I've been using Textra for many years. I'm currently on Textra version 4.80 under Android 14. I recently learned that Textra keeps its own internal database of SMS and MMS messages and uses that in conjunction with the Android device's message-storage database ... and possibly even instead of the device's message-storage database. I have set Textra to keep only 25 SMS for each conversation and only 10 MMS for each conversation. This ends up being a total of a bit more than 400 messages total. And I have specified numerous times that Textra delete extra message storage, which Textra always says is successful. However ... when I examine my device's SMS/MMS actual message storage, there are several tens of thousands of messages being kept, most of them being very ancient. I want to totally and completely and permanently get rid of all SMS messages that are older than 25 per conversation and all MMS messages that are older than 10 per conversation. I have used Textra's "Resync Textra" function, and it does not get rid of any of those tens of thousands of ancient messages. All other SMS apps still see all of this huge quantity of messages. And if I ever change the SMS app, I want all other Android SMS apps to not see tens of thousands of ancient messages in the SMS/MMS database which I am trying to delete, and to only recognize the 400-or-so messages that I want to keep. How can I clean up my SMS/MMS message storage so that only the 400 or so messages remain for Textra and for all other SMS apps, with all of the other older messages being totally and permanently deleted? **UPDATE**: It's important to me to use an SMS client which allows me to also record and send and receive voice messages directly from the message client (not voice-to-text). As far as I know, Textra and Google Messages are the only clients which allow this. And Google Messages does not offer the deletion-of-old-messages function that Textra offers (I'm talking about the deletion-of-more-than-25-SMS-and-10-MMS-per-conversation that I mentioned above). Therefore, my options for switching to something other than Textra seem to be quite limited. **NOTE**: I got rid of the "Further Update" section that I had previously written here, because now I solved this problem in the "Answer", below.

Is there any way to backup/restore SMS and MMS messages using ADB, when the device is not rooted? * adb pull won't work here, as the corresponding database (/data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db) cannot be read by ADB if it's not running in insecure (root) mode * adb shell "cat /data/data/com.android.providers.telephony/databases/mmssms.db > /sdcard/mmssms.db doesn't work either without root access * adb backup for some reason doesn't cover this database on the device I've checked with (empty backup – just the 41 bytes of the backup header in the resulting file) I especially wonder why adb backup doesn't cover this. If it's for "privacy reasons", then the same should apply to the contacts database – which clearly is backed up. **References:** * [Can adb be used to recover SMS messages while in permanent “Safe Mode”?](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/37492/16575) covers the same topic – but other than there, I'm not restricted to [tag:safe-mode] * [backup full sms/mms contents via adb](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/12266374/backup-full-sms-mms-contents-via-adb) (on our developers sister-site) is for a "rooted solution" (and, apart from that, a bit of age: question and answers are more than 3 years old) So: Any solution on a non-rooted device? Note that I'm ***NOT*** asking for an app-based solution. I'm fully aware there are [several apps available for this](http://android.izzysoft.de/applists/category/named/file_backup#group_133) . I specifically want a "shell based solution", to be used via ADB.

I would like to disable or turn off the sending of MMS messages. In the absence of RCS on the receiver's phone, Google Messages sometimes auto-converts an SMS to MMS when sending. I have looked up about disabling this feature, but there is no way that I have found to do so (although I would be happy to hear if anyone knows otherwise). Therefore, I wonder if it is possible to turn off or disable MMS sending altogether without affecting receiving MMS messages. While various answers suggest it is possible to disable MMS completely, I haven't seen anything about disabling only sending MMS. Is there a setting or workaround to do so?

My wife and I run a small real estate business. In the course of our business we often setup a group text between ourselves and the tenants so that everyone is on the same page regarding anything related to the rental unit. Long story short, I need to capture the entire group text chain stored on my pixel 3 and get it a computer so we can submit the entire chain to our attorney. Of course I could screenshot 6 months of texts 1 at a time, but there just HAS to be a better more efficient way. I have access to computers running Windows and Linux as well as an IPad. It would be ideal if I could get this info into my gmail account. Any ideas? Unfortunately testing indicates the suggested duplicate doesn't appear to apply to MMS..

