SMS App/Data Advice

[Mobile01]

Hi Guys! I have avoided using SMS for years now, because it used to be a rip-off. But on a new account it was very cheap, so I have finally started to use it. I will be using it mainly on my LG C710h ("ShinePlus") with Android 2.3.3 (probably stock). There does not seem to be a way to save the messages as a normal text file.

Is there an App that will save messages I have received and have sent to a text file? I want to keep on using the standard App because all the 3rd party Apps seem to want to force you to use a different server system, which I do not trust.

If not, does anyone know where the data file is, so I can copy it manually?

July 7, 2012

I have probably found a partial answer. Titanium Backup apparently saves all the SMS information in an XML file. I will need to root the ShinePlus, install Titanium Backup, install Superuser, and then to a backup, and then dig around until I find the right XML file.

July 8, 2012

First step: I successfully rooted the LG C710h (firmware "V20b") with SuperOneClick 2.3.3.0. I have installed Superuser and Titanium Backup. So in theory, all I have to do is run a backup and then poke around the output files.

July 8, 2012 (Later)

Well, that was a failure. Titanium Backup does list this capability, but only for the paid version. In the long run, I do not feel bad about paying for it (about $7 US is not much) but the possible problems of making the payment, and security risks always bother me. I will have to think about this a while. If I find another way to get this done, then that might be what I will do.

[Saurus]

@Mobile01 There are about 100 Notepad apps in the Market, some look to have SMS capability, but probably paid versions only. Check them out. There are other file managers besides TB, too.

[Mobile01]

I ended up using "SMS Backup & Restore" by Ritesh Sahu, currently version 5.92. This program creates a backup in XML format in "/mnt/sdcard/SMSBackupRestore/". The XML file is essentially a text file, so I can use a common text editor to read it. It would be nice if it had an option to store the data in a really "plain" text file, but I do not really expect to be looking at back messages that often. If I do, then theoretically, I write a program to strip out the XML wrapping.

This is a free program. As I write this, I cannot remember if it needs "root" privilege. I would expect that it does. My phone was rooted before anyway, so it was not an issue.