Help Transfer SMSs from Nexus to S4 with Mac?

[Ed in Venice]

Anyone have a method for saving sms messages from 1 Android phone (I had a Nexus) to the Mac (Macbook Air 10.7.4) and then to a new Android phone (Galaxy S4)?

Android File Transfer works fine to drag and drop music, videos and ebooks, but I don't know where to look for text messages - if indeed you can drag and drop those.

Any help appreciated.

 

[Hadron]

The messages will be in a database file which is unlikely to be compatible between a Nexus and Samsung (my guess anyway, as it's not usually compatible between different ROMs on the same phone, and Samsung modify android quite heavily).

What I'd recommend is installing a SMS Backup app from the Play Store and using it to transfer the messages. Either one which makes a local backup, which you can then copy from one phone to the other and restore, or one that backs up to the cloud (eg your Gmail) in which case you can restore over the air to the new phone.

 

[sntaylor]

Back up sms might work, are actually rooted(I know is in root folder but thought I better ask) if so it'll Def work and will back them up in a folder which should be able to just copy over, then use the same app in the s4

 

[Ed in Venice]

Thanks for the advice!

What I just found that worked is a free app called Save My SMS - Free, which I installed on both phones. Backed up the messages on the first phone and sent them to myself by email, then when received the email on the new phone, downloaded the messages file in .xml and then Restored the messages with Save My SMS - Free. Worked great.

Highly recommended, especially as a free app.

 

[DonB]

Not root related so move back to the general S4 Forum

 

[lotus49]

I recently moved from an S2 to an S4. I used SMS Backup and Restore which is free in Google Play. It converts the SMSs to an XML format file and stores it on your SD card. It worked flawlessly and it's free.

The same developer has a Call log program that does the same thing and worked equally perfectly.