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Help How to Extract Phone Call Log from Android Device?

T

Tighty_Whitey

Lurker
I have a Samsung SGH-T599N with Android version 4.1.2 from MetroPCS and for possible future legal reasons, I need to copy the phone log and store it on my PC for safekeeping. The call log documents calls that took place and as a result property was stolen from me, and I may need this phone record in order to prove that the calls took place some day, and I do not trust that the phone will still be functional as they have a tendency to die suddenly and for no reason.

So, what is the best, fastest and most efficient way to save a copy of this phone's log? Thanks in advance.
 
lunatic59 said:
There are plenty of call log apps like this one Advanced Phone Log. That said, and IANAL, I would thing your phone bill/carrier log would be more convincing. Log files can be altered, but the carrier's records can be verified.
Click to expand...

Rather than install an App, isn't there a way to simply copy the contents of some folder-or-other to my PC. I'm not trying to be a lawyer here, and I don't think MetroPCS gives access to your call log anyways, unless someone else knows different? In any case, all I need is the record of what number went in which direction on what data and what time. Call durations would be good too, but not necessary.
 
Tighty_Whitey said:
Rather than install an App, isn't there a way to simply copy the contents of some folder-or-other to my PC. I'm not trying to be a lawyer here, and I don't think MetroPCS gives access to your call log anyways, unless someone else knows different? In any case, all I need is the record of what number went in which direction on what data and what time. Call durations would be good too, but not necessary.
Click to expand...
I'd think they'd be bound by law to give you your call log should you ask for it.
 
chanchan05 said:
I'd think they'd be bound by law to give you your call log should you ask for it.
Click to expand...

Why is it that every time someone says something about "court" everyone loses their brains? I want a copy of my log, the one that I look at 50 times a day, saved to my computer. It might be for court, it might be so I can remember the sex line I called last week. I don't understand why the mention of anything that remotely has anything to do with something legal makes otherwise seemingly normal people with normal intelligence suddenly defecate their brains out their anus.

I just want the file that's in the android software. It comes from somewhere. The android O/S gets it from somewhere, in order to present it on the screen. It's somewhere.

It's. Somewhere.

Get that. It's somewhere. Somewhere, on my android, on ALL androids, the phone log is somewhere. Somewhere in that phone, there's a phone log. I want to know where.

Where is it? I just want a copy. It's not for anything legal, so no need to squirt your liquid runny brains out of your butt. It's actually so I can text a message to my dog. It's for his birthday next week.

There. There's your non-legal reason why I just want a copy of the phone log that's on my phone. So stop talking about imaginary unicorns and exotic legal documents compelling MetroPCS to do anything for me, because it's not going to, ever. MetroPCS doesn't give to unicorn turds for what I want, and if you don't want to accept that the call log is inside my android and if you don't know how to help me find it then please stop inventing highly improbable and fanciful interpretations of whatever it is that you wish I would have tried to say, instead of the plain language request that I actually DID post. The. Phone. Log.

The phone log.

Let me say it again, in a different way.

The.
Phone.
Log.

I'd like a copy of it. The phone log, I mean. If anyone can help with that simple, basic request, I'd appreciate it.
 
Generally I find the best way to encourage people to help you on a forum isn't to insult the people who have tried to help you based on the information that you've given them.

That said we all get grumpy sometimes so here's some links for you

For the location of the log
http://www.droidforums.net/threads/call-log-location.147841/


If you want to parse it on the device

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/6786666/how-do-i-access-call-log-for-android

Although the suggestions in the above posts will be easier for many people
 
Tighty_Whitey said:
Why is it that every time someone says something about "court" everyone loses their brains? I want a copy of my log, the one that I look at 50 times a day, saved to my computer. It might be for court, it might be so I can remember the sex line I called last week. I don't understand why the mention of anything that remotely has anything to do with something legal makes otherwise seemingly normal people with normal intelligence suddenly defecate their brains out their anus.