I have two copies of Xiaomi Redmi 11S. On both phones I have a weird problems with sending captured screenshots when mobile data is off. And with the system in general. In Redmi when I capture a screenshot, it appears for approx. 10-15 seconds as a small overlay in one of the corners with "Send" and "Scroll" buttons below. Second one allows capturing a screenshot bigger than the current screen / viewport. First one does what it says it does. 1. On _one_ of these phones, when I press "Send" nothing happens. No share / compose message, no nothing happens. To send any screenshot I must open up any file browsing app, locate the screenshot and send it from there. Second phone has no problems with this. 2. On _both_ phones I cannot send screenshot (nor any MMS) when mobile data is turned off. I have a constant, stable and fast Wi-Fi connection in parallel, able to stream even 4K videos efficiently, but I can't send and MMS. This is as weird as it can be for me. 3. On _both_ phones I have a completely empty list of applications. I can change any application settings (i.e. enable, disable system app, uninstall some 3rd party app) only if I manage to find it through settings' search. Because all the tabs in _Applications_ → _Manage Applications_ are all the time empty. Both phones are guarded by Google Family Link, but the described behaviour appears all the time, irrespectively of the fact whether Family Link is active or I disable it using Parental Access option. Note that: 1. Enabled state of the "Scroll" button is misleading. The button is enabled, but tapping it on one of the phones does nothing. 2. Error message given by Messages app is also misleading. I have found not option in the settings that would correspond to using mobile data for sending MMS messages (or actually no mobile data-related option at all). I was 100% sure that my phone simply gets wako and I must do the factory reset + clean install. But then I found [this question](https://android.stackexchange.com/q/226129/20449) and also _beeshyams_ has provided this [fabulous answer](https://android.stackexchange.com/a/253276/20449) to my other question. All these information put together suggests me that nothing is wrong with my phones and that Redmi 11S can be unpleasantly surprising to its end user. So, my question is, if this is normal (and can be observed on other phones) that the app list is all the time completely empty and that sending an MMS requires mobile data even if device has Wi-Fi connection to the Internet?

Over many years, I have established a cumulative backup of all text messages. I have used various utilities with root over the years: Titanium Backup, SMS Backup Restore, Swift, etc. My final zipped backup is now several gigabytes in size. When I factory reset or switch to a new phone, I save the entire backup to a file then restore the entire backup. After copying the file back to the phone, the backup app now takes 45 minutes to restore. Then, the phone takes 8+ hours to process the conversations. I know the process is done when the conversation counts stop growing. I wouldn't need to keep restoring this gigantic backup on my phone, if I could easily search the conversations and media offline. How can I view and search my SMS/MMS backup offline? Do any utilities offer a way to view conversations and media other than restoring back to a phone?

I sent a short message to someone, and I thought I was sending an SMS, but when I asked them if they have read my SMS, they corrected me, and said "yes, I read your MMS". How did they know it's an MMS? What's the difference in this case? I know MMS allows for longer text, and images/videos, but my message was short and contained no media, so how did they know it was MMS and not SMS? What gave it away? Note that the CRS was enabled. Is this what gave it away? We both use Samsung phones, although mine is newer.

As most here are probably aware, there are issues communicating between iMessage and Android MMS/SMS apps. For me, I will send a message to an iMessage user and they may or may not receive it with no error message. Sometimes it's the other way around. I have tried to deregister my number from iMessage (my number is not registered with them apparently) and I've made sure I have sufficient data and/or wifi and watched it happen (or not happen) in real time. I've heard of AirMessage but chances of someone with an Android phone having a spare Apple pc to leave powered on all day seems quite slim. To this day I can't get my American peers to install WhatsApp without major pushback. As someone who does not participate in major social media platforms (for my mental health), this has resulted in many missed opportunities time and time again. So I have a 2 part question: 1) What exactly is the technical explanation for this phenomenon? 2) In late 2023, what is the state of the art "solution" for this ongoing frustrating problem? Has anyone out there "fixed" inter-platform messaging for themselves?

I want to get a readable backup of my messages. I want something that works like, e.g., Coolmuster but ideally for any OS (Ubuntu) and fast, doing only one thing, ideally copying all SMS and MMS as if it's a file system that I can read messages portable after transferring them. Samsung Switch created some unreadable SMEM files, where I could read the media files but not the text from the messages. So if there isn't one, I will buy the Coolmuster app. since it appears to connect and work, but I would prefer something like a "raw" readable data format, e.g., like Eml for email messages.

