[Q] Android App Request: SMS Auto-Archiver - General Questions and Answers

Hello XDA community!
First, I am uncertain if I have the correct forum for this; I was debating posting it under Android Apps but it gave the appearance of being a place to get applications that have been developed, not to request for a particular app to exist. If it needs to be moved, please let me know.
Here is the problem: I've got 20,000 text messages on my phone. This is intentional. As ridiculous as it sounds to have that many text messages, I've found it to be a life saver. In one case, I saved an address from a few months ago that enabled me to bring comfort to a friend in need. In another instance, I was able to clear a dispute between my friend and my employer. Still other cases are simply nostalgic, and I know of other people who have used SMS threads as evidence in court proceedings. There is utility in keeping as many text messages as possible at hand.
The problem is that, once this many texts are on a phone, the messaging app slows down quite noticeably. Additionally, restoring from a Titanium Backup or similar can take nearly an hour to write the database back into memory. Having the texts is wonderful, but having them resident along with more recent discussions causes undesirable consequences.
What I'm looking for is an app that will copy messages to an archive and then delete them. For example, if I have 200 messages between myself and Alan, and he texts me again, I'd like message 201 to be archived and deleted. However, if Bill and I are only at message 28, that can grow without archiving until I hit 200, at which point *it* starts getting archived. Ideally I'd like this to happen in real time, but if it happened hourly or daily I can certainly deal.
The two ways I've kinda found to do this were either to make daily backups with MyBackup Pro or similar, or make them on my computer using MyPhone Explorer. MBP is nice because it keeps it on the phone, but one of the core functions I'm looking for is to be able to browse the archive as if it were a regular set of text messages - still threaded, time-stamped, and categorized by sender - just not in the regular SMS database. With MBP, it makes the messy situation of having to restore messages until you find it, which gets very difficult after more than a few weeks. MyPhone Explorer is a better tool for this and it can be searched, but it does require my laptop to do it, which is a bit challenging as synchronization has to be performed manually.
I've tried most of the add-in applications to address this; neither Go SMS Pro nor HandCent nor Fusion nor Chomp nor Textra provide this functionality.
Yes, I'm willing to pay for an application that will allow for this, so if anyone either knows of a program that can do what I'm asking or feels like writing one, please let me know.
I appreciate your time and consideration in this matter.
Joey

I have an App Request too
An On-Screen Floating Object-Oriented Toolbar, with Back, Home, Menu, & Directional keys, + additional keys depending on active screen or current app
including a 'cycle-through elements' button then hit enter on the one you want to activate
things that can be done with your thumb from one small location.
then tap & hold contracts it into a smaller set of buttons
and you can select the number of buttons & their default positions for both the expanded state and the compacted state.
so it could be used to navigate around programs, select different elements, or used as a game controller, or keypad enhancement, or enhanced navigation etc

Related

Suggestion on Backing up AND extracting/reading text msgs?

