How can I import SMS / MMS from old phone to iPhone?

Question

Level 1

1 points

How can I import SMS / MMS from old phone to iPhone?

Greetings. I wonder, how can I import messages (SMS and MMS) from my old phone to a new iPhone? I have my current phone for about five years and I have there many important messages I can't afford to lose. I know, that exporting messages is often tricky (my old phone is using Windows Mobile 6), but there are some programs that can export messages to various formats (.xml, .txt, .sms etc.). But the question is, how to import these messages into iPhone.

Is it possible via iTunes? Is there an app? Sould I visit Apple Store or support? Thank you for any ideas.

Johny

Posted on Dec 2, 2011 5:36 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Dec 4, 2011 1:56 PM in response to JohnyR82

No one is even to speak of jailbreaking here, just to warn you. People do NOT have to forget about their messages, most people have the carrier transfer them. I did that when transitioning from my old LG phone to my first iPhone.

Reply

Answer 2

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Dec 4, 2011 12:18 PM in response to JohnyR82

If you still have this old phone, do following to retrieve your contacts:

get hold of a mini sim card adapter in which you put your iphone minisim (because the old phone sim is the large one),

put this into the old phone,

in the old phone copy the contacts in the address book to the sim card (it will probably only copy the name and number),

take the mini sim out of the adapter,

then put that sim card in the new iphone,

in /settings/mail,contacts,calendar/the last setting is "import SIM contacts" which will copy the sim card contacts to the Contacts app.

Reply

Answer 3

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 2, 2011 6:01 PM in response to stevejobsfan0124

Well, synchronizing contacts is easy - just few clicks via iTunes & Outlook. But messages are (surprisingly) much more difficult. No synchro choice by default, no easy one-click export / import, no walkthrough or tutorial...

Reply

Answer 4

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2011 11:16 AM in response to Lexiepex

Well, I am thinking about iPhone for the first time. My five years old phone is smartphone, but very early one (HP iPAQ 514, running Windows Mobile 6). I know that transfering data between different systems might be difficult, but on the other hand, we have the end of 2011, so I believe in interoperability (at least via third party apps).

Anyway, I've discovered few softwares that can export my messages from my old phone and put it into a file on a computer (in different formats, such as .sms, .txt., .xml or .csv; depends on software and options). But the question is, how to import it into new iPhone.

I've also noticed (from various discussions), that iPhone-related messages are usually saved somewhere in iTunes (something.mdbackup), but again, the question is, how to import it back to phone..

To be honest, I am quite surprised that there is not some easy on-click way (or at least tons of how-to or tutorials). The iPhone is quite a new product (since 2007) and before it there was already quite a large mobile and smartphone market - so "transferring data" should be already solved.. (similar to transferring contacts, calendars and so on).

Reply

Answer 5

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2011 1:00 PM in response to Lexiepex

Well, I managed to sync my contacts via Outlook without much troubles, but the really tricky part are SMS / MMS messages. I doubt I could transfer them via SIM card (I believe iPhone won't read them)..

Reply

Answer 6

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2011 1:43 PM in response to Lexiepex

But even provider have to transfer those data somehow.. 😕

I just would love to know, if there is some program / app / walkthrough, how to import data (SMS/MMS messages) from computer (exported from phone in various formats) to iPhone.

It should not be so difficult, there are some basic stuff inside like "sender", "date", "content" and so on, and the only difference is, that iOS is (similar to Gmail) connecting messages between two people into "conversations".

I'd love to hear some tips from people, who already did something like this (even via jail-breaking). I don't believe that every new iPhone user simply forget about all his / hers messages from older phone..

Reply

Answer 7

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2011 2:05 PM in response to stevejobsfan0124

May I ask why? Because as far as I know, according to federal regulators and U.S. Copyright Office, jailbreaking is completely legal.. (and Apple internal policy should not be above the law). 😕

Btw, you carrier was really able to transfer the messages? Sent and received as well? With original dates and stuff? Well, I might give it a try..

Reply

Answer 8

Dec 4, 2011 2:26 PM in response to JohnyR82

Jail breaking is really on the border between being legal and illegal. It is legal, but I really think it shouldn't be. I could give you so many reasons why, but this is not the place for it. Anyway APPLE certainly does not support jail breaking, and they just forbid the discussion of jail breaking for their own reasons.

Anyway, it can be different for each phone, and I'm not sure exactly what the process is, but it is definitely worth a trip to your carrier. No one that I know of knows their process because they do it behind the counter where I can't see, but they were at least able to do it.

Reply

Answer 9

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Dec 5, 2011 1:11 AM in response to JohnyR82

for jailbreaking: read the terms of participating in this forum.

for sms/mms: I doubt seriously that they are on your old phone. transferring from the provider (if they are willing to do that) is not difficult: they just have to send them to your new phone. If they are on your old phone you may be able to do that if the phone has a function to open them and forward them. Format is no problem here.

Reply

Answer 10

Dec 5, 2011 10:09 PM in response to JohnyR82

If you have an Android phone and are switching to iPhone 4S, how can you export and import SMS/MMS messages? Anroid has plenty of backup and export utilities where they export XML but I can't seem to find an import utility for iPhone. Anyone help?

Reply

Answer 11

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Dec 7, 2011 2:39 AM in response to JohnyR82

In mail the original header is also sent with the forward function, but it may well be that this will not be sent with the forward of a sms. Why not try with one?

Keep us informed what the provider is going to do.

Reply

Answer 12

Dec 2, 2011 5:38 PM in response to JohnyR82

Try inserting the old phone's SIM into the iPhone. I know this works for Contacts, but I'm not sure about SMS.

Reply

Answer 13

JohnyR82 Author

Level 1

1 points

Dec 4, 2011 9:02 AM in response to JohnyR82

Any idea at all?

Unfortunately this is the only thing that holds me back from upgrading to a new phone; I really can't afford loosing all my messages from the last 5+ years...

Reply

Answer 14

Dec 4, 2011 10:12 AM in response to JohnyR82

I would try talking to your carrier and see if they offer such a service. Other than that, I'm not sure.

Reply

Answer 15

Lexiepex

Level 6

14,108 points

Dec 4, 2011 10:55 AM in response to stevejobsfan0124

it only works for the contacts that are on the sim card.

Johnny, did you restore from a backup of the old phone (iTunes) to the new phone?

Reply