How to save text messages in Android and iOS
Sending text messages or iMessages, SMS, and MMS messages is one of the main things people want their smartphones to do, even more so than making phone calls. For many, it s the primary way they stay in touch with friends and family.We send dozens of messages in a day with silly jokes, important information, images, and videos. All of these messages can be easily forgotten over time, however, or lost because of a simple mistake. After all, many of us have accidentally deleted a text conversation and neglected to back up our smartphones or tablets before an upgrade.
The simplest way to preserve text messages is to save them, but doing so isn t always as straightforward as it sounds. You can t save a text as easily as an image, but it s certainly doable it ll just take a few more steps than may be considered convenient. Lucky for you, we re here to show you the options available to Android and iOS users, and break down how to use them. You ll be sharing texts in no time.
How to save text messages in iOS
Before you begin saving text messages, there s one thing you need to install, if you haven t already: iTunes. Some people have been having an issue with Apple s music and iOS-syncing program, but for this, you need to be able to make a backup of your iPhone or iPad in iTunes. Yes, you can make and save backups using iCloud, but it ll be easier to get to your texts (and other data) in the future using iTunes.
Step 1: Making backups and saving texts using iTunes
Making an iOS backup will save most of the data stored on your device, including iMessages, SMS messages, and MMS messages. If you haven t already, make a habit out of creating regular backups.
Begin by launching iTunes. Then, connect your iOS device to your computer.
In iTunes, select your iOS device by clicking the corresponding icon in the top-left corner of the window.
Go to the Summary tab you should be a section labeled Backups on the right-hand side. Under Manually Back Up and Restore, choose Back Up Now. Once the backup process is done, the Latest Backups sections should be updated to show your most recent backup. Alternatively, you can go to Preferences > Devices (Mac) or Edit > Devices (Windows) to confirm that the backup was successful.
Step 2: Accessing your backed up messages using iExplorer
Your messages are now saved, but that s only the first part of the process. The more important part is being able to access them on your computer whenever you want. Enter iExplorer, a premium program for MacOS and Windows that can, among other things, sift through your iTunes backups and retrieve your various messages. It s $40 for the basic version, but you can also use the demo version for a limited time.
Download iExplorer and follow the steps to install it. Mac users will need be running OS X 10.9 or higher, while Windows users need Windows 7 or above.Afterward, launch iExplorer.
In iExplorer, find the section labeled Browse iTunes Backups in the left-hand column, and pick the backup you want to pull messages from. Within that backup, select Messages.
iExplorer will bring up your text messages, with a conversation list located on the left. Pick a conversation to see your messages on the right, including any images and videos attached to them. You can also sort the conversation list by name, date, and number of messages.
Once you ve selected a conversation, you can export them as a PDF, TXT, or CSV file. You can also choose to only export the images or attachments.
Using just iExplorer
The aforementioned iExplorer can pull texts from an iTunes backup, yes, but the program can also pull texts directly from your iOS device. It s perfect for those who want to avoid iTunes as much as possible.
Start by downloading and installing iExplorer. Afterward, launch the program and it should open on the Device Overview screen.
Next, connect your iPhone or iPad. In the left-hand column, click your device s name. On the Device Overview screen on the right, click Data > Messages. Keep in mind that if you ve never made a backup on your computer, you ll only see an option to Load Backup Data. You need to make a backup within iExplorer first before it can access your messages, so click it to begin the process. Once done, continue to the next step.
iExplorer will load all of the messages currently on your iOS device. The left-hand column will have a conversation list, and clicking any of the conversations will bring them into view in the right-hand column. You can sort conversations by name, date, or number of messages, as well as filter conversations to show only images, videos, or attachments.
You can export entire conversations, including attached media and documents, using the export options below the open conversation. They can be exported as a PDF, TXT, or CSV file.
How to save text messages in Android
Using SMS Backup & Restore
SMS Backup & Restore is a free app for Android smartphones that does exactly what its name implies. It can back up your text messages and save them locally on your Android device, export them to a computer, or upload them to an online storage service such as Google Drive. It s made to fulfill the needs of people who want to save their messages to multiple places quickly. Your Android device needs to be running Android 4.0.3 or higher, and the app was updated in October, so it s well supported.
Saving texts
Step 1: Start by downloading and installing the app to your Android device. Launch it, and you should be taken to the main menu.
Step 2: Tap Backup to begin creating a new backup. From here, you can choose what information you want to save, which text conversations, and where the backups will be stored. There are currently options for saving your texts directly to your phone, Google Drive, Dropbox, or your email inbox. You can also save the emojis attached to the texts, as well as name the backup files so they re easy to identify.
Step 3: If you don t want to manually save your text messages, you can set a schedule designed to back up your information automatically at specified intervals. You can do this in the app s settings, which as accessible via the three-dotted icon in the top-right corner.
Viewing, restoring, and migrating texts
Step 1: You can view your saved messages by going to the main menu and tapping View Backups, where you ll be able to access them in XML format. You can also change the local folder they re saved to in the app s settings.
Step 2: If you re upgrading to a new smartphone, you can use SMS Backup & Restore to transfer your texts between devices. There are a few ways to do this, including the apps s own Restore and Transfer features. For more detailed steps, the apps developer has a guide explaining how to do this, as well as a lengthy FAQ page that answers any other questions you might have about the app.
Original Copy
https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/how-to-save-text-messages/
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"How to save text messages in Android and iOS"
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