Google Messages: Archiving and Deleting - General Questions and Answers

In the Google Messages app, there are options to either "archive" or "delete" conversations. It looks like archiving them doesn't really do anything to the system SMS data and just hides them from the main screen in this particular app (ex. but other SMS apps will still see them as normal texts, and any SMS backup apps will still back them up normally). Deleting conversations, on the other hand, looks like it does just that and once deleted, they're gone and not available for other apps.
This is all based on just a quick test I did, so I was wondering if someone else could confirm I'm understanding this correctly. It would be nice to archive a bunch of my older conversations so I don't have to see them every day, but I don't really want to delete them. It looks like Messages will do exactly what I want, but I want to be sure so I don't end up permanently deleting things.
Also, does Google Messages back up my texts to my Google account? It's hard to keep track of which Google app does what with each specific "type" of message (ex. Hangouts, Allo, Messages, etc.)
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akksnv said:
In the Google Messages app, there are options to either "archive" or "delete" conversations. It looks like archiving them doesn't really do anything to the system SMS data and just hides them from the main screen in this particular app (ex. but other SMS apps will still see them as normal texts, and any SMS backup apps will still back them up normally). Deleting conversations, on the other hand, looks like it does just that and once deleted, they're gone and not available for other apps.
This is all based on just a quick test I did, so I was wondering if someone else could confirm I'm understanding this correctly. It would be nice to archive a bunch of my older conversations so I don't have to see them every day, but I don't really want to delete them. It looks like Messages will do exactly what I want, but I want to be sure so I don't end up permanently deleting things.
Also, does Google Messages back up my texts to my Google account? It's hard to keep track of which Google app does what with each specific "type" of message (ex. Hangouts, Allo, Messages, etc.)
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The conclusion gathered from your quick tests are correct. Archiving a conversation just hides it within Google Messenger only. But it'll still be visible to any other SMS app you have installed.
Deleting though, deletes it for all your installed messaging apps. So don't delete the ones you want to keep. Archive them instead.
Google Messenger doesn't offer any kind of backup functionality (the last time I checked).
It's the Hangouts app that offers syncing to your Google account so you can have all your messages available on multiple platforms.

Freewander10 said:
The conclusion gathered from your quick tests are correct. Archiving a conversation just hides it within Google Messenger only. But it'll still be visible to any other SMS app you have installed.
Deleting though, deletes it for all your installed messaging apps. So don't delete the ones you want to keep. Archive them instead.
Google Messenger doesn't offer any kind of backup functionality (the last time I checked).
It's the Hangouts app that offers syncing to your Google account so you can have all your messages available on multiple platforms.
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Sorry for the (very) late reply, but I just wanted to say thanks for your feedback, that's what I was hoping to hear
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Related

Setting questions

I am noticing that my text messaging has a bit of a lag when first going into the app, have been for a while. I'm assuming this is because I don't delete any of them, and I probably send/receive 75-125 a day. I know I can delete them all, but what Iwas looking for was a way to either archive them, or if that's not possible, to delete everything past a certain date. Is this possible?
Also, I would rather be able to have different ringtones for "unknown", "blocked/restricted", and just numbers that aren't in my contacts as opposed to just one ringtone for them all. Is there a solution to that, or was I just spoiled with my Treos?
Other than that, I love this phone. TIA
regarding the text lag, if you're talking about going into a text message from your favorites or something similar, I had the same issue, I hadn't deleted any text messages sense I got my XV6800 (1 year ago) and I transfered all the messages via PIM Backup to my TP2. I deleted all my messages and the lag was gone. I'd suggest backing up all your messages before trying this though, just in case that your 1000's messages isn't the issue.
I'll give that a try, thanks. I'm using the HTC backup app, and the "PIM only" backup function has inbox, contacts, etc., but no specific text message backup. I don't mind doing a complete backup, but will I be able to restore just the texts from the backup?
sixfoot7 said:
I'll give that a try, thanks. I'm using the HTC backup app, and the "PIM only" backup function has inbox, contacts, etc., but no specific text message backup. I don't mind doing a complete backup, but will I be able to restore just the texts from the backup?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you don't mind having your info stored on the internet, you can sign up for a myphone account from Microsoft. Its a cab file you install on your phone to upload your PIM info including pics, vids, docs, and text messages. You can set it at increments or sync it manually. It saves it on a account online that you create which gives you up to 200 megs of online space for free. The good thing is that anything you delete, it puts it in an archive section of your account just in case you want to recover something you deleted since your last sync. You can get it here, and its free. The only catch is that you have to have an unlimited data plan or use Wifi. I don't know if you can use your PC's internet connection via activesync/Windows Mobile Device Center but you can give it a shot if you don't have an unlimited data plan. (And No I do not work for Microsoft...lol)

Removing Google Talk service

I am just putting this as a word of warning for anyone as silly as me ;o)
It is pretty irritating having the Gtalk service running all the time, but on removing it, by deleting the apks from the system/app folder, I discovered that both the gmail app and the market seem to be dependent on it
you can disable the auto login from within the google talk app itself
i would seem it is best left alone
I made a similar mistake deleting the internal SMS app since I used Handcent. It screwed up the SMS database such that a record or outgoing messages was no longer kept. It was weird.
Pretty good list of what the internal apps do and whether or not you should delete 'em.
http://wiki.cyanogenmod.com/index.php/Barebones

[Q] SMS backup/restore/manage/duplicates/online sync etc.

