How to Restore Android Messages to a phone

Last Updated :  |  Wide Angle Software

Backup & Restore: This feature is unavailable in the current release of Droid Transfer, due to changes in Google's Play Store policies. You'll need to use a previous version of the software if you want to backup and restore Android messages >.

Introduction

In our previous support article, we explained the importance of creating regular backups of your phone, and a guide on how to create a backup of your messages. This article will take you step-by-step through how to restore a backup to your phone, or transfer your messages to a new phone.

Accidentally deleted a message or conversation? Do you have a new phone which you would like to transfer your messages to? Droid Transfer can help with all of the above, and more!

This guide covers backing up and restoring messages to an Android device. If you have iPhone instead, find out how to transfer messages from Android to iