Copying Text Messages to a PC

[Samdy]

S4 Mini - Can text message folders and any/all text messages be copied to a PC - if yes, how? Thank you

[hrym]

If it's not already installed, look on Google Play for Kies Air, which allows you to copy content to and from the device over a wifi connection.  I'm pretty sure it includes SMS.   The full pc Kies may be able to do it as well.

[Samdy]

I eventually got round to downloading Kies - and it worked, it 'backed-up' all my sms texts to my PC, giving an "sme" file of about 4mb. But, the sme file can't be opened as it is just a backup file - I presume to re-install back to the phone should I lose texts on the phone.

I was hoping to: "copy texts from a mobile to read them on a PC"; rather than a "backup" which I don't actually need.

So, is there a way to actually copy and read the individual texts on a PC?

Thank you.

[hrym]

I haven't used Kies Air for a while, but when I did it had the option to copy messages individually, which I assume meant they'd be readable.   It sounds as though you're using the full backup option within Kies.   Does it also have the facility to copy individual files?  That would be what you want.   If not, try Kies Air.  It's not on Google Play now, as far as I can see, but was on the Samsung site when I last looked.  It connects over wifi via your pc browser.

[Samdy]

Hello Hrym,

I contacted Samsun support re my S4 Mini and what I was trying to achieve with regard copying sms texts to a PC. Having already tried Kies and achieved a backup copy of my text messages to my PC - this just copied 'all' texts to a backup .sme file. This is a block file and cannot be read on a PC; it is only saved as a backup to reinstall on a mobile if mobile data has been lost. So, therefore useless in what I wanted to achieve: copying texts so that they could be 'read' on my PC.

So, Samsung recommended: Samsung Side Sync. An app that when installed to both phone and PC opens up a mirror of the phone on the PC. The PC thereafter takes over the phone's operation and displays everything on the PC - texts and all. One can then use the mobile's display on the large PC monitor and send and receive texts on the PC. When connected the mobile's screen goes blank and the phone operation is via the PC's screen, obviously very enlarged compared to the small phone screen. BUT, you still cannot save texts to the PC.

So, I emailed Samsung again explaining all this and they replied: Sorry, it is impossible to actually 'copy' texts to a PC as PC's do not support sms text file format. After all that - back to square one.

In any event hrym, I don't know what version of Kies you used to copy one individual text to a PC, as my 'latest' version can only do a 'block' backup, which cannot be read on a PC - as Samsung says is impossible anyway? Interesting exercise nevertheless.

Thanks again, Samdy.

Edit. Forgot to say that to use Samsung Side Sync, Kies must be closed-down in Task Manager for Side Sync to work.

[mrathb]

the title of this page looks promising im at work so i cant acturally open the webpage 

Export and Read Android SMS on Computer

http://www.coolmuster.com/android/view-android-text-messages-on-computer.html

also found this one  read up does say 

like Samsung, HTC or LG text messages on computer, you need to export them from your mobile phone and save as a readable file on your PC. ... So when you're simply connecting your Samsung, HTC or LG phones to your computer, ...

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=7&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CEoQFjAG&url=h...

hope it has some useful information 

will try do it later myself as i have s5 

[thesoupdragon]

There is an App called SMS BACKUP+ it automatically saves ALL your messages to your Gmail account.

You will see a Folder called "SMS" when you open Gmail on a PC.

You can see all your messages in chronological order and print, copy, share whatever you want to do.

The added advantage is you can restore all your messages to a new Phone of any make or manufacture in the future!

[Samdy]

Hi sdyu,

Thanks for you input but can you name one or more apps that can transfer individual text messages to a PC, so that they can be read on a PC?

Thanks, Samdy.

[hrym]

If you search Google Play for "SMS to PC", there's a list.   The first one that comes up is SMS Backup & Restore which appears to have a good variety of options.   It's likely that you'd need to use an intermediate service such as Dropbox or Google Drive, at least for convenience.

[Samdy]

Thanks hyrm,

But I believe, from past posts, that these programs just do a 'backup transfer' and the subsequent sms transfers cannot actually be read on a PC?

I want to be able to 'read' my transferred texts on my PC - so dual operation: 1. transfer (copy) and 2. read.

This is what I do not think is possible, unless I have this wrong?