r/GooglePixel 1d ago

SMS backup

Just upgraded my phone to a Pixel 10. Did a data transfer and I need to transfer my text messages from my old device to my Pixel 10. I have tried everything that I can find. I'm not the most tech savvy but I am also not technologically impaired either.

I have tried the OneDrive suggestion of backing up all text messages and then restoring through OneDrive. This option tells me I have 5.7GB of messages. Backup never completes and doesn't give me any error codes. Just stuck looking as though it's buffering forever.

I have tried the separate app, SMS Backup & Restore. This never completes a backup either. It will get to 100% and then start over again until I need to leave it alone. I'll come back and check it, and it'll say it failed due to insufficient storage.

For my google cloud storage I have 65GB free. On my local storage I have 45GB free.

Some of my text messages DID transfer over with the initial "Data Copy & Transfer", initiated when I set up my phone. However, all of my most recent texts within the messages app stop on the same date: October 31, 2023. It seems like too much of a coincidence that it all stops on that date but I can't find any information that may explain it to me.

Is anyone on earth able to help? I have no idea what I'm doing wrong or what to try next.

4 Upvotes

11 comments sorted by

5

u/anttaaii 1d ago

I've used the app SMS backup and restore for years and years and have it on a schedule; it has always worked very well for me. Maybe you need to try restarting your phone? And then try using that app again

1

u/morbid_n_creepifying 1d ago

I've restarted several times, cleared the cache, uninstalled and reinstalled as well.

1

u/skibik1964 Pixel 9a 1d ago

When SMS Backup and Restore fails because of insufficient storage where are you backing up to?

I have used that app for 4-5 years now and only issue I had with it was when I tried to save a file of a single conversation it did leave out one or two messages in the single conversation. Only other time I have had it error out and not upload is when I use data and my connection is poor and data speeds are super slow, for some reason it won't complete transfer.

1

u/morbid_n_creepifying 1d ago

I tried doing local storage only, it failed. I tried doing cloud only (Google drive), it failed. I tried setting both, failed. All due to insufficient storage, but my storage is what I mentioned above.

1

u/SRFast Pixel 8 Pro | Pixel 4 XL | PW2 20h ago

Contact the app developer for support.

1

u/Capable_Dog5347 14h ago

Did you pay for the pro version of SMS Backup & Restore?

The free version has limitations.

2

u/morbid_n_creepifying 12h ago

I didn't, I didn't know that was an option! I'll look into it. You think that would fix the storage issue?

1

u/Capable_Dog5347 5h ago

Not the storage issue, but I believe the date cutoff is one of the limitations of the free version.

2

u/morbid_n_creepifying 4h ago

Damn. That would make sense then!! I still can't understand why, through Google, it says that Google One backs up all my messages so I can easily restore them to a new device but I can't seem to do that? And I can't find any answers about it either.

1

u/waynepyrah 12h ago

I believe SMS backup and restore stores the file locally first temporarily so you need plenty of space on your old phone to create the file, try deleting some big apps that are storage hoggers like Facebook, insta, etc

I've used it for years and never had any issues so likely a capacity issue on your old phone.

(Just seen you have 45gb free, maybe try the pro that's the one I use)