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olmie75's profile

Teacher

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4 Messages

Friday, February 10th, 2017 10:18 PM

No way to backup & restore text messages with AT&T "advanced" messages?

My Samsung S7 was defective, and AT&T sent me a replacement. In the process of transfering all of my content over from my old device to the replacement device (another S7, initally using SmartSwitch), I noticed that very few of my outgoing texts had transferred over. I also tried MyBackup, Carbonite, Helium, AT&T Mobile Setup, MobileTrans ... and kept getting the same result. Upon further investigation, it turns out that the message that would not transfer wer "advanced" messages - a new format that AT&T has started migrating to (but can be disabled). None of the backup softwares on the market work with this format, and the new format has very limited value (with very few users, I see message receipts - that's all I 've noticed different). However, not being able to backup and restore my texts is a major problem for me. I frequently reference past texts, and I've worked hard to keep my full archive through backups and transfers for years. AT&T makes this change, doesn't inform us of the implications, now I'm stuck about to lost important data. I've spent hours with AT&T support in chats, on the phone, in the store, and nobody can help me. This feels completely unacceptable.

Contributor

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1 Message

6 years ago

Hi, 

I'm also having this problem. It's ridiculous. Why would something be automatically enabled that would cause such a problem if you were ever to upgrade your phone. 

 

Does anyone know if there is a fix on the way or they just don't care?

 

Cheers 

Contributor

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1 Message

6 years ago

I am having the same problem. I need messages for court. Ive used coolmuster, mobikin, and numerous others. I need a years worth of messages. the programs only show incoming messages, not outgoing. Cant do anything with a 1 sided conversation. Please help if anyone has a solution.

Teacher

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13 Messages

6 years ago

Doing screen shots is the only way I have found. It is immensely tedious.

This was a major FAIL for at&t.

Tutor

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5 Messages

6 years ago

AT&T, still to this day, doesn't have a solution for this problem. Almost a year later. Almost a year after "Advanced Messaging" was automatically enabled on my Galaxy S7 Edge, without any type of consent on my end. And now, I can't backup my texts. It looks like my contacts are having a one way conversation with me. Ridiculous.

 

AT&T, stop the nonsense. These exact issues are why I've left for Verizon. Yes, they don't even have a solution for RCS but that is likely because they're going to switch to Google's RCS platform in the coming months with Sprint. I have no idea why AT&T tried to create a solution (Advanced Messaging) for a problem (lack of RCS) that was already resolved by Google. But of course, corporate politics affect their customers with no input from anyone.

 

I have no plans of returning to AT&T until they support Google and their version of the RCS platform, not "Advanced Messaging" nonsense that is only compatible with AT&T Android phones. What a small market segment to target. Very disappointed with the lack of oversight, which is why I won't be coming back until AT&T can correct their numerous issues with RCS and software releases for Android.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

6 years ago

@term525

I’ve been using the advanced messaging for over a year.  I’ve always had ATT messages backup and sync enabled.  I am using the native app.  

In August 2017 I bought a used GS8 and moved from the GS7 to GS8.  All my message content synced without exception.  

I just upgraded to the GS9 and again, all my message content synced.  

Tutor

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5 Messages

6 years ago

@lizdance40

Sure, but how about to an unlocked GS9? I ask because I went from an AT&T branded GS7 to an unlocked GS9. Ahh, there's the caveat. Advanced Messaging is broken, period.

ACE - Sage

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116.6K Messages

6 years ago

@term525

You are no longer are using ATT messages, and can’t sync or restore to a new device unless it also has ATT messages.  This isn’t “advanced messaging broken “.  You can’t use the back up (advanced or not) unless you have a branded phone.  Your only option is to backup and restore with smartswitch.   

OR

use one of the many alternate apps which also back up.  Messenger for SMS by SMS & MMS Team does backups.

Tutor

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5 Messages

6 years ago

@lizdance40

This is also false. I used the Samsung Messages app on my GS7 which has the "Advanced Messaging" option built in by the AT&T firmware, never touched the AT&T Messaging app. The "Advanced Messaging" option was turned on automatically without my consent in the Samsung Messages app itself by AT&T after an update. I used SmartSwitch to move all of my texts over to my unlocked GS9 and lo-and-behold, the "Advanced Messaging" messages were not transferred over and cannot be transferred over because "Advanced Messaging" is not standard and truly broken because no other service besides AT&T firmware can access the messages themselves. This not only includes the messages that I sent (since Advanced Messaging was turned on), but any AT&T customers messages to me. It really is broken.

 

I've tried other apps and they also do not support AT&T's proprietary advanced messaging, they simply cannot back up those messages. To test that theory, download the Android Messages app on the same device that you're using now. It does not detect the Advanced Messages, but picks up the SMS and MMS messages fine, which proves that it's proprietary and broken. It appears in those apps as a one way conversation if their text was sent via SMS/MMS, just like SmartSwitch did with my unlocked Galaxy S9. Really tired of the misinformation here about this, it really doesn't do any good. I wish you would try it yourself and see that it really is broken and doesn't work.

Tutor

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5 Messages

6 years ago

@lizdance40

Understandable, but that is still not a solution - I want to transfer my messages to my new, unlocked device and I cannot do that, and that's unacceptable. It makes sense that Advanced Messaging is AT&T because yes, it's all based on the carrier, same with the stock Messages app that is included with the AT&T branded Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. But again, these are my text messages, not AT&T's. If I want to transfer all of my messages to an unlocked device, I should be able to do that. Keep in mind, these are ALL of my sent messages to everyone, regardless if they're an AT&T customer that supports "Advanced Messaging".

 

The other point is, why am I sending "Advanced Messages" to non-AT&T customers? They can't use them anyway. I am owed a solution for this, just like the people prior in this thread. I know you're not affiliated with AT&T but this problem is unacceptable, should be no apologies on their end. Just a fix, because yes, it is a problem, and it is broken.

Tutor

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11 Messages

6 years ago

I have this exact same issue! When I moved between AT&T Samsung devices this was never an issue (S7 to S8), since likely both devices could read the proprietary AT&T RCS format. We are now moving from AT&T Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices to Verizon S9 devices and cannot get these advanced messages devices off our old AT&T phones, or at least be readable on the S9's. It's like a blackhole of information. I would have disabled this feature a long time ago had I known it would ruin all our text messages. I haven't found any apps that will transfer them to a new phone and make the readable in the stock messaging app, only ones that will archive to PDF / HTML / etc. In case it helps someone else, they are below. This is the best I've found after hours of wasted time...

 

1) SMS Share 2 - Supports RCS and Advanced Messaging - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gilapps.smsshare2

2) Legal Text Collector - Advanced messages are supported on AT&T - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.legaltextcollector

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