Edit: SMS Backup and Restore was updated to support 4.4, an even restoring from backups that were created before updating works fine.
Original post said:
Does anyone know a method or an app that is able to restore SMS in Android 4.4 KitKat? I'm running this N5 port, which works great, but I cannot find a single app that is updated to support restore on Android 4.4. With SMS Backup & Restore I am able to restore into the 4.3 stock messaging app that I pushed via adb, but all messages are empty afterwards. And they are not shown at all in Hangouts.
I know that Google said SMS backup apps need to be updated in order to support KitKat (read 3rd section on this blogpost), but I can't believe there is no single updated app or other method yet.
Any advices, guys?
Edit: Here's the relevant section of the Android Developer Blog post:
Advice for SMS backup & restore apps
Because the ability to write to the SMS Provider is restricted to the app the user selects as the default SMS app, any existing app designed purely to backup and restore SMS messages will currently be unable to restore SMS messages on Android 4.4. An app that backs up and restores SMS messages must also be set as the default SMS app so that it can write messages in the SMS Provider. However, if the app does not also send and receive SMS messages, then it should not remain set as the default SMS app. So, you can provide a functional user experience with the following design when the user opens your app to initiate a one-time restore operation:
1. Query the current default SMS app's package name and save it.
Code:
String defaultSmsApp = Telephony.Sms.getDefaultSmsPackage(context);
2. Request the user change the default SMS app to your app in order to restore SMS messages (you must be the default SMS app in order to write to the SMS Provider).
Code:
Intent intent = new Intent(context, Sms.Intents.ACTION_CHANGE_DEFAULT);
intent.putExtra(Sms.Intents.EXTRA_PACKAGE_NAME, context.getPackageName());
startActivity(intent);
3. When you finish restoring all SMS messages, request the user to change the default SMS app back to the previously selected app (saved during step 1).
Code:
Intent intent = new Intent(context, Sms.Intents.ACTION_CHANGE_DEFAULT);
intent.putExtra(Sms.Intents.EXTRA_PACKAGE_NAME, defaultSmsApp);
startActivity(intent);
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After a reboot, my SMS were disapeared.
Mine too. So back to square one :/
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4
sms backup just got an update today .. it works :good:
Yep, works perfectly now, even with backups that were done before updating the app. So... Solved again.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 4
I'm trying to restore on my N5 but no new messages show up in my hangouts even with the newest SMS backup and restore version.
It has set my hangouts back as default SMS app but still nothing there.
electric0ant said:
I'm trying to restore on my N5 but no new messages show up in my hangouts even with the newest SMS backup and restore version.
It has set my hangouts back as default SMS app but still nothing there.
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Click to collapse
Same here...
janoliver said:
Same here...
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Click to collapse
Yup, same here
I had the same issue on my Nexus 5 with stock Kitkat 4.4 , so this may help.
- SMS Back and Restore made copy of texts on my Nexus 4
- copied backup to my Nexus 5
- restored messages, setting SMS Backa and Restore and def. SMS app when prompted, and then set Hangouts as def. app after
No text messages in Hangouts. Rebooted phone, still not text messages in Hangouts. I performed a test backup with SMS Backup and Restore, and it showed a bunch of messages being backed up, so it seems the messages WERE restored but just not showing.
I then went in Settings > Apps > All
Selected Hangouts, and cleared Cache and then Cleared all Data
I loaded Hangouts and all of a sudden, all my text messages were there.
Hope this helps, if so, don't be shy to hit that Thanks button below
uberNoobZA said:
I then went in Settings > Apps > All
Selected Hangouts, and cleared Cache and then Cleared all Data
I loaded Hangouts and all of a sudden, all my text messages were there.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you! This did the trick
help
uberNoobZA said:
I had the same issue on my Nexus 5 with stock Kitkat 4.4 , so this may help.
- SMS Back and Restore made copy of texts on my Nexus 4
- copied backup to my Nexus 5
- restored messages, setting SMS Backa and Restore and def. SMS app when prompted, and then set Hangouts as def. app after
No text messages in Hangouts. Rebooted phone, still not text messages in Hangouts. I performed a test backup with SMS Backup and Restore, and it showed a bunch of messages being backed up, so it seems the messages WERE restored but just not showing.
I then went in Settings > Apps > All
Selected Hangouts, and cleared Cache and then Cleared all Data
I loaded Hangouts and all of a sudden, all my text messages were there.
Hope this helps, if so, don't be shy to hit that Thanks button below
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, how did you set SMS B&R how def. sms app? When i prompt the app, it does not require to be def. sms app, so i cannot restore my sms. Please help...
eziotroito said:
Sorry, how did you set SMS B&R how def. sms app? When i prompt the app, it does not require to be def. sms app, so i cannot restore my sms. Please help...