I just want the file that's in the android software. It comes from somewhere. The android O/S gets it from somewhere, in order to present it on the screen. It's somewhere.

It's. Somewhere.

Get that. It's somewhere. Somewhere, on my android, on ALL androids, the phone log is somewhere. Somewhere in that phone, there's a phone log. I want to know where.

Where is it? I just want a copy. It's not for anything legal, so no need to squirt your liquid runny brains out of your butt. It's actually so I can text a message to my dog. It's for his birthday next week.

There. There's your non-legal reason why I just want a copy of the phone log that's on my phone. So stop talking about imaginary unicorns and exotic legal documents compelling MetroPCS to do anything for me, because it's not going to, ever. MetroPCS doesn't give to unicorn turds for what I want, and if you don't want to accept that the call log is inside my android and if you don't know how to help me find it then please stop inventing highly improbable and fanciful interpretations of whatever it is that you wish I would have tried to say, instead of the plain language request that I actually DID post. The. Phone. Log.

The phone log.

Let me say it again, in a different way.

The.
Phone.
Log.

I'd like a copy of it. The phone log, I mean. If anyone can help with that simple, basic request, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Look I was just replying to the fact where you said your carrier might not want to give you a copy 'unless someone knows different'. I am that someone who apparently knows different, based on my experience. I simply said (paraphrasing for you) no they have to give you a copy because it is required of them to provide you with copies of all of your transactions with them. I don't care where you want to use it. I didn't bother to read the rest of your rant because it was irrelevant. You're the one losing your brains about this. I had no idea the word 'law' has that effect on you.
 
Tighty_Whitey said:
I'd like a copy of it. The phone log, I mean. If anyone can help with that simple, basic request, I'd appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Perhaps you should think some more about the convenient suggestion of installing an app that will do just what you want. The next, simplest, basic suggestion is to root your phone and then find the phone log file you need. You need to root your phone as it'll be buried in your phone's system partition, also it will most likely be a .db file (SQLite database file format), I know very little about them so others can help you out with opening and extracting the information you want out of it. I can however point you to where you can start researching how to root your Galaxy Exhibit:
http://androidforums.com/forums/root-samsung-galaxy-exhibit.2409/
 
Tighty_Whitey said:
want a copy of my log, the one that I look at 50 times a day, saved to my computer. It might be for court, it might be so I can remember the sex line I called last week. I don't understand why the mention of anything that remotely has anything to do with something legal...
Click to expand...

To be fair you were the one who brought up "possible future legal reasons" in your initial post. Data used in conjunction with any legal proceeding is held to a different set of standards than just used as a reminder of past calls. We're just trying to help. Sorry if it wasn't the answer you were looking for.

As you can see from the other's posts, there is no discrete flat file log that you can simply copy. The "call log" is stored in a protected system database that may or may not be easy to extract what the dialer app displays. I couldn't tell you as I've never tried. I do know that there are apps that will do this for you so I simply recommended them so you wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel.

If you need the file it's /data/data/com.android.providers.contacts/databases/contacts2.db in a table called calls. Be advised that Google may change the db structure with subsequent updates.
 
You've been told about four or five different ways to do what you want, you're not doing much to help yourself (we haven't heard back about the suggestions in this thread working or not). There's no need to talk such ludicrous amount of trash because someone is taking what you said about "future legal action" seriously, either take people's advice or don't, but learn to have half as much patience as others are having with you.
 
Okay folks. The OP might have blown a gasket, but let's be nice. We've all been to other forums where piling on is the norm. This ain't that.

@Tighty_Whitey the data structure and logging in Android is what it is. You can access it with an app or dumping the database and extracting the relevant entries. The first one is as easy as installing an app, the second requires some technical expertise.

I only suggested you look at your carrier because every phone account I have ever had has the ability to log into the carrier's customer portal and view every call or text, as well as seeing details about data usage. Maybe MetroPCS doesn't provide that information, but I'd really be surprised if they didn't.
 
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