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SMS Backup & Restore?
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Popularity Score: 258
This app was mentioned in 479 comments, with an average of 2.72 upvotes
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For android:
Call Logs Backup & Restore
I'm using these. Both apps has the same dev, so the functionality of them are nearly identical. The cool thing is you can set up a daily scheduled backup, exp. at 1am, saved out onto the internal storage, or uploaded to dropbox/google drive.
Just use this:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore&hl=en_US
I'm tired of waiting for Google to implement something simple.
I've used SMS Backup and Restore for years now without issue: [link]
It lets you export to a file that you can do what you want with. It also supports uploading to Dropbox or Google Drive.
Only thing I don't like about it is the UI can be a tad confusing but maybe that's just me?
Don't discuss details of the case past what you've posted here. It could compromise it and cause an adverse ruling.
You should do the following:
print to PDF (and paper!) and archive all your phone bills / usage statements for those lines, effective back to when you first started
export call / SMS logs from them if possible (Android can do it fairly easily with SMS Backup & Restore, which is free - iOS requires paid tools to do so, IIRC)
back up any and all written communications with your managers (if it's Outlook / Exchange, export it to PST; if it's POP or IMAP, export the mailbox file).
Try to avoid verbal communication with them unless you can record it; TN is a one-party state, so you can do so without risk.
There's more, but I'm running on only 14 cups of coffee right now, so I'm not up to snuff.
The Smart Switch app that comes preinstalled on the phone should do it just fine, but if not, the best app I've found is SMS Backup & Restore. I was able to copy my old texts over without a problem. My old phone had SD which was easier but seeing as the 6P doesn't, get this add-on which allows you to save the backups to the cloud (Google Drive or Dropbox), then install both on your S7 as well and restore them there.
say a prayer and hope to god they are backed up.
in all seriousness though. here is what I do
- Pictures/videos - google photos...or manually drag/drop them to a computer
- sms/mms - I use SMS backup and restore and have been pleased with it...either email the file or manually back it up
- apps - try and sign into anything that has an account for the app...that will usually back them up for you. take manual backups for anything that will let you and manually drag and drop to a computer.
- other apps - some apps are auto backed up...open google drive app, go to settings>manage backups to see a list of apps that support auto-backup
- then just back up any files you want to save to a computer.
any other questions, just shoot. I can usually clean flash an image and be back up and running within an hour without much work.
I've been using SMS Backup and Restore for the last year. [link] You can set it for regular backups, and then when switching or wiping phones, I do a special backup, and use it to restore with. Best app I've found for this.
I use SMS Backup and Restore. You can extract single conversations or the entire message store and generate a PDF (which is searchable) if needed. I use it whenever I switch to a new phone, bringing 20,000 SMS and MMS messages over each time.
I just used the single conversation feature to pull out a message stream to support a potential lawsuit against a contractor. It creates a nice conversation format that it easy to read and present to someone.
For years (before I rooted), I used SMS backup and Restore.
It backs up all your SMS to a file and can restore them to your new phone. It also does call logs, which can be handy to copy across.
It can backup to SD card, or even Google Drive etc.
If I wasn't rooted, I'd still be using this.
I have had great success with the following app for the last year or so. Allows backing up to Google drive.
SMS backup restore
Been using this since the OG Droid days. Backs up SMS and MMS, including emoji and pictures, and can sync with the cloud.
I use SMS Backup and Restore. Download the app on your old phone and it lets you back up your messages (both SMS and MMS, despite its name) either to Google Drive or a .zip file, and then you can download the app on your new phone and restore all your messages from that backup to Android Messages in just a few minutes. It's a simple app, but it works really well, and I've since set it up to back up all messages to my Google Drive every night. Hope it helps you out!
You can use SMSBackup and Restore to backup your MMS and SMS messages. And use Helium Backup To backup your apps and data.
I don't know which messaging app you use but I use this for Google's messenger. [link]
It will back up all text messages and call logs into an XML file. Then you can move those to a flash drive or computer. Then when the time comes all you have to do is drop it in the new phone and restore it from that app again.
I'm not sure if it will work with other texting apps however (like Viber or hangout). So make sure to do a little research on how to backup those specific apps.
This may not be want you want but perhaps clearing all your SMS messages and starting over might be best.