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Click to collapse
Install the latest SMS Backup and Restore, and it will prompt you when you perform a restore. If not, then I do not know, as I was prompted to set is as default SMS app when I did a restore.
help
uberNoobZA said:
Install the latest SMS Backup and Restore, and it will prompt you when you perform a restore. If not, then I do not know, as I was prompted to set is as default SMS app when I did a restore.
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Click to collapse
Yep, i was running an other WRONG app, so i download the right and now it ask me to be def. sms app, but now i have another issue:
my .xml file come from TITANIUM BACKUP, so now SMS B&R, see my xml file, but if I tap to VIEW SMS, it tell me there is no conversation, ALSO IF IT SEE MY XML FILE! How is it possible? Maybe titanium backup xml file are wrong for this app? Xml file are not all the same for any app?!? Please help, 'cause titanium backup is not up to date, so does not ask to be def. app and not restore anything!
eziotroito said:
Yep, i was running an other WRONG app, so i download the right and now it ask me to be def. sms app, but now i have another issue:
my .xml file come from TITANIUM BACKUP, so now SMS B&R, see my xml file, but if I tap to VIEW SMS, it tell me there is no conversation, ALSO IF IT SEE MY XML FILE! How is it possible? Maybe titanium backup xml file are wrong for this app? Xml file are not all the same for any app?!? Please help, 'cause titanium backup is not up to date, so does not ask to be def. app and not restore anything!
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Click to collapse
If you want to restore data from a backup made with titanium backup, you need to use titanium backup.
uberNoobZA said:
If you want to restore data from a backup made with titanium backup, you need to use titanium backup.
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Click to collapse
Same problem, titanium bckp does not ask to be def sms app, i hope in an update , thank u very much
Has anyone got things working usings SMS Backup+? I used to use B&R but switched to SMS Backup+ b/c I liked the gmail search-ability. SMS Backup+ goes through the restore process and states it restored 500 messages (current restore setting) but nothing shows up. I'm guessing this has to do with the KitKat and the whole "primary SMS app" thing?
mcubed45 said:
Has anyone got things working usings SMS Backup+? I used to use B&R but switched to SMS Backup+ b/c I liked the gmail search-ability. SMS Backup+ goes through the restore process and states it restored 500 messages (current restore setting) but nothing shows up. I'm guessing this has to do with the KitKat and the whole "primary SMS app" thing?
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Click to collapse
I have the same Issue with SMS Backup+
Will probably have to wait for the developer to update.
Same issue here, with SMS Backup+
Add me to the SMS Backup+ not restoring texts.
worked perfectly for me!
thanks uberNoobZA!!!!
uberNoobZA said:
I had the same issue on my Nexus 5 with stock Kitkat 4.4 , so this may help.
- SMS Back and Restore made copy of texts on my Nexus 4
- copied backup to my Nexus 5
- restored messages, setting SMS Backa and Restore and def. SMS app when prompted, and then set Hangouts as def. app after
No text messages in Hangouts. Rebooted phone, still not text messages in Hangouts. I performed a test backup with SMS Backup and Restore, and it showed a bunch of messages being backed up, so it seems the messages WERE restored but just not showing.
I then went in Settings > Apps > All
Selected Hangouts, and cleared Cache and then Cleared all Data
I loaded Hangouts and all of a sudden, all my text messages were there.
Hope this helps, if so, don't be shy to hit that Thanks button below
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i recently switched over to using an s5 because my current phone(lg g3) started to have problems. i made a backup of my call logs and sms/mms messages with titanium backup but i can't get them to restore on the s5. until now, i've never run into a problem restoring this data with titanium backup. i've been able to move my call logs and text messages from one phone to another without any trouble. as a result, my text messages backup is a decent size of 38MB. usually, the call log takes a few seconds to restore and the text messages take about 45 minutes to restore. on the s5, the call log doesn't take long to restore, but nothing shows up in the phone's recent calls list. titanium backup takes about 2 minutes to restore the text messages before it says it's done. also, i don't get the popup asking if i want titanium backup to be the default messaging app. when i open up a messaging app, there's nothing there.
in titanium backup, i checked "migrate system data" when making the backups and also on the s5 before restoring them. that didn't help. the firmware i'm using on the s5 is pb1 rooted and i have the toshiba emmc chip.
any ideas or suggestions on what to do to get titanium backup to restore my call log and text messages?
i figured out how to get titanium backup to restore the call logs and text messages. in supersu, i unchecked the box for "mount namespace separation" and then the tibu restore worked.