'lo.
Apologies, I'm a bit of a noob around here. I asked about this in IRC and I got a few half-answers. Essentially, I'm one of those guys who keeps logs of most things. That said, I want to remove the text messages from my phone, but have them backed up and readable on my computer.
The reason for wanting to remove them has to do with the fact that someone suggested that the 1500+ text messages are (for some silly reason... text... of all things) slowing down my Fuze. This would make sense, since I noticed that using Mystic Series, my phone has slowed down over time... and since text messages (non-graphical in nature) are all that I've gained, this theory would make sense.
I've used PIM Backup... but how do I backup text messages to my computer where I'm able to read them?
Many thanks!
if you have a mac you could use missing sync which has that option while on the pc side i believe theres another software for it. But you could also use vito sms chat to make a complete backup of each conversation thats readable by a computer...
hey im looking for this too, but for windows
ive already researched jeyo mobile extender and pocketexport
which one of those is better and is there anything else?
tried out pocketexport, wasn't able to get it to function. Was going to do Vito SMS Chat, but didn't get around to it.
I ended up using Microsoft MyPhone. I happened to stumble upon the SMS "Archive to Internet" feature. Unfortunately, you can't just select "Archive All". You have to go by pages of messages (I had to "Archive All" 122 pages). However, everything is backed up in a readable format online, and it removes it automatically from your phone, giving you the option to restore later.
BeAuMaN said:
tried out pocketexport, wasn't able to get it to function. Was going to do Vito SMS Chat, but didn't get around to it.
I ended up using Microsoft MyPhone. I happened to stumble upon the SMS "Archive to Internet" feature. Unfortunately, you can't just select "Archive All". You have to go by pages of messages (I had to "Archive All" 122 pages). However, everything is backed up in a readable format online, and it removes it automatically from your phone, giving you the option to restore later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One question. Does it put them back in there original threaded format?
Have you looked into Dashwire? It allows you to sync almost all of your phone content (or whatever you select) to a free online service. Text messages, contacts, pictures and videos, etc. I have been using it for a bit now and am pretty happy with it. If I can find a better option that will allow me to do this with a local machine I will take it as I would prefer to have everything on my own systems (I,too, am one who likes to keep copies of everything) and I have not yet tried to find a way to move the archives from the Dashwire service to my home systems.
The service definitely is not an ideal solution but it works for now.
myphone.microsoft.com. its awesome. use it.