- First download SMSBackupRestore and create a backup any way you want. Creating one locally/on the device should be fine. WARNING: You will loose all your texts if you do not back them up before proceeding!
- Next, in the app go into Navigation Drawer > Settings > Delete messages or phone calls > Make sure only Messages are selected > Yes
- See if that fixes your issue. If not, you can restore your messages via the Restore option in the navigation drawer of the app.
Backup call logs and texts internally or to an external source. I do SD card and cloud storage everyday at a specific time (does this automatically).
you can use sms backup & restore. Make sure after you make your backup to move it to the cloud or to a PC prior to doing the reset. This will also give you the option to back up call logs.
This app does that, you can set it to backup automatically and upload to Dropbox or google drive
It doesn't relate directly to your HDD at all. SMS Backup & Restore is a way to create a backup of your SMS/MMS messages and/or call log as .XML files.
The backup can be created on the Android device itself, uploaded to Google Drive or Dropbox, or a combination.
Once the backup has successfully completed, you can either download the backup from Google Drive/Dropbox or connect your device and copy it over directly to your HDD.
Contacts: just enable to sync your contacts for your Google account in the Settings of your device. They will be available in Google Contacts, but you do not need to use the Google Contacts app to access them, just use your stock Contacts app.
Messages: there are literally dozens or hundreds of apps that do this. I recommend this: [link]
Images: Use Google Photos for unlimited storage backup in high quality of your photos.
WhatsApp: The official WhatsApp backup for your conversations between other app files on Google Drive has been in existence for some years now. If you have not yet activated this, do so.
i like sms backup & restore
you can backup, then restore while checking for duplicates...also it is my preferred backup solution for MMS/SMS
Not sure about going through the setup wizard; I think you have to factory reset and wipe all of your data to get that menu back. Hopefully there's an easier way but I haven't been able to find it yet.
Best solution I can think of would be to use SMS Backup & Restore on your Moto X, move the backup file to your Pixel, then use the same app to restore on the Pixel. Despite the name, it supports MMS photo and video messages, and group threads perfectly well in my experience.
Actually, text messages take up very little storage.
Practical solution: Transfer your music/videos/photos onto an external hard disk, since these usually take up the most storage. Delete apps that you've never used within the past month, and clear the caches of apps such as FB/Twitter/Instagram as they can become bloated over time.
If you still don't have any space and want to backup your messages, you can use SMS Backup & Restore for Android. For iPhone, you can backup to iTunes or iCloud.
Hope this helps!
If your contacts are google synced, it should happen automatically.
There are many apps out there to copy and replace text messages. Here's a well regarded one: [link]
I do find MMS times get messed up with restoring though.
I've always used SMS Backup & Restore. It saves your texts in an XML file. Make sure to email yourself the backup or save it elsewhere as well, just in case.
I just switched from the 5S to OP3, so maybe I can help out with your questions.
The phone is fast. Much faster than the 5S. You'll like it. My 5S is actually still working and not quite sluggish but I got tired with Apple's BS with the iPhone 7 and put in my order for the OP3 shortly after the Pixel was announced.
I was never a fan of the Android UI but I think it was much later that I realized I wasn't a fan of Samsung's UI (TouchWiz). I've had the Google Nexus 7 tablet and a LG G Pad III tablet so I got used to the Android look and feel from those two devices. OP3/OxygenOS is very much like stock Android, so it's fine. I actually found the UI change refreshing.
It might take a little bit of time to find all the options in the Settings menu (from my own experience). Some of the options are hidden in the Settings menu...
OP3 supports Android Pay. Don't know about Auto.
If there's a stock app you don't like, you can switch it out with a different app. This is what I like most with Android. I've swapped out their default SMS app with Textra.
Fingerprint reader is blazing fast. So fast. The fingerprint reader on my 5S would muck up and not be able to read my finger sometimes so the reader on the OP3 is wow.
Battery life is great, as is Dash Charging. I've been charging my OP3 once every 2 days.
I like how rooting your phone doesn't void the OP warranty. I'm not much into customizations but it's nice to know since jailbreaking iPhones would void all sorts of things.
Things you should do when you make the switch:
Unfortunately, the "restore" app/flow is only accessible during the "setup" stage of the phone after a factory reset... which is honestly kind of frustrating, but it is what it is.
