How to Transfer Text Messages to SD Card or Memory Card
Last Updated on January 24, 2024 by Jayson AusteroOne of the nifty perks of Android phones today is its ability to transfer text messages to SD card or memory card. Well, if you value your precious messages because they contain important information about work, family, friends, or your lover, chances are you'd want to back them up. This is really true especially if you often jump from one phone to another.
Another situation that may compel you to transfer text messages to SD card is keeping proof of cheating or any conversation that you can use for future reference. As you may know, phones die all the time and sometimes, you'll never know when it's going to happen to yours. So, backing up your messages to a different storage device is a great preventive measure against sudden data loss.
Regardless of your reason, the biggest question mark is how you can transfer text messages to SD card. If you're a little techy, it should be a piece of cake. But for those who are not, this article is for you. Below, are some of the best methods you can follow.
In this article
Method 1: Transfer Text Messages to SD Card via USB OTG
If you want to back up the text messages to an external SD card, you can do it by using an OTG cable and a USB card reader. An OTG cable or (On-the-Go) is a data cable with a USB A port at one end and a micro USB connector or USB C at the other end. It allows an SD card reader to connect to a device or a phone.
However, OTG functionality is only availble on Android phones running on Androd 5.0 and up. If the messages are coming from an older phone, you may need to update its OS first before proceeding.
Step 1:
Connect the memory card reader with an SD card on the larger USB port of the OTG cable. Connect your phone to the other end of the OTG cable which is the micro USB connector/USB C. A message will prompt you that the USB storage device is connected.
Step 2:
Check if you can open the SD card from the memory reader which is the external SD card on your phone. After checking, launch the “Message app” on your device then open one text message that you want to transfer.
Step 3:
You have an SD card mounted on your phone and an external SD card on the memory card reader. To be accurate, just tap the “Menu” on the message app then select “Copy”. Next, open the external SD card through your phone and long-press to paste the text message to transfer.
Note:
This kind of method is time-consuming because you need to open the text messages one by one to transfer them to the SD card.
Method 2: Transfer Text Messages to SD Card via MobileTrans
If you're transferring all your text messages to an SD card, the best course of action is to use MobileTrans. This program is designed for transferring phone data to a phone, PC, or external storage device like SD card. And the great thing about this software is that you can transfer SMS conversations in bulk, saving you time and effort. Unlike other menthods, you don't need to do it one by one.
With MobileTrans, you won't miss any conversation as sent and receive messages are transferred together. This way, you can still view the full context of the SMS. Moreover, names of the sender and their mobile numbers are included as well. And if you need to, you can use MobileTrans to transfer contacts to your SD card as well. As you know, they're important, too.
Unlike the previous method, MobileTrans has a wider Android support. As long as the messages come from an Android phone running on OS 2.1 or later, it's compatible.
Note:
You'd also be delighted to know that MobileTrans is not only capable of transferring text messages and contacts. You can also use it to transfer other phone data such as calendar & events, voice memos, ebooks, notes documents, videos, pictures, music files, etc.
Steps to Text Messages to SD Card Using MobileTrans
Step 1:
To download and install MobileTrans on your computer, click on one of the buttons below. Afterward, launch it. Then, connect your SD card to the computer using an SD card reader.
Step 2:
On the main page, go to Backup & Restore tab and select the Backup button under Phone Backup and Restore. Then, connect your phone to the computer using a compatible USB data cable.
Step 3:
You will see a list of data. Tick Text Messages and hit the Start button. Then, choose your folder destination. Select your SD card and wait until the transfer is finished.
Method 3: Transfer Text Messages to SD Card via Message App
Phones have different settings and features. On exporting text messages, some Android phones have an option to export messages to SD card. However, this is rare and most phones today don't have such functionality. Plus, this is usually found on Android 4.0 or later devices. Still, you can try it.
This method is advisable if your phone has a microSD card slot.
Step 1:
From your phone, tap “Menu and Messages”. Select a message you want to transfer then tap the “Options" or “Menu” button.
Step 2:
Hit “Save to SD card”. The text messages will transfer to your SD card.
Final Thoughts
Here we learned different methods on how to transfer text messages to SD cards. Some methods are not compatible with your device. Some methods work only on a specific device model. With MobileTrans, you can transfer text messages all at once. It’s a very effective mobile transfer program and highly recommended.
FAQs
- On the “Menu”, select a custom location then click the “Settings” button.
- Go to “Backup Settings” and click the Local backup folder.
- Then, move the SD card to the new phone and then restore it by selecting the same custom location on the new phone.
- To get started, first enable IMAP in your Gmail account available under Gmail Settings.
- Forward POP/IMAP and enable IMAP.
- Next, launch the SMS backup app on your phone, enter your Google account credentials, and will immediately copy all existing text messages to a new folder/label in your Gmail account.