Possible for auto text delete app kinda like mem killer

I would be willing to start a bounty for a auto text delete app... like delete texts for each person after 100 texts... is this possible?
Its not auto, but try SMS Quick delete
No Offense. But Its not that hard to Delete Text Messages.
I agree with this post. I think getting sms quick delete to do a nightly scheduled delete would be amazing.
ebartolon said:
No Offense. But Its not that hard to Delete Text Messages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think youre missing the point.
I agree, btw something like this would be great. Either running to deleted messages by scheduled task and or delete message based on a specified count.
ebartolon said:
No Offense. But Its not that hard to Delete Text Messages.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's not that hard to mail a letter via postal service, but I'd still rather email.
I think it's a great idea, you could adjust it to purge anything over x number of messages or older than x number of days.
I'd love to see this happen.
OP I think you may have a better chance by emailing SMS Quick Delete because they already have the app started...
I haven't looked into what APIs the SDK offers for dealing with text messages, but just thinking this through real quick, this shouldn't be a hard app to write.
When I get a text, it appears in both the stock app and in Handcent. This indicates that the messages are stored in a central location. The existence of Handcent and Chomp also make it clear that third party apps can access and manipulate this storage.
Performing tasks on a schedule is easy to code.
What sort of features would people like to see in this? Delete by age? Delete by count? Exempt certain contacts from having their messages deleted? etc...
I've been looking for an idea for a simple app to write to get more familiar with coding for the Android environment. If there's interest in something like this, it seems like as good a project as any to practice with.
subliminalurge said:
I haven't looked into what APIs the SDK offers for dealing with text messages, but just thinking this through real quick, this shouldn't be a hard app to write.
When I get a text, it appears in both the stock app and in Handcent. This indicates that the messages are stored in a central location. The existence of Handcent and Chomp also make it clear that third party apps can access and manipulate this storage.
Performing tasks on a schedule is easy to code.
What sort of features would people like to see in this? Delete by age? Delete by count? Exempt certain contacts from having their messages deleted? etc...
I've been looking for an idea for a simple app to write to get more familiar with coding for the Android environment. If there's interest in something like this, it seems like as good a project as any to practice with.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Issue is
1. You want to delete it when no one is sending you messages as to delete one you missed which would make you think that scheduled at night is best but...
2. Either count or time (i.e. middle of the night schedule) can screw you up if you get a message and the app then deletes it before you are able to check your messages...
I think it could be anything if you could prevent the deletion of new texts then I guess it wouldn't matter as much.
pipskicks said:
Issue is
1. You want to delete it when no one is sending you messages as to delete one you missed which would make you think that scheduled at night is best but...
2. Either count or time (i.e. middle of the night schedule) can screw you up if you get a message and the app then deletes it before you are able to check your messages...
I think it could be anything if you could prevent the deletion of new texts then I guess it wouldn't matter as much.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see what you're saying, but if it's properly designed, neither one should really be an issue. If, for example, it's set to auto-delete anything over 30 days old, well, frankly if it's been sitting on your phone for 30 days and you haven't read it yet, then either it wasn't important, or you've been sitting in jail and likely have more important things to worry about.
Same with going by number of messages, you'd want the threshold set at a level where there's not really much chance of you not getting to it before it gets deleted.
Ideally, these thresholds would be user configurable. For me, deleting anything over 100 texts would easily retain a month's worth, but for my daughter, it would be blasting stuff that was only a few hours old. (I've honest to god seen this girl sleep with her phone in her hands, thumbs never leaving typing position....)
That said, it would definitely be a good idea to never, ever delete unread messages. Or, at least have separate criteria for unread messages.
isn't this a feature that's included in non-Sense messages app??? I much prefer that version, but I don't know how to replace the sense version with that one (if possible)
I think having delete by both age and number would be best... for example, if it could delete any message that is more than say 5 days old, up to the point where there is <10 messages left in the thread then stop deleting from that thread
and if you could adjust the two variables...
and:
adjust which persons messages get deleted...maybe even make it so that you could adjust the two variables individually depending on the person?
dmc971989 said:
maybe even make it so that you could adjust the two variables individually depending on the person?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ultimately, that's the idea. Let each user specify their own criteria.
To be honest, if I decide to take a crack at this, my initial "proof of concept" version would probably just have a couple criteria hardcoded in, and then I would add configurability in increments.
The actual "guts" of this program should be crazy simple to code, but being new to Android, I'm still getting used to designing UIs on the platform, so that would be the portion that slows me down (and also the part that I'm looking to get some practice with...).
the file for storing texts is /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
and no that's not a typo, there is a data folder within the data folder
also, by the way, I tried messing with it once to restore some old texts from a previous rom, and kept force closing my handcent and the stock app until I just deleted the file and let it recreate itself
Yeah honestly i am shocked that no one has done this. My friend and i have had so many texts our phone slows way down. And then when we try to delete txts of the contact(s) with the largest amount of texts the phone will lock up for along time or untill we pull the battery. After the phone lock up the texts are still there. i would be happy if all my contacts where limited to 100 texts. this issue normally happens around the 1000 mark (for a single contact) from what i have noticed.
Also this has happend on sevral roms that i have used so its def not a rom issue
danaff37 said:
the file for storing texts is /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db
and no that's not a typo, there is a data folder within the data folder
also, by the way, I tried messing with it once to restore some old texts from a previous rom, and kept force closing my handcent and the stock app until I just deleted the file and let it recreate itself
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, that's a database file. Probably not a great idea to edit it directly, you would want to make changes through the sqlite interface....
any solutions?