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As far as SMS/MMS backup and restore goes, my personal favorite app to use is SMS Backup & Restore.
Also if you use whatsapp you can set backups to daily in there. So anytime you have to install whatsapp all your messages (including media) are there. It backs up to your onedrive or google drive account.
For SMS I use SMSbackup & Restore
You need to provide more details for "sms can not be restored after the device is completely reset" before others can give any useful suggestions. SMS Backup & Restore works well on all my Android devices.
SMS Backup and Restore should work for call logs and SMS/MMS. Contacts will transfer if you have them on SIM or if you have them on your Google account. And yeah, Titanium Backup should work for apps. Pictures should also stay so long as you only wipe data and system and not your internal SD.
I use this for texts
Everything else is either cloud backup, or files are manually backed up. Anything that doesn't fit those are lost, but it's usually not much
Before you do this you can back up all your text messages with this app: [link] I do this all the time, you can easily restore them when you're back up and ready.
SMS Backup & Restore has become the de-facto standard in SMS and call log backup on Android devices.
It outputs an .xml with all message threads and can also backup MMS content. The .xml's can be restored on any other Android device by the same app, but are also natively readable by many other messenger apps (e.g. Signal).
Worked every time without a hitch for me.
Signal is a bit basic (as intended) just for SMS use.
Check out QKSMS instead.
Every SMS app that just fetches the SMS from the internal SMS storage is compatible with SMS Backup & Restore (this one). In addition Signal has its own export feature which iirc is compatible (same file format) with SMS Backup & Restore.
They're supposed to be backed up, and you can confirm by going into your backup settings on your phone, but I use SMS Backup & Restore just in case.
There's this guide posted 2 months ago which I used to root and flash my device.
Most people use either Chroma or MinimalOS, though I'm not sure what the pros and cons of either are.
To backup photos you'll either need to manually copy and paste them via a PC or do a cloud back up to the service of your choice (Google Photos is good).
To back up SMS this app is good and lets you cloud backup to a variety of services.
I've used [link] with success before. It backs up your SMSes into an XML file you can restore afterwards. I just save it straight to Google Drive.
SMS Backup and Restore will save your text messages as a .xml file that you can then open in a browser or word and it will be formatted and readable.
It will back up to your cloud storage service of choice, or you can email the log to yourself. You can also set tasks to auto-backup on a regular basis. (I have mine add to an .xml file daily on google drive at 3am, works great).
SMS Backup and Restore. You Don't need root.
This application will move your SMS and call logs.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore
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All apps if you have Google Sync enabled.
There may be a few apps (usually games) that you might want to make sure you have copies of the App Data.
Other than that I usually just make a 10.5 GB SMS/MMS backup using SMS Backup & Restore. (It's 10.5 GB because I don't think I've deleted a text message since 2014)
I would assume that you are also using Google Photos, so your photos and videos should be saved there.
There might also be some things in your downloads folder you might want to save. I usually just let those go because they're typically apk's or PDF's to menus.
Basically if it's on your phone and you think you might want it in their future Google how to copy it from your phone. If you're rooted there are tools to create a complete backup of your phone a bit more easily than cherry picking what you want to keep.
While LG Backup is great, it's not a great idea for the long term as the amount of data you have on your phone grows exponentially, and you'll likely only backup your phone once a week if you're extra paranoid. Here's how I do it instead:
Whenever possible, log into apps with either your Google or Facebook accounts. That way you won't forget the login details, and many of these apps have either "Sign in with Google/Facebook or use a local account" anyways, so that's safer.
Use Google's services to backup photos, calendars, and contacts.
WhatsApp has a backup-to-Drive service that you have to enable in settings.
Enable cloud saving in every game you play. If the game doesn't support it, email the developers. It's crucial and easy enough to implement with Play Games.
Apps like SMS Backup & Restore help you periodically and automatically backup SMS messages to the cloud (G Cloud is another good alternative, but the one I gave a link to is 100% free etc)
If you live in the US and other select countries, you can use Google Music to cloud backup your music.
If you don't, or if you just want to sync any other folder to Drive but also keep a local copy in your preferred location, you may use Autosync or similar apps.
The article is a little old, but you can use just about any SMS backup app that connects to your GMail. I recommend SMS Backup by Carbonite.
