in Google or you r phone....just pick Google and make sure your sync settings are correct. I have never lost a contact since my old HTC Hero days, thanks to that feature.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app

billard412 said:
Assuming you have a nandroid backup, have you tried pulling them out of it using something like appextractor? http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1300311
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Click to collapse
Well it was a good thought, but it did not work. Always made the backups, but never knew what you could do with them.. It still exhibits the same behavior - once it reboots it says 'contacts are updating', then all I get are the email addresses. I tried with several backups (BTW, any clue why two of the Nandroid folders are tagged Dec 31, 1999?) but it seems that it's a lost cause. Jellybean must have something different in the database than GB/ICS. I'm gonna have to hand key them all.
Thanks for the suggestion though.

dante32278 said:
It does work if you do it correctly....otherwise it wouldn't have been suggested. Anytime you store a number ur phone always asks if it should be stored in Google or you r phone....just pick Google and make sure your sync settings are correct. I have never lost a contact since my old HTC Hero days, thanks to that feature.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't recall ever being prompted with that choice at any time during a ROM setup, or even when I first got the phone. It might've had to do with the fact that all my contacts were originally sent by bluetooth from my old phone. But I do have it set to sync with my Google account, and I made sure it sync'd before any wipe, so why are the numbers not in Google?

Taz420nj said:
Well it was a good thought, but it did not work. Always made the backups, but never knew what you could do with them.. It still exhibits the same behavior - once it reboots it says 'contacts are updating', then all I get are the email addresses. I tried with several backups (BTW, any clue why two of the folders are tagged Dec 31, 1999?) but it seems that it's a lost cause. I'm gonna have to hand key them all.
Thanks for the suggestion though.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hand key them all as in you have lost the ability to restore these on the android rom you backed them up on? Go back export them and then flash CM10 again. Its a lot quicker than typing even a small contact list. Unless Super Backup doesn't work on this CM10 rom.

RainMotorsports said:
Hand key them all as in you have lost the ability to restore these on the android rom you backed them up on? Go back export them and then flash CM10 again. Its a lot quicker than typing even a small contact list. Unless Super Backup doesn't work on this CM10 rom.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Haha with all the time I've spent effing with it already I could've hand keyed the whole thing several times over.
In order to go to CM10 from Calk's ICS, I had to ODIN back to EL26 and flash CM from there.. So basically in order to go back to Calk's ICS I have to ODIN back and then flash to ICS, right? And then after I do the restore (assuming it works) and sync, back to EL26 again then flash to CM? (If I do that, I'll probably go with CM9 for now because 10 is a bit too buggy to be my daily driver, plus it's missing bluetooth music/AVRCP which is a must for me)
And do you have any idea why I can't get the damn numbers to sync with Google? Like I said before, I have sync turned on and have manually done it countless times, but it wont keep the numbers.

what can backup and restore MMS messages?

Coming from a note4, the last thing I would like to do is transfer my MMS (already did SMS) to my new phone.
Note4 is running stock, ATT variant, so no root capabilities.
Thanks!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en
This app is great

xlr8shun said:
Coming from a note4, the last thing I would like to do is transfer my MMS (already did SMS) to my new phone.
Note4 is running stock, ATT variant, so no root capabilities.
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Titanium Backup can do it, even without root (one of the few things it doesn't need root for).
Also just FYI during the setup process for your pixel 2 xl, it will prompt you to connect your old phone using the included USB to USB-C adapter to transfer apps/music/photos, call log and messages as well. Coming from a Galaxy S7 Edge, it was able to transfer everything for me *except* for messages, so I ended up using Titanium Backup for that part.

I'm use the pro version of this, but I think the free version would be fine. You just lose the ability to back up to and restore from Google Drive with the free version
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rerware.android.MyBackup

skaforey said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en
This app is great
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Click to collapse
+1
Sent from my Google Pixel 2 XL using XDA Labs

hassa9 said:
Titanium Backup can do it, even without root (one of the few things it doesn't need root for).
Also just FYI during the setup process for your pixel 2 xl, it will prompt you to connect your old phone using the included USB to USB-C adapter to transfer apps/music/photos, call log and messages as well. Coming from a Galaxy S7 Edge, it was able to transfer everything for me *except* for messages, so I ended up using Titanium Backup for that part.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've used tibu for years exclusively....but restoring sms/mms is painfully slow, especially with a lot of messages.... Sms backup and restore is so much faster and easier to use that I'm definitely making a permanent switch for texts

SMS Backup to my Google drive worked great for me this time around!