Best Privacy/Hide App

What are the best apps to hide certain apps from being seen/found? Same with pictures, vids, maybe even texts? Probably 1 app cannot do this all so if you know them, post them!
Compiling a list of the best apps of all categories for android, so help out the community and leave some names and a quick reason for its pros/cons over other apps!
Thanks!
Do you have videos or pictures you want to hide to your girlfriend?
do you mean "of" or "from"?
Titanium backup pro let's you freeze an app making it invisible and non functioning, just unfreez it and it works and the icon will return
Sent from a toaster in the year 2020
bump! i know some of you have these!
Put a dot . in front of the folder names of the 'dirty' folders.
search for Hide it Pro in the market
what does putting a dot in front of it do?
It hides it. The folder can't be accessed from the gallery app, and it's hidden in the file manager until you check "show hidden files".
This also works in Windows and Ubuntu (Ubuntu = CTRL + H)
Sent from my Desire HD
__________________________
ATTENTION XDA members! Testicles. That is all.
Wow That's interesting
shady SMS
it overrides all the sms system while letting everything like it should be ....
but it create a secret contact list and text or call from the people in that list get intercepted by shadysms .... call still go through though ... but the call history will not show it!
you can access your secret SMS from your hidden contact list by dialing "123" on the dialer =)
there is no icon of this app... can only be access by dialing "123" or whatever you set to after....
best app to keep your girlfriend
I tried Shady but I ended up going with My Calculator. Its actually called My Private Messages but everywhere (from the Market to your downloaded app list) it is reffered to as My Calculator as to not attract any wandering eyes. The app is nothing fancy from a UI perspective, but as far as keeping incoming and outgoing texts from others, this thing rocks.
It is a calculator that functions as a normal calculator until you type in your passcode followed by "+,=". It then takes you to a hidden inbox where messages from your selected contacts will land when they text you. You will know you have received a new text when a notification of your choice pops up in your status bar. I use the default one which reads something like, "A wireless network was found".
If you are looking for simple, tried, and true with out anything flashy, check this thing out.
One addition I would say would be useful is the ability to send all messages from unknown senders who arnt on your contact list to the hidden messages box, that way if you ever get a random text it would go straight there. Or has this already been done.
Does anyone use a Photo/Video vault that leaves the files it hides in basically the same location?
My external SD is bigger than my internal one. HideIt Pro would be just the ticket if it didn't insist on transferring my videos from the external to the internal SD when it hides them.
Encryption is preferable but not necessary. I just don't want one like GalleryLock that basically just changes the directory/file extension without even altering the filename.
I may have to go back to using my old two-app combo of Photo Vault & Video Vault, but I hate their UIs.

Threads... why?