I've used an app before that lets you backup SMS [link] then just restore it with the same app on your new phone. (Source: successfully migrated my SMS from an aging HTC One M7 to a Nexus 6P. I hope it works for Samsung.)
As for contacts, I suggest you save or move them to your Google account. It'll be loaded automatically on your new phone once you sign in.
unfortunately no, we (the r/android community) have been wanting this for a LONG time. there just isn't something like for android without root. but here is what we do have.
- google contacts
- google photos
- play store remembers what you downloaded, so you can download the same apps with 1 press of a button
- play game backups (this is opt in from developers, works great if the game supports it)
- app data backup (again, opt-in, and works pretty well as long as the app supports it)
- sms backup and restore will (obviously) backup and restore your text messages either to the cloud or a local file
- google drive (its where i store all my wallpapers and other important documents)
- play music (stores 50,000 of your own songs)
- google calendar
- settings restore (most of your phone settings will be backed up and restored automatically)
so its not a "one solution" type thing....though if you utilize all of them, restoring a phone is fairly painless. last time i had to start fresh, it literally took me like 30-40 minutes to get it back to where I was before. I tend to only use apps from competent developers (many of them from r/android) who utilize the backup/restore features. i have just under 100 apps installed and it still only took that long.
again, not perfect, but not that bad either.
SMS Backup & Restore - been using this for years now. Backs up my SMS and call logs to Google Drive every night without fail and I have text messages on my Oneplus 3 that I sent from my Nexus One.
- sms backup and restore for SMS and call log backups
- try and backup any apps that have a manual backup in place
- move all files off device to PC
- use Play music to store your music
- use google photos to backup your pictures
- use Drive for files
- google contacts for your contacts
- sign into games that support Google play games backup
- hope to god than any other app is backed up by the built in backup
- flash factory image/take OTA
- start the restore process
I recently did this and was surprised at how many of my apps had manual backup/auto backup. only had to sign into a few apps and thats it.
If its rooted, you could use Titanium. If not, Google will restore your apps, but not the data. Text messages can be backed up with an app in the play store like SMS backup and Restore.
Backup your text messages ([link])
Make sure you transfer the files from your phone to computer (they should be in SMS Backup folder in the main storage), once you have those files on your computer, then factory reset (if you reset it will delete those files, so make sure to back them up first, through Cloud, manual file transfer, whatever work). Transfer files back to phone, install app and restore.
For SMS, use SMS Backup and Restore (no root required):
Your contacts should be synced with Google since the Droid Turbo should have been linked to a Google account from the start as it's Android. If the Verizon contacts are somehow seen as SIM contacts or are otherwise not stored in Google's cloud -- check the Contacts section in your Google/Gmail account that's synced to your Droid Turbo -- you will need to convert those to Google/Gmail contacts or export them from Verizon's sync.
I don't have suggestions for the phone history.
First off, that website you linked seems highly suspicious and I doubt it's legitimate.
Now to answer your question. You can use an app like this to make an XML backup of your text messages which you can transfer to your PC.
Awesome! Congrats on the phone shipping! Did you get a notification or did you check manually.
This App is fantastic for backing up your phone texts. Depending on what phone youre coming from there are native Apps by the manufacturers too. Like my Moto X has Motorola Migrate.
Use this instead. Copies all SMS as well as MMS and emojis. Much more comprehensive. I've also noticed that when using the wired tool it tends to only copy the most recent texts and not all of them for whatever reason. Which is why I now use this.
Without an unlocked bootloader, here are some of the steps I would do:
- Ensure SMS Messages are backed up ([link])
- Ensure any other message app is backed up (if possible)
- Ensure Photos are backed up (Google Photos)
- Make sure you sync your contacts with Google
- Go through all apps to see if there is anything that needs to be preserved (i.e gamesaves, etc)
After that, I think you're good to go.
I used this years ago to save my SMS, no clue if it works in Marshmallow though. Worth a shot, I think you can save to Dropbox or Drive.
It sounds like the quick charger is usually the first to go out, I've had lots of luck using other standard USB cables from prior phones.
Please don't follow those random tutorials. I don't have time to read them but most of the time they're wrong. I'll get you instructions when I get home from school.