The phone is supposed to do it automatically if you use Android messages. Unfortunately there can be long periods of time the phone will go without backing up.

AndrasLOHF said:
The phone is supposed to do it automatically if you use Android messages. Unfortunately there can be long periods of time the phone will go without backing up.
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Click to collapse
How do you force a backup of Google SMS messages? And not one message was restored for me after the device setup...

I use this -> https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zegoggles.smssync&hl=en
It backs up SMS and MMS to my Gmail account (so I can read/search via gmail) under an SMS label... But it can only restore SMS, not MMS. To view MMS on a new phone, I have to go into Gmail.

skaforey said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en
This app is great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 for the app. Works great, have been using it from a long time.

Thanks all, I ended up using SMS backup and restore. Worked perfectly..
I tried to use the built in transfer when setting up the phone. I plugged in the C to A adapter and tried 8 different cables I have laying around, most of them KNOWN GOOD DATA cables and the setup process kept telling me that it couldn't connect and to try a different cables.
Other than the transfer tool not working at all for me, everything else seems to be fine.
Thanks again for the recommendations.

I'm running into the same issue but the problem is I use Textra. So its database is larger than the phone's sms/mms storage database (2gb vs 7gb). It seems like a number of the backup apps only look at the phone database and not the Textra,my default texting app (which makes sense). I tried doing an app-specific adb backup and restore going from my LG G3 to my 2 XL (adb backup com.textra and adb restore backup.ab). However, even when I left the app running overnight, it didn't seem to work. Am I missing something in going from Marshmallow to Oreo? USB debugging is turned on (on both phones), verifying apps via USB is turned off on the Pixel... I may try this later today to see my luck in moving all my messages over to my new phone.

galaxys said:
How do you force a backup of Google SMS messages? And not one message was restored for me after the device setup...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish I had an answer to that. I even contacted Google about it and they couldn't give me an answer. Just noticed my pixel 2xl finally backed up texts even though my phone has been setup since Monday morning.

skaforey said:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en
This app is great
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The last I knew, it didn't support MMS. It still doesn't list it in the description. I also had issues backing up because I didn't have an SD card.

sflesch said:
The last I knew, it didn't support MMS. It still doesn't list it in the description. I also had issues backing up because I didn't have an SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does restore MMS. I used it all the time on my Nexus 6P, and was able restore all my pictures and texts to my Pixel 2xl. Works great!

sflesch said:
The last I knew, it didn't support MMS. It still doesn't list it in the description. I also had issues backing up because I didn't have an SD card.
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Click to collapse
Backs up and restores my mms just fine and has for a couple years

EMcTx said:
It does restore MMS. I used it all the time on my Nexus 6P, and was able restore all my pictures and texts to my Pixel 2xl. Works great!
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Click to collapse
mlin said:
Backs up and restores my mms just fine and has for a couple years
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I may be thinking of a similarly named app, but it doesn't say it in the review, which would be helpful.
I was using Easy Backup, but started getting errors. I didn't realize (and it wasn't clear) that the SD card was full. I tried looking into it to find the app and even the developer was pulled from the Play store. It seems the app (EB) may have some nasty ad stuff in it, so I am looking into alternatives. I will definitely give this one a try, though I wish it had Box integration as that's where I've been putting my backups.

sflesch said:
The last I knew, it didn't support MMS. It still doesn't list it in the description. I also had issues backing up because I didn't have an SD card.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
...

I need to store and save mms photos from text messages from my LG android phone to my computer. Is there an app I need to install first or do I connect my phone to my laptop with a cable to do this? These are really important photos that came from someone and need to be saved. Thanks for the help.

setup 5t from 3

Been trying hard to setup new 5t from my old 3.
Restoring from gmail backup restores no apps - nothing shows in drop down?
Restoring via back to back reinstalls all apps but no app data. Ideally don't want to setup all apps from scratch but SMS copied over must be possible
Any ideas please? Would prefer not to root if possible

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oneplus.backuprestore

There's the new app oneplus switch, never tried it myself but it might work for you.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oneplus.backuprestore

Brentboy said:
There's the new app oneplus switch, never tried it myself but it might work for you.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.oneplus.backuprestore
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Click to collapse
Thanks does SMS messages but no app data yet - gave up and setup all apps from scratched.

Question Does anybody use Google One for backups?

