How to Back Up Text Messages

A few minutes spent backing up your text messages means years of conversations and photos survive a lost phone, a factory reset, or an upgrade to a new device.

iPhone

Turning on "Messages" within your cloud backup settings automatically backs up your texts and any photos sent in them along with the rest of your device backup.

Android

Turning on message backup in your default messaging app or your account's backup settings automatically saves your texts to your account in the cloud.

Export as a file

A dedicated backup app can export your text messages as a text or spreadsheet file, so you can keep a separate copy on a computer outside of any cloud account.

Restore on a new device

Signing in with the same account on a new device automatically restores your backed-up text messages.

Texts disappear more easily than people expect

Unlike photos, which most people already back up out of habit, text messages are easy to overlook -- until a lost or broken phone wipes out years of conversations, verification codes, and shared photos in an instant. A backup that runs automatically in the background removes the risk of ever having to think about it.

A file export adds a copy the cloud doesn't cover

Cloud backups are convenient, but they're tied to a single account and platform. Exporting messages to a text or spreadsheet file gives you an independent copy you fully control -- useful for keeping records of an important conversation, or for switching between phone platforms without losing history.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do backed-up text messages restore automatically on a new phone, or do I need to do it manually?

In most cases, simply signing into the same account during setup restores your messages automatically, though very old messages or huge backups can occasionally require a manual restore step.

Can I back up text messages between different phone brands, like from Android to iPhone?

Cloud backups usually don't transfer directly between platforms, but most manufacturers offer a dedicated migration tool, and an exported file backup can always be read on a computer regardless of phone brand.