For backup you can use Google's built-in backup (if it is supported) or you can root (I'll help you with that too if you want) and use Titanium Backup. Or you can use this for simple stuff like SMS and call logs.
- if someone is using Signal as their texting app, the Signal backup does contain those messages
- if someone is using Signal, but not for SMS/MMS messages, they have to import their texting database into Signal. There are two ways:
- if Signal is on the same phone, just use Import -> Import system SMS database
- if Signal is on another phone, export SMS database from your texting phone using SMS Backup & Restore app, and import it into your Signal phone via Import -> Import plaintext backup
So my general backup/transfer procedure is:
- Google Photos to backup up all photos & videos from the camera
- SMS Backup & Restore to export the SMS history (and upload it to dropbox or something like that), and then restore on the new phone
- My contacts are managed by Google Contacts
- Make sure phone backup settings are on, that apps are backed up. The settings for most apps probably won't be backed up, so make sure you know passwords or are able to reset them.
Use Sms Backup and Restore on the playstore its the best !! https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.riteshsahu.SMSBackupRestore
Unless RCS is different, there are like a billion apps that backs up text messages in the play store. Most of them even have the option to back up straight your Google Drive or Dropbox. I used sms back up apps a lot back then when I kept switching roms.
I've used this one before
messenger uses SMS only, they need to be backed up to internal storage. you can do with with an app. I use SMS backup and restore this has been working great for me for a couple years. just make sure to export it out to a cloud drive if your internal memory is going to get wiped.
hangouts uses messaging over data...all conversations get stored in the cloud. if you used hangouts for SMS, those will NOT get backed up automatically. thats just one benefit of using a messenger over traditional "old school" sms/mms
Pretty smooth. I set up the 5T as new and only downloaded apps I actually needed. I had my SMS backed up using Carbonite's SMS Backup and Restore so I'd have all my old texts. Unlocked the bootloader and rooted using Magisk immediately, just so I didn't have to wipe anything. I'm still on OxygenOS and I think I'm going to stick with it since the Oreo update should be out today or soon enough. Likely once more stable Oreo ROM's are out I'll switch, but I think I'm going to be using OOS for a while.
I use this app. [link]
Backup on your phone with the app and either email or save the .xml somewhere and download the app on her phone and restore using the same app. Should take no more than 5 minutes(minus the time it takes to back up your texts/restore)
I've used the combination of SMS Backup & Restore and SMS Backup+ on all of my Android devices since way back when.
The first one keeps a local SMS archive backup in XML format and does an excellent job of migrating all of my SMS, MMS, and group conversation threads between any Android device (fresh wipes, new phones, etc.). It has really good additional features for scheduled backups being pushed to cloud storage overnight or whenever you set it.
The second one is a really good on-the-fly backup that pushes every new message to a custom Label in my Gmail account a few minutes after I receive it. (I don't like using it for restoring SMS, although it has that feature. It still doesn't restore MMS after many years in development :P) I suspect that you'll be most wary of this app in comparison to the battery-hogging AT&T Backup. Don't be. SMS Backup+ has never been a battery hog in the slightest in all my years of often shitty battery life Android phones.
Seconding SMS Backup & Restore. Great app, been using it since I first got an Android. Backs up your SMS and MMS into an XML file.
Not knowing what device you are using, have you tried uninstalling updates and/or clearing cache and app data of your phone app? WARNING: This may clear your call log, so you may want to back it up first with an app like SMS Backup and Restore
Unfortunately the backup functionality isn't as comprehensive as apples system via iTunes. Though you can download and use Samsung Kies to do something similar.
A more manual method of copying your files from your phone's SD card to your main computer just like a regular HDD works too and is what I did.
Investigate the section in your phone's system setting 'backup and reset'.
You have the option of backup up via your Google account and via your Samsung account. Wouldn't hurt to do both just in case one fails.
SMS's have always been tricky. I use an app called SMS backup and restore which saves them to you google drive (an option you need to select) and can schedule to keep backups, handy if your phone dies, you lose it or if you need to factory reset.
I don't think SMS are automatically backed up, and so you'd probably want to use a third-party app to back those up. Personally I use SMS Backup and Restore.
Otherwise, if you've got Google backup enabled then your apps should restore. If you're using Google Photo backup then those will be fine as well.