Ive seen MS chose to combine IM and SMS and to me this looks really messy.
First of all the integration of IM is quite nice but I wish it was kept seperate from SMS conversations since these are to the majority of people still different than IMs and used on different devices or apps. I dont want to continue a conversation automatically on a different app or something. This will be very annoying to the other user.
Certainly if somebody just left his/her pc on or IM on accidently....
They should have added facebook private messaging as well and IM/SMS seperated like it was and just added a chat pivot in the messaging hub.
to me an sms is still something every user has always with him her, like when u send somebody an address or something it should be on their phones and not deliverd trough IM and its annoying having to switch first.
Its kind of short sighted implementation, the idea is good but the reality will be very annoying the way it works now.
you will get a ton of sms like notifications for every IM which can be annoying since on a chat conversation people send much more messages per minute than trough sms. Having to toggle online offline all the time will be a pita
am i the only one who thinks this will be garbage? Instead they should have allowed third party apps like whatsapp to use this on user permission. I hope I can switch off the live messenger. Or just revert back to the original sms screen
I like the idea to have an overview of my messages regardlessly whether they come via SMS, Windows Live or Facebook. Although I agree that getting notifications for all those messages shown on the SMS tile would be kind of overwhelming. But I can imagine Microsoft changes the way the tile works. So it still shows the number of SMS, but in addition to that shows an icon or something when you recieve a chat message from Facebook or Windows Live.
In my opinion.. the best feauture ever, of every OS. Loved that!
I love it as well, and think its nice not to have to go to 4 different places for my facebook, text, wlm & (eventually skype).
While I hope they either have a toggle setting for separate 'rows', or add it soon after Mango for those who really don't like it, I honestly doubt they want to mess it up by having too many places for messages. It fits in pretty perfectly with their vision for the overall UI design imo.
For me,M$ thread is not a new idea,it just copying the messaging app in the HP webos...however HP webos messaging is better,they can download apps that support HP connect and integrate into the messaging app(so,this means they can have more than 1 im clients in 1 messaging app).
Feel so sorry to HP webos,always being copied by others,even the UI design of playbook has been copied
Marvin_S said:
First of all the integration of IM is quite nice but I wish it was kept seperate from SMS conversations since these are to the majority of people still different than IMs and used on different devices or apps. I dont want to continue a conversation automatically on a different app or something. This will be very annoying to the other user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Threading will be the beginning of the end for SMS IMNSHO. Most people still use SMS because it's what they know and are used to.
My wife is a great example, she keeps sending me SMSes while I'm out because that's what she's used to. Even though I've had email (and to some extent IM) on my phones since forever. With a "messaging hub" it takes all the guesswork out of the equation - she'll write the message as she normally does and the phone will decide whether it should deliver via FB, Messenger, Skype or SMS.
Now, if you don't want to continue the conversation if the user has moved to a different device you don't have to. The phone will tell you how the message was sent as well as what services the recipient is currently logged on to.
Marvin_S said:
to me an sms is still something every user has always with him her, like when u send somebody an address or something it should be on their phones and not deliverd trough IM and its annoying having to switch first.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This just proves my point - you're used to SMS. And again, you can choose whether to send as SMS or IM.
Personally I find this feature great. Two things should be done to make it even better though;
1. Implement a industry-wide protocol so it doesn't matter if you're on a crackberry, iphone or windows phone. Sure, Skype and Messenger goes a long way towards achieving this but there are still people who use smaller IM services only.
2. Allow third-party apps to hook in to the messaging hub - there's a few apps out there today that are not chat apps as such but still implement messaging. Being able to receive (and reply to) these messages from the same place would be great. It would also make it easier for other IM services to integrate with the OS.
dkp1977 said:
Although I agree that getting notifications for all those messages shown on the SMS tile would be kind of overwhelming.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But why? Are you less likely to want to read a message coming in thru Messenger than one delivered via SMS? I for one don't care how my messages are delivered, I just want to be notified. It's a bit like having three post boxes outside your house - one for deliveries by DHL only, another for Deutsche Post and a third for everyone else - i.e. pointless
I really like this new feature as well. I am confident that any replies you send to someone will use the same service they used to "text" you, unless you choose to change it. People on non-WP7 phones won't suddenly need to be jumping all over the place.
On the other hand, when other people send you messages from multiple sources (SMS, FB, WLM, etc), you will be able to get all of the messages in one convenient place. I like that.

[Q] Is their a way to delay the sending of a text?

Hi guys!
I was just wondering if their is a tweak/hack/app/way to set a timer for a SMS.
Like telling your phone to send a specific text to a specific person on a specific time.
Could anyone help me?
Thanks!
In theory, such an app could be written. The official SDK doesn't support automatically sending SMS, but the APIs exist and a homebrew app could use them. I don't think anybody has ever bothered to write such an app, though.
That's sad/
Anyway, thanks for clearing this one up.
I'd like that ability too. Unfortunately (using the official routes) Microsoft only make available to developers the ability to create a text message, and then launch the phone's sms application - leaving it for the user to press send. The code isn't able to do the sending so an app wouldn't be able to do it via the phone's own SMS at a scheduled time. You would also have the problem that if you set it to be sent more than two weeks in advance, and didn't go back into the app during that time, the scheduling 'agent' that runs in the background on the phone would expire after two weeks (so the sms would never be sent).
There are however some web sites that do it - e.g. http://ohdontforget.com/
You might be better using a web site anyway due to them being always on (whereas a phone might be off or out of signal at the scheduled time).
It would be possible, however, to write an app that uploads the text to an on-line service (such as the one mentioned as it has a developer API) so that a web server could reliably take care of the scheduled send - and then perhaps sending a push notification to the phone to confirm it has been sent.
Hey, I think here is one app for that, I didnt have time to look it totally through...
http://download.pandaapp.com/windows-phone-app/auto-the-sms-manager-1.1.0.0-id1894.html
Did any1 try the app?

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