TL;DR Has anyone had issues backing up MMS using Google One and successfully fixed the issues? Mine randomly works whenever it wants to and then wipes itself out
I have been a Google One subscriber for a few years now and I have found that the backup piece of it doesn't work right with MMS. I have a case opened with G One support that is now about 1.5 years old and still they haven't fixed the issue. What I've seen is that MMS either doesn't backup at all or it will backup for a few days and then just randomly get wiped out during a subsequent backup.
I've gone through 3 different pixel phones, 3 OS updates and too many to count versions of G One, Drive, messages, play services, etc yet nothing seems to fix this.
Of course when I had posted on this forum about the 12L issues and eventually ended up performing a device wipe and then also used the Android online flash tool, I lost nearly a gig worth of MMS pictures. I was so pissed bc what I thought was happening, wasn't. I do always make a backup with SMS backup and restore app and still do have that database but I've found that restoring from that app ends up causing duplicates and weird corruptions (unless something has changed in the past year).
I had this case open with G One support and saw it was still open so I replied to it and let them know the issue was still happening after all this time and why hasn't it been fixed yet. They basically responded back with tier 1 troubleshooting steps I've performed a million times which by the luck of the draw, may or may not fix anything. If it does fix it, it works for like 2 or 3 days and then it's broken again anyway. This case is supposedly escalated and they have "reached out for updates" to the dev team but I've basically gotten zero useful info.
Does anyone else have this issue and have successfully fixed it on your own or somehow had Google fix it? If interested, I can list out all the troubleshooting steps I've done but essentially, the super troubleshooting step is a factory reset and I've also reloaded the OS completely. I've also deleted nearly all my text that had pictures in there (but after restore showed as a blank spot where a pic should be but nothing) just in case there is corrupt data anywhere. I now have about 25 or so pics that have come in to my messages since the last round of troubleshooting and again, randomly it backs them up showing the MMS database is like 70-90MB (as it's growing from new pics) and then randomly it'll wipe it out and I'm back down to under 200KB and that's where it stays until the next time it randomly works.
Very frustrating

Sounds weird but I never had that issue. Why don't you try a SMS back up tool?

I've had this issue extensively with Google One backups. It will say MMS is backed up, but never restores it. Or it only restores half of them or something like that.
I switched to Swift Backup and honestly it's 100% better. It's like an old TWRP backup. I've had to wipe my phone many times due to mess ups, but swift backup has helped me restore all my data.
I also talked to G One support, all they told me is to not restore data, then download the app on a fresh wipe, and restore a backup. But even then the app doesn't work like it's supposed to.

DRatJr said:
I've had this issue extensively with Google One backups. It will say MMS is backed up, but never restores it. Or it only restores half of them or something like that.
I switched to Swift Backup and honestly it's 100% better. It's like an old TWRP backup. I've had to wipe my phone many times due to mess ups, but swift backup has helped me restore all my data.
I also talked to G One support, all they told me is to not restore data, then download the app on a fresh wipe, and restore a backup. But even then the app doesn't work like it's supposed to.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the input. I downloaded Swift to see how that works out. I am still wanting G One to be fixed bc it's so nice to have everything all done "in house" but I'm at my whit's end with G One and it's terrible SMS/MMS backup. Everything else seems to backup and restore just fine. I just don't how Google can't code software to work with its own stuff correctly yet various 3rd party devs can do it.

jrg67 said:
Thanks for the input. I downloaded Swift to see how that works out. I am still wanting G One to be fixed bc it's so nice to have everything all done "in house" but I'm at my whit's end with G One and it's terrible SMS/MMS backup. Everything else seems to backup and restore just fine. I just don't how Google can't code software to work with its own stuff correctly yet various 3rd party devs can do it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Swift is pretty good because it can use that extra GOne storage to upload backups. I haven't had an issue with it yet. Reminds me of the old TWRP backups or Titanium Backups. I would love if GOne would work properly lol. I want to use it too. But it is just super unreliable with MMS specifically, and then some app data doesn't restore properly. Google not being able to have a backup solution as good as iCloud/iTunes is baffling to me too. But you can still use GOne but just don't backup SMS/MMS and use Swift for that. Unfortunate you have to use third party but this has worked really well for me.

I only got android one because I ran out of storage and couldn't do back ups iv not used mms in ages so couodnt tell but I did get a message saying about mms back up sorry not much help I mainly use WhatsApp to send pics and recently used rcs

Yes, I do and it makes me sad it doesn't work consistently

The thing about swift for me is when I restore my backed up messages, all my blocked spam gets restored too. Wish the devs would work out a workaround for that. Sounds silly I guess but it would be a pretty neat feature for swift.