Do you have google services installed? Your contacts will probably be already uploaded to your google account.
An app like this one can be used to back up your SMS [link]
I've used it personally and it's great
I used Helium to transfer my data from my N5 to 6P this afternoon (both using Marshmallow). Have you googled to see if anyone else has that issue and possibly a solution for it?
I've noticed that some android apps don't allow app data backups because a lot of mine were greyed out on Helium which is unfortunate but those weren't too tricky to get set up. As for Hangouts stuff, anything that's not SMS should be synced with your Google Account and will be transferred immediately however I did use something called SMS Backup and Restore many years ago so maybe give that a try?
Maybe do what /u/Section_80 said and give Titanium Backup a try.
No, only backup user apps, because system data is very specific to firmware versions, and can cause issues if you restore it. Also, on a related note, Titanium has issues backing up SMS messages, so for that I'd recommend SMS Backup & Restore.
Use the batch action. Menu - Batch Actions - Redo backups for modified data.
Yes, but if you want you can manually backup the backup. They're stored in /sdcard/TitaniumBackup
PS: If this answers your query, please reply with "solved". Thanks!
I use SMS Backup & Restore by Carbonite.
Never had any issues. Does MMS also. I have every single text message from 2012. Not sure how it'd work on a custom ROM as I've only used the stock rom. Maybe you can give it a shot.
I've been scouring around, and I cannot find an answer to your question. If you made a backup of your original image prior to flashing (I hope you did), I would suggest rolling back to that, and using an app such as SMS Backup & Restore. There are others, but this one has been around for several years and works great.
If you're still unable to transfer the rest, you try using SMS Backup and Restore. It can automatically place your backup on Google Drive, where you simply open it up on your S8 to import.
Download this and send the .xml file to me. If some Government mook is archiving all your conversations you won't have a problem with me doing it right?
Are you married? Do you hit your wife, your kids?
Have you ever thought about killing yourself? You've been tracked by Google analytics on every site you've been on, it would be pretty easy to tell if you did.
Is there something wrong in your life? Are you unhappy? Is that why you're so afraid of the terrorists? Did something happen to make you afraid?
What's it like being so angry that you'd give up your privacy just to feel safe against a threat that's only killed two people in the last decade? It's much more likely you'll be beaten to death by cops, that your kid will be beaten to death by a cop.
Is it worth it, knowing surveillance will be used against activists? That your kids will never be able to stand up for what they believe in? Will you be okay when news breaks about torture chambers here like the ones in Chicago and someone in your life just disappears?
Is it okay with you if it mostly just affects Muslims and poor immigrants?
If you don't use hangouts and still want to back up your messages, you can use SMS backup & restore. It has limited local backup, but full backup to a google drive or dropbox.
But to answer your question, they don't get deleted after a set amount of time.
Upload photos and music to Google's cloud services for both a backup just in case, and to make it easy to transition. Contacts Contacts should be backed up to your Google account, but you can export to a vcard to import from the contacts app (check the overflow menu in the top right) if you're paranoid. Last I checked, this app worked perfectly for backing up and restoring texts.
For the SMS texts, you could use this. It can save them on your phone or in a gmail account. Then restore them from gmail, or a copy saved to your computer from the donor phone.
heres a bunch of things to try: [link]
I ran into this issue a while back and I did a bunch of things... not sure what actually worked... I cleared out all of my messages, I used SMS backup and restore [link]
after backing up, i cleared the cache on the messaging app and the google/play apps, then i restored my messages
I dont remember if that fixed it totally as i still had spotty issues, i think i disabled too many things in the back ground so eventually i wiped the phone which fixed everything... except now i cant use data while taking for some reason...
I like to use SMS Backup and Restore to transfer over my texts and call history. I believe WhatsApp syncs all of your messages via your Google account, so they should just show up on your new phone if you login with the same Google account. As for other apps, you'll have to find out if they are able to be backed up at all. I recommend googling the app names and 'backup and restore'.
I have successfully used the free app "SMS Backup & Restore" from Carbonite to backup SMS, MMS and call logs multiple times. Since it uses the rom's Content Providers to export the data in its own intermediate human readable format and restores it the same way, it works between ROMs with different message database structures.
