Is it possible to back up text messages

NorthStandUltra

I'm hoping you guys can help me?

Is it possible to save or back up text messages so that they can be kept allowing me to delete them off my iPhone.

After the birth of my son, I have messages I want to keep but my I don't want to clog up my phone.

Any suggestions & thank you!

tangoflash

I think there is some software similar to a sim card reader that can do that, but in all honesty mate, it's only electronic data. What's said in the texts might mean a lot to you but would it really matter if you just typed these out and saved them on your PC?  as copying them will leave you with the same result ultimately.

aliwibble

How easy is it for you to get your sim card out of your phone? You can get SIM card readers reasonably cheap, although I can't vouch for how reliable they are, never having bothered myself. General principle is you plug the reader in to your PC, put the sim card in the reader, and then copy them across to a backup directory.

tangoflash

How easy is it for you to get your sim card out of your phone? You can get SIM card readers reasonably cheap, although I can't vouch for how reliable they are, never having bothered myself. General principle is you plug the reader in to your PC, put the sim card in the reader, and then copy them across to a backup directory.

Be aware some sim card readers will only copy phonebook entries, not text messages.

Rufus_Ambition

Do you have a Mac or PC?

If Mac, there's a piece of software called PhoneView that will let you do this. It says on the website that 'Messages can be exported as PDF files, text or XML'.

There seems to be similar software for PC users too, called TouchCopy.

JiMMy 85

You could just take a screengrab of the messages and add them together for a collage of messages. WOuld make a good birthday card or something.

EastTerrace

I was going to get this NSU, haven't yet though, but looks like it does the trick.


http://deciphertools.com/

CafcWest

Easiest way is to open the message you want to keep so you can see it on the iPhone screen and then press the top (on/off) button and the bottom centre button together - just quickly (don't hold them both down together) and you take a picture of the iPhone screen.  You can then copy the pictures off the camera - et voila...

NorthStandUltra

Thanks for all your advice, I have managed to print off all the messages using something called Printershare, it's similar to Apple's AirPrint but uses your desktop PC as well.

Thanks again guys, much appreciated

LoOkOuT

@NorthStandUltra iTunes makes a backup when you sync with your computer; that includes text messages if you get another iPhone.

Ross

Lookie - that only backs up your phone at that time, so if you were to delete the texts and then back up again it would erase the previous back up.

Plus iTunes automatically backs up when updating software, so you're always going to be erasing the previous back ups.