Re: Backup Sms

[Pent]

> Is there a way to back up sms's using tasker?

Probably only if you have root and know where the database file is.

Pent

[Wietse van Buitenen]

SMS Backup+ is free and works with Tasker.

it also supports OAuth for GMail, very nice app..

On Tuesday, October 30, 2012 12:21:34 AM UTC+1, Brad Mai wrote:

Is there a way to back up sms's using tasker?

I have found a couple apps, but I want to know if there is a way by script or through options in tasker..
thanks

[Brad Mai]

Thanks, I have tried that app but I don't like it.
Now, why can that app do it but pent mentioned I need root to do it on my own? I need to understand why.

I love tasker, been playing with it for the past month or so but some things I just can't make happen.

[Michael Yeager]

The app was designed to read the database location from Android and read / write to that location. Pent didn't say for sure that you needed root, he suggested you might. Tasker wasn't designed to back up SMS messages but there is more than one app designed specifically for this task. SMSBackup+ happens to integrate with Tasker and if all you want to do is automate the backup with Tasker it is probably the best option out there. There may be others that allow you to schedule backups in the app itself. If you find one you like better, you can always get ahold of the developer and ask them to add Tasker integration. Not too many people are that worried about backing up their SMS's to redesign the wheel...

[Brad Mai]

Ok, then my questions is, 

Is it possible for tasker to grab all my texts from my messaging app and write them into a .txt file?

[Jakub]

Check in here

/data/data/com.android.providers/telephony/databases/mmssms.db 

[Brad Mai]

I do not have that folder

[Michael Yeager]

SMS Backup+ backs them up to your GMail account. Don't know if that's good enough for what you need but you could review and print from there if needed. Anything that stores to your SD card may be a text file but might be an odd format that may be difficult at best to convert. The SMS application most certainly store the data in an odd format and its location may or may not be accessible. Probably different for different apps as well.

[Brad Mai]

I tried sms Backup and since my Gmail is connected to my hotmail i had 2000 txts in both email accounts. That right there is enough to turn me off from that app. Also, my gfs phone is set up very close to mine, so whatever I do on mine ill do on hers and if I have to install a specific app for each thing I want to accomplish.. Im doing it twice.
Am I wrong to think tasker can accomplish my txt backup needs? Is it impossible?

[Michael Yeager]

Gotcha. I understand the issue with GMail/Hotmail. Tasker can probably do it but you're going to have to reinvent the wheel. I downloaded a different app not long ago but I don't remember which one it was but it stored the data in an odd format that is unreadable when you load it into a text editor. My suggestion would be to look for an app that you can schedule from inside the app itself and not worry about having Tasker do it unless you basically want to write your own app. Tasker integration is nice but sometimes not worth it. Just my honest opinion. If you chose to reinvent the wheel, I'll be watching and will happily help and offer suggestions when I can.

[Dave Fisher]

My Backup (Pro) can back up SMSes and be scheduled, that's what I use - although I am not sure if the resulting backup is human readable (I seem to recall something about XML but I forget if that was My Backup or something else now!).

[Michael Yeager]

I'll look into it and see if I can help find a solution that fits your needs...

[Brad Mai]

Thanks guys for the help.
I don't know enough about tasker yet to accomplish this.
I would love to make an app. I do not have the knowledge provided by a school to do this. Back in the day I did some coding which involved if statements and such, which is kinda like tasker. But since I'm missing the advanced functions im unable to get it.
I did some reading on scripting but it's just way over my head right now.
Michael, do you have experience with making apps or scripts?

[Michael Yeager]

A little but I'm real rusty at it....

[Brad Mai]

Damn.

Right now I have three profiles, home, work and hands free, the first two activate by Wifi, hand free activates by no wifi connection (which is commute to work) these work great, I don't have to worry about changing my volumes etc.
The fourth part is my 'security' which I'm working on, I have location and battery level, data on and off all able to activate remotely.
My plan is to backup txts and have a secret hidden spot on my screen that unlocks it. <-I've seen the unlock posted somewhere but I can no longer find it.
I played around with scenes and made a simple toggle menu to turn bt, wifi data on and off but that's pretty much useless since most androids and that in the pull down menu.

With the quick unlock and txt backup i would know enough to help out with making apps.

I think what I need to do is figure out how sms Backup gets to the sms folder to backup txts. Once I figure that out it should be easier to understand if tasker can do it.

[Michael Yeager]

If this is a security issue, you could create another gmail address JUST for SMS Backup+ so that it didn't crowd your inbox. You could also use any of the other apps and use Google Drive or Dropbox (any of those type services) to get it off the phone. In the case of a lost phone, a remote wipe is the only way to insure your data doesn't get into the wrong hands. I can send my phone a text and it will report back to me it's GPS location (with a map) as well as it's current battery level. I'm doing more with it but I'm still tweaking the new stuff....

[Matt R]

If only saving SMS's from this point on would be OK, you could use the new SMS context to trigger appending the SMS text to a file.  Wouldn't help you with backing up previous SMS's.

 

Matt