For apps and app data (some apps prevent data backup) you can use 'adb backup' but I would generally suggest avoiding backing up the data of system apps since it may be incompatible. If going from two different Lineage builds it is probably fine though.
No, TWRP will not work to backup between devices.
I use this app. It works with Textra (my main messaging app) and I have linked the app to my dropbox account. Hence it goes to the cloud.
I personally use SMS Backup and Restore.
You can backup everything or just certain conversations. You can do the backups manually or you can use its automatic backup feature, which you can set a schedule for.
It can save your backups to Google Drive, Dropbox, or have them e-mailed to you, in addition to local storage course.
Also can backup your call logs, as well.
It doesn't have that functionality on its own, but the developers (and myself) recommend SMS Backup & Restore to handle that, I've used it in the past for transferring my texts (including MMS) to a new phone and it does it perfectly.
SMS Backup & Restore restores like a champ; I've used it reliably for years to restore many thousands of SMS/MMS on fresh ROM installs, new devices, etc. It also has the ability to run a restore and skip duplicates, to your second point.
That said, I think your overall point still stands in that it is probably not worth it to do on a regular basis (e.g. not just when setting up your phone from scratch). SMS Backup & Restore batch process takes a lot of time once you build up a few thousand messages and MMS attachments. At least, I wouldn't want to do it more often then once every few months.
To /u/anotherfiz question about Drive backup... sort of? You can upload the backup file (an .XML by default I believe) to Google Drive automatically with scheduled backups and retrieve it from there. I suspect you were thinking more about auto app backups from 7.1. Like you said, I don't think there's a way right now to access those backup files without resetting.
Also Call Logs Backup and Restore by the same author.
So long as you still have the original conversation on your broken phone, you could download an app that backs up stuff like this and install that app on your new phone as well. I think Titanium Backup does this well and I used it for 6 years before getting my S7. It does require root, though.
A quick Google Search brought this up.
If your screen is non-functional on your old phone, you can still mirror it to your computer and try backing it up that way. I think AirDroid does this as a free feature, at least the mirroring part.
Agreed. Textra has been good so far. The only two issues I've noticed are minor. One is that setting notification and response options per-contact is time consuming. The other thing is the app doesn't make a notification sound for the contact if the screen is focused on the conversation. This isn't a huge deal, but I like to leave my screen on and go do other things while chatting with people, so not hearing is a drag.
So Textra and Emoji Switcher Root have worked. I also use and recommend SMS Backup & Restore ([link]). It has been a good way to keep text backups, and it also works with Dropbox to upload to the cloud.
hmmm have you tried wiping the App data? if you want to save your texts, use SMS Backup and Restore first. [link]
I haven't seen/heard that before.
If the android GPS provider AND the android Network Provider are both fucky, a factory reset AND full clean install of your ROM are the first steps I would take. I know, it's kinda a hassle and it takes at least 10 minutes, but that's the price we pay sometimes for installing custom software.
IMO, best SMS Backup app and best app backup .
I did the same and flashing SuperSU is necessary. I ended up wiping and clean flashing just to start fresh but that wasn't necessary. I did it anyway because I had already backed up my apps with Titanium Backup and my texts with SMS Backup & Restore.
Keep in mind that your modem won't get updated if you're using TWRP. I had to reboot into fastboot mode and manually flash the COS12.1 modem.
Contacts with display pictures will transfer if you have your contacts stored to your Google account and not your phone.
For SMS/MMS, [link] . You can choose the conversations and whether you want MMS messages or not. It will save the file to a location on your device. I usually just upload this to my Google Drive. On the new phone, install the app, download that file to your downloads folder, and choose the restore option in the app. It will ask you what file you want to use. Voila! Works great, but makes the texting app slow for a while as everything gets situated.
I don't know if there's a baked-in way to do this, but call history and SMS can be done with SMS Backup & Restore. I have mine set to backup to Google Drive every night at 2 am.
Edit: fixed link formatting
Yeah it gets quite heavy with lots of pictures. I use SMS backup and restore to archive messages and then save that to google drive.
SIM only carries contacts (and only if you're storing contacts on it) and a unique identifier for your carrier to use. Back the contacts up to Google or something if they aren't already. Texts you can get apps to save and restore
Backups SMS and call logs to xml files, can backup directly to Drive/Dropbox and has scheduled backups too.