Back Up and Restore Text Messages on an Android Device
Edited by Jay
Sending and receiving text messages is something pretty much every Android device owner does fairly frequently. In fact, a lot of people rarely talk on their phone because texting is quicker and sometimes more convenient. Because texting is so popular, we sometimes forget that there is valuable information contained within our conversations. This is why it's a good idea to back up your messages from time-to-time. Messaging on Android has been spotty at times over the years, and you never know when your device could be damaged, stolen, or lost. If you've ever lost your text messages, you know very well just how unpleasant it is not to have backed them up.
In the following VisiHow tutorial, we're going to walk through the steps for backing up and restoring text messages. For this guide, we used a Google Pixel running Android Oreo, and a free app called SMS Backup & Restore.
**Please Note**
Android Oreo allows users to back up their SMS messages via system settings. At this point, it only offers the ability to back up basic SMS, not MMS or special characters (Emoji).
Install SMS Backup & Restore
Back Up Text Messages on Android
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- 6The options are; Google Drive, Dropbox, or Your Phone. It is recommended that you use one of the cloud services. This will ensure your messages will be accessible in the event your device is lost or damaged. For our example, we opted to backup our messages on the device.The next screen is where you select the location you want to back up your messages to.
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Restore Text Messages on Android
If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.