Transferring text messages

**So Much Fire** · December 21, 2010, 09:38 AM

I have some text messages from a recent trip that I'd love to transfer over onto my computer for safe keeping, but they're on a "dumbphone" with no transfer cables. Are text messages stored on the phone's memory or SIM card and if so, would transferring the card over to an unlocked phone and transferring via bluetooth work?

Any insight is much appreciated

**M D** · December 21, 2010, 09:39 AM

What if you texted them to someone with a smartphone

**So Much Fire** · December 21, 2010, 10:31 AM

I can't, no one I know of has a smartphone, at least where I'm staying. I do have an unlocked phone I can put the SIM card in though.

**M D** · December 21, 2010, 10:38 AM

Hmmm... I dont think their stored on it though.

**Ishan** · December 21, 2010, 10:49 AM

Text messages are stored on Sim Card also it has a limit of like 500 messages or so depending upon the bit type 16 or 32-bit.
It depends what settings that phone has whether to store in phone memory or Sim memory. You can transfer the messages to the sim card and then insert the sim in other and transfer those to onto the phone memory of the other one.

**mp0295** · December 21, 2010, 04:20 PM

Forward them to your email

**So Much Fire** · December 23, 2010, 11:18 PM

Thanks guys! I'll swap SIM cards and see if they're there, just wanted to make sure I wouldn't lose the messages if I did swap cards.

Originally Posted by mp0295

Forward them to your email

The messages are on a UK O2 card and I'm in the US at the moment with the O2 partner network having no reception where I'm at.

**Doono** · December 22, 2010, 03:33 PM

They can be stored on either, easiest thing to do is just swap the sim card and see if they are on the other phone.

**So Much Fire** · January 12, 2011, 02:53 PM

*BUMP*

Well, update rather. I transferred SIM cards and the list of messages did not show up in my "inbox" on the phone I have the cables to. I transferred the SIM cards back to their original phones and I was able to view the messages without issue. It's wierd but perhaps the messages are in a format that can't be transferred? Or maybe the "unlocked" phone really isn't truly unlocked?

The messages are saved onto the phone memory of the old phone (the one I don't have the cables to) and that leaves me still unable to transfer messags.

**Bolkonsky** · January 12, 2011, 08:53 PM

http://www.amazon.com/Connectland-CL...xp_grid_pt_2_1

Warning though, those things are really hit or miss. They work great for some, and they don't work at all for others. There's many on the internet, so maybe there's some better ones I just haven't come across yet.

**So Much Fire** · January 13, 2011, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by Bolkonsky

http://www.amazon.com/Connectland-CL...xp_grid_pt_2_1

Warning though, those things are really hit or miss. They work great for some, and they don't work at all for others. There's many on the internet, so maybe there's some better ones I just haven't come across yet.

Thanks! I never knew there were USB SIM card readers before

**Bolkonsky** · January 13, 2011, 08:02 AM

Yeah, I don't know if they work or not. The occasional person says that it was awesome, but it seems the the ratio is not in their favor. Good luck though, if you get one!

EDIT: Have you tried contacting your service provider?

**So Much Fire** · January 13, 2011, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Bolkonsky

Yeah, I don't know if they work or not. The occasional person says that it was awesome, but it seems the the ratio is not in their favor. Good luck though, if you get one!

Ah well it's cheap enough to give it a shot, what I'm trying to save is worth far more than the cost of the device anyway.

EDIT: Have you tried contacting your service provider?

I actually haven't yet, haven't had the chance. It's actually trying to transfer messages from a UK SIM to a US phone so there might be an issue there. Can't forward because I blocked texts on the US phone so that complicates things a bit lol.