Hello, dear Forum.
You'll probably say that this question was asked and answered a million times, but i couldn't manage to find the write answer, so I ask:
Where do SMS-s go, when they are being backed up by android/google?
I'm using a HTC Desire, and i play a lot whit different roms (like everyone here I guess). I use MyBackup Root to backup some stuff including SMS-s, but I can see that when my phone is freshly flashed, it automatically starts downloading contacts and messages. I found where the contacts are - in google contacts. But where are the messages stored in google? I get a lot of duplicates and I'd like to go and delete all backed up messages from google and continue using only MyBackup Root.
So if anyone can point me to the right direction, I'll be most grateful.
P.S. pls don't post the noob movie from youtube )
I used this programm for backing up my contacts, sms, ...
http://www.fjsoft.at/en/downloads.php
You need the app from android market too^^
Maybe it will help you. I think there is a google sync too, so mybe you can erase your duplicates.
green007 said:
I used this programm for backing up my contacts, sms, ...
http://www.fjsoft.at/en/downloads.php
You need the app from android market too^^
Maybe it will help you. I think there is a google sync too, so mybe you can erase your duplicates.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank You a lot for the app! But I was really interested if someone knew where are the backed up sms-s and can they be managed (viewed, deleted,copied etc.) like the contacts in google contacts.
I think I found the source of the duplicated messages (and contacts). I think it's the HTC Sence.com. It keeps my messages on the site, and my contacts. Stupid thing is that I can not do a "Select All>Delete" Usually I have around 270 contacts. Over there i have 888 contacts and my messages have 3-4 copies each.

Contacts in MESSAGING not in 'Official' Contact list - how to clean up?

I have a weird problem - when I go to Messaging and select 'Contacts' to pick a recipient, I see duplicate, triplicate and even 4 contact selections for the same person, and even 'odd' contacts, like for email addresses. But when I go to APPS / CONTACTS, or if I go to Gmail/Contacts, I only see one (and none of the odd ones).
Does anyone know how to 1) clean up the SMS contact list or 2) only have it refer to the 'real' CONTACT list when selected or 3) how to merge them into one contact? I never know if I picked the correct one.
Thanks for any help you can provide.
Frank
Michigan
UPDATE: I figured out that these contacts are stored in Gmail as "OTHER CONTACTS". Not sure how they got there but after deleting them while in Gmail on the PC and SYNCing my S3, they disappeared. Apparently they only appear in Messaging, not in the CONTACTS under APPS or when searching for contacts while making a phone call....
FMinMI said:
UPDATE: I figured out that these contacts are stored in Gmail as "OTHER CONTACTS". Not sure how they got there but after deleting them while in Gmail on the PC and SYNCing my S3, they disappeared. Apparently they only appear in Messaging, not in the CONTACTS under APPS or when searching for contacts while making a phone call....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A lot of times those are the other contact emails and stuff you never linked and now will have to find those addresses that you have deleted. This is what link contacts is for. You link them together and then save as one in google. Hopefully you merged them together in Gmail instead of deleting them.
prdog1 said:
A lot of times those are the other contact emails and stuff you never linked and now will have to find those addresses that you have deleted. This is what link contacts is for. You link them together and then save as one in google. Hopefully you merged them together in Gmail instead of deleting them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never saw any option to link them and in a lot of cases I already had the email address in the 'regular' CONTACT list. That is what was most confusing. If I selected that one, then they would not get the SMS. And a bunch of these were totally unwanted since they were only email addresses send to ???? (some started with sale, or customerservice, or....).
Bottom line, I no longer have crap in my 'Messaging Contact List' and don't have to worry if I selected the correct one (which, in the case of Messaging, would be the one with their mobile number).
Thanks for the reply, and Happy New Year.
Frank
Michigan

Looking for better contact management/deletion - suggestions?

Hi,
I am looking for a simple way to manage the contacts on my Lineage 15 (Oreo) phone. Adding contacts is easy enough, but when I want to delete something, the mess starts. Trying to delete via the stock contacts app gets me messages of read-only entries and hide-only options. This sucks. I've read about people having to log in somewhere online to try and take control again of their run-away contact data. Seriously? I don't even have a gmail account, and my phone doesn't run any Google apps either. Still, it seems like I am not allowed to treat local data in a local manner.
I guess what I'm looking for is a way to delete a single contact in a single step. I don't want to have to delete three or four times, regular contacts, Whatsapp, Telegram etc. - if I entered it in one step, I want to delete it in one step. Isn't there an app for this? Or alternatively, is there an alternative contact app that I can use instead of the stock contact app and that will give me actual control over MY contacts on MY phone?
Thanks!

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