Messaging apps¶
Messaging apps other than the unmodified stock Messages app in Android store messages in ways that make Text Collector unable to retrieve messages.
If you’re using WhatsApp, Facebook Messages, or similar, you probably realize it. WhatsApp messages and the like will not appear in Text Collector collections.
But you might be using an alternative app like Google Messages without knowing it.
Also, phone manufacturers might modify the stock messaging app to add things they brand “Advanced,” “Chat,” “Messages+,” or “RCS.” You usally can tell these are non-standard messages because they sport decorations that tell you they’ve been delivered and similar.
Summary of known problems¶
If you notice messages missing, or any other problem with your collection, please write to help@legaltextcollector.com.
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A garbled “subject” line appears
Messages can be missing
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Some pictures might not appear
Some messages will be labeled as [Unknown message status]
Messages can be duplicated
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Location messages do not render as maps
Text Collector versions older than 1.2 did not collect LG “Advanced” messages
Alcatel, Revvl, and other TCL brands
On newer phones, messages with people on the same carrier can be missing
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Messages with people on the same carrier can be missing
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Messages may be missing
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Messages when Advanced Messaging is turned on may be missing
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Messages may be missing
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Using Text Collector with Verizon Messages+ is not recommended.
Messages may be missing
Messages can show wrong recipients
On some phones, spam messages will not be collected.
Google Messages¶
Starting in 2023 or 2024, Google made its Google Messages the default on most Android phones instead of the built-in “open source” app.
Using Text Collector with Google Messages is not recommended because Google Messages does not store messages in a standard way that apps like Text Collector can read. It might be possible to download messages on an ordinary computer from the Google Messages Web interface The best known alternative is screenshots.
Because Google makes vendors include it as the default messaging app, it can be hard to realize you have are using Google Messages. As of December 2024, the Google Messages icon looks like this:
Text Collector collections of Google Messages are likely to have problems such as:
Missing messages
Garbled content, like
[Subject] proto:CjoKImNvbS5nb29nbGU=Duplicated messages
Phones with Google Messages probably also came with the stock Messages app; the stock Messages app can be used instead of Google Messages. The stock app is likely to be more compatible with most backup programs, but problems like the above will still appear for messages sent while Google Messages was in use.
If you know of a reliable way to archive messages from Google Messages, please write to help@legaltextcollector.com.
Samsung¶
On at least AT&T and T-Mobile (including Metro PCS), Samsung phones use the carrier’s “Advanced” messaging. Text Collector can usually collect these messages, but there are problems:
Some messages appear duplicated in Text Collector
Some pictures might not appear
Text Collector shows duplicate copies of messages because Samsung’s app sometimes makes multiple copies of messages and hides the duplicates. Typically, Samsung makes one copy in the standard MMS format, and one in Samsung’s own format. Text Collector finds both, so it shows both. Samsung’s app can flag duplicate copies as “hidden” – and Text Collector also hides those, if so flagged – but Samsung’s app fails to consistently flag duplicates as hidden, so Text Collector does not always hide messages that are hidden in Samsung’s app.
Text Collector will not be fixed to match Samsung’s duplicate hiding because Google now bans Text Collector updates. As a workaround, turning off “Advanced” or “RCS” messaging in the Samsung app settings should avoid duplicates for future messages.
Text Collector also does not find spam messages on Samsung phones.
Finally, Text Collector might encounter some messages with status codes it doesn’t recognize: it will label them [Unknown message status]. These may show sender as “unknown.”
LG¶
On AT&T and T-Mobile (including Metro PCS), LG phones used the carrier’s “Advanced” messaging. Starting with version 1.2, Text Collector can usually collect these messages, but there are occasional problems that can affect messages with other customers on the same carrier:
LG phones can share location messages that appear as maps in the messaging app. Text Collector does not render the map of these location messages, but the underlying location data will be saved as an attachment.
If Text Collector finds messages with status codes it doesn’t recognize, it will abort the collection. If your collection fails, please write to help@legaltextcollector.com.
Motorola¶
On T-Mobile (including Metro PCS), Motorola phones use the carrier’s “Advanced” messaging. For a time, motorola phones stored these messages in the same way as ordinary text messages, so they caused no known problems, but this has not been tested recently.
Alcatel, Revvl, and other TCL brands¶
Starting from Android 11 or perhaps earlier, Text Collector is unable to read “RCS” messages from TCL phones, which includes the Alcatel and Revvl brands. This affects phones on T-Mobile (including Metro PCS) and perhaps other carriers. Text Collector was able to collect those messages for a time, but TCL changed the system in Android 11 or perhaps earlier, making Text Collector no longer able to find the messages. In the Messages app, the missed messages will usually be those decorated with indicators that show they’ve been read and the like.
Turning off the RCS setting in the Messages app makes future messages readable by Text Collector, but has no effect on past messages.
HTC¶
On T-Mobile (including Metro PCS), HTC phones use the carrier’s “Advanced” messaging. Text Collector cannot collect these messages, so messages with other T-Mobile customers can be missing from the collection. This might also affect other carriers.
Huawei¶
On AT&T, when using Huawei phones, Text Collector cannot collected “Advanced” messages. This might affect other carriers as well.
Motorola¶
Messages sent and received while Advanced Messaging is turned on may not be collected. Turning off Advanced Messaging in the Messages app settings allows messages sent and received while it is off to be collected.
OnePlus¶
Some messages on OnePlus phones cannot be collected. This might appear as one side of a conversation being missing.
Verizon Messages+¶
Until 2024, Verizon set up its phones with its own Messages+ app as the default app for texting. Text Collector shows a warning when it detects that Verizon Messages+ was in use.
Verizon Messages+ |
Warning from Text Collector |
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Using Text Collector with Verizon Messages+ is not recommended: even though Text Collector can access most messages, there are some it cannot. Plus, Text Collector sometimes will find the wrong recipients for messages it can access.
Collections might still be fine, but should be carefully compared to the originals in the messaging app for accuracy. A better option is to use the built-in backup option and open the backup files with this online Verizon Messages+ Viewer.
Finally, screenshots are always an option.
When they abandoned their app, Verizon told users to switch to Google Messages, but that is even less likely to be successfuly archivable.
