Android App Overviews: SMS Backup Apps
Did you know that you can use your Android to back up your texts and have them email them to your account?
I came across SMS Backup as a category of Android software when I was looking for app backup software. At that time, I was about to root my Cherry Mobile Nova, or, as Unknown has informed us, the Commtiva Z71. I wanted to be able to restore my notes, my calendar, and even the list of apps that were already on my Android because I really didn't want to go hunting, again, for the apps I've already installed and learned to love.
A month after, I suddenly found a need for the SMS Backup apps.
So I downloaded one off the Android Market.
The app I chose first is the SMS Backup + by Jan Berkel, because, while its screenshots looked similar to the SMS Backup app by Christoph Studler, it seemed to me as the more user-friendly option.
I was dead wrong.
But before I get into that, let me give you cursory reviews of the four SMS Backup apps I've tried:
SMS Backup & Restore by INFOLIFE LLC
This was the app that first caught my eye. I have used INFOLIFE LLC's Advanced Task Manager and App Backup & Restore, and I'd have to say that because of these two apps, I've learned to be a fan and to trust INFOLIFE LLC's app offerings.
In the case of "SMS Backup & Restore," however, I would have to make an exception. While the interface and dashboard certainly are aesthetically attractive, even beautiful, I'd have to say that the functionality leaves much to be desired. At least, in the way that I want an SMS Backup app to work. This SMS Backup app will allow you to just backup the app to SD Card, and possibly manage, sort and delete your backups, but this isn't what I wanted to use this app for. I wanted email functionality, so this scored low in my book.
Rating: 3/5
SMS Backup & Restore by Ritesh Sahu
The interface is very simple, and because of this simplicity, I believe that most users may find this app's dashboard aesthetically pleasing, as well. On the Preferences/Settings area, however, there's a lot of customizations you can work with...
...Though as a user who would want to backup her SMS only to SD Card or to Email, I found all of that useless, except for the "Add Readable Date" option. This will add a "human readable date" to your messages. I guess this means the timestamp of the message, as, SMS' timestamps and date are in another feature of the SMS.
Back in the days of Nokia dumbphones, this may mean going to [Open Message] > Options > Message Details, or [Open Message] > Options > Details. On the Android, the timestamp would most likely be on [Open Message] > [Long Press] > View Message Details.
The "Add Readable Date" option may well be the option for adding a timestamp to a message, as, without this option, the backup may contain only the message itself.
This option *would have been useful* IF the backup file were in a text format that can be exported. Alas and alack, the file format is .XML!
Also, it can't be read on a browser! I used Dolphin Browser and the native HTML viewer included in Firetrap Lollipop, but when I viewed the .XML file, it was a no-go. My Dolphin Browser was set on Desktop mode, and it should have been able to read the .XML file.
Then I tried reading the file from the computer, via Internet Explorer/XML Reader and I was able to see this:
Not bad. If only you didn't need to: Backup SMS > Unmount SD Card > Read File From Computer > Print to PDF IF you have a PDF Printer/Take a Screenshot/Copy-Paste...
...In order to retrieve your backed up SMS.
Rating: 3/5
SMS Backup + by Jan Berkel
When I tried this, I thought I hit the jackpot. This app can both back up to SD Card AND email your SMS backups to your Gmail Account as well.
Awesome, right? Until I hit a weird bug thanks to a major bug on my OS' time zones. I'm not sure if the app itself has a bug wherein it won't sync to your Gmail Account unless the time zone you have is right, or the Firetrap Lollipop's time zones are just buggy, but after a few uses, I discovered that I could no longer sync this app to my Gmail because it keeps saying that my phone's time does not line up with its chosen timezone.
I don't completely understand the error, but to cut the long story short, I decided to replace the app.
Also, another pain in the neck is that you have to login to your Gmail account from a browser, the first time you use it. While the app automatically redirects you to the browser (thank you very much for that), still, the act of logging in is a PAIN.
What if you have the crazy 2-Step Verification process for Gmail? ANOTHER PAIN.
To sum it up, it is great that this app can backup to SD Card AND send your SMS backups to your Gmail as well. Hope they fix the bugs, and this will be the best on Android Market.
Rating: 3.5/5
SMS Backup by Christoph Studler
After noticing the bug of Jan Berkel's creation, I decided to try this one, because this was the app with the most similar interface to SMS Backup + (by Jan Berkel) of the top-rated SMS Backup apps.
Since SMS Backup + was the first one I've tried and therefore the one I'm most comfortable with, PLUS, this was the other app with nearly 5/5 stars as its rating, just like SMS Backup +, I decided to see if this was the perfect app to switch SMS Backup + with.
I think I hit paydirt here as using it was so simple. The only thing you have to do the first time you fire up the app is to backup your SMS for the first time. Logging in to your Gmail account isn't a pain, as you only need to add your email and the password on fields provided in-app. No popup verification, no authorization needed, nada.
When I tried backing up my SMS to Gmail and then checked my email just seconds after, imagine my happiness when I saw that all my SMS were already there. Simply awesome.
The only downside to this app is that it doesn't have a backup to SD Card option, or the "Add Readable Date" option. But since it's bug-free so far, and so simple to use, and does what I need it to do (backup my messages to email/cloud, primarily), I'm already a happy camper.
Rating: 4/5
On the whole, I need an SMS Backup app in order to save my messages to the Cloud. Seeing it in a beautiful-looking format is also a plus, but not necessary. Backing it up to SD would be great, but neither is it an as-if-your-life-depended-on-it necessity. On the whole, my requirements of a perfect SMS Backup are:
The app must be able to...
- Save the SMS to Gmail or another Cloud account, preferrably one I frequently use, like Google Docs.
- Add a timestamp to the messages so that I wouldn't have to add this manually.
- Be read in an awesome-looking/aesthetically-pleasing format.
- Backup to SD Card, just in case.
- Have simple settings and preferences. Nothing to break my (or any other user's) brain, please.
If someone comes up with an SMS Backup app with all these, then I would have SMS Backup "Nirvana" at the exact time I fire it up on my Android.
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