I'm experiencing an annoying (and costly) problem on my HTC Desire X. (Android 4.1.1) Every time I send a single message to multiple contacts at the same time, the message will be sent as MMS rather than SMS, even though it is a normal text message (not too many words). I am using Facebook's messenger app to send 'normal' messages as well, but I don't think it has anything to do with it. EDIT: okay, so after some testing I noticed it **has** to do with Facebook messenger's app. I went over all settings but can't seem to find anything that disables MMS for group messaging?

I have a Moto G Power (Android 10). I get great MMS with GIFs and words. I can save the GIF easily. Is there a way to save the entire message (GIF *and* text)? Google only backs up the attachment, not the words. I take a screenshot of the text but it is no longer together. Well I managed to make excellent photos with the text included while viewing the GIF, now if I could only back them up to a second storage in case of a photos mishap!

*Google Messages* is nice, but there’s that one thing that’s a killer for me : *not being able to ask for MMS delivery reports*. To make things clear, I know that sending back an MMS delivery report is done by the user equipment (contrary to SMS delivery reports that are the provider’s job), and some just don’t, most infamously the iPhones ; so of course it won’t work when communicating with those devices, but for those that honor MMS delivery report requests, which seems to be the vast majority of Android devices, I would like to be able to ask for one. I have a Samsung phone. On the *Samsung Messages* app it’s possible to ask for MMS delivery reports, but I don’t see such an option on *Google Messages*… is there such an option hidden somewhere (through ADB maybe ?), or is it completely absent ?

A bunch of messages got deleted from my phone. I can see them when using various recovery software (FonePaw etc) but the major flaw of them all is that recovery is only available outside of the phone - saved as external file. I know there's a way to access the SMS DB via adb, like so adb shell content query --uri content://sms to list the messages. I wonder if there's a way to run a similar command to update the database and actually un-delete all deleted messages?

On many apps, they have an "Add subject" menu: (source: [tapatalk.com](https://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/05/01/nu2yzuda.jpg)) This allows setting the message's subject, a feature of the MMS protocol. But how to do the same with [the official Google app](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.messaging) ?

I just received a couple of text messages from a friend. The first message read "Type in this expression exactly, or the script will not work." The second message read "Equals symbol, emoticon, five, emoticon, closing parenthesis, emoticon" I later found out that he actually sent "=x-(5:O)<3" ("Equals symbol, x, minus symbol, opening parenthesis, five, colon, capital o, closing parenthesis, less than symbol, three") I have noticed that my outgoing texts have the same problem. I have searched the internet for solutions, but there is conflicting information about whether or not the emoticons are sent over the internet as text or as images. Some say that smileys are not ordinary characters and are [converted into MMS before sending](http://forums.androidcentral.com/samsung-galaxy-note-3/325645-sms-converted-mms.html#post3394170) and others think they are just sent as it is and [phone translates them later](http://forums.androidcentral.com/t-mobile-galaxy-s-iii/202264-smileys.html#post2692795) , Furthermore, none of the proposed solutions on the internet have worked for me. I have 2 questions: - How do I disable all emoticons on **incoming** text messages? - How do I disable all emoticons on **outgoing** text messages?

I cannot send SMS on my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra. I can receive SMS and I can send/receive MMS. I've spent hours on the phone with tech support from my carrier and Samsung. I've sent the phone in for warranty repairs as well but still cannot send an SMS. I've tried several 3rd-party messaging apps and they all have the same issue. Is there any way to force a messaging app to send all texts through MMS? Any help is appreciated as I don't want to send the phone in again.

I'm using Truecaller on my Samsung Galaxy Ace J1 SM-J111F and I'm apparently unable to send images or video files, only location and contacts. How do I rectify the issue where I am able to send videos and images?

When someone with an iPhone sends me a contact, it appears as a blank MMS message. I found that this happens because group chat is on on their end, but these people are not always my friends, so I can't tell them to turn it off. Is there a way to read these messages?

I just switched phones and carrier, going from a Huawei P20 to a Samsung S20 FE 5G. I used to be able to easily send PDFs and other files via MMS (as long as the file didn't exceed a certain size). Since I changed phone/carrier, I am no longer able to send files to iPhone users. I still have the options to send files to other Android user, but that doesn't seem to be an option with iPhones, which is an absolute deal breaker for me as I rely on it quite a lot for work where everyone but me is using an iPhone. Do you know of a work around or way that would allow me to send PDF files via "text message" as I used to? And I of course mean actual files, not links to cloud drive. Thank you for your help!

In Hangouts 3.1.89134953 I get a "Sending as Unknown number" message at the top of my texts. I googled for this message and found nothing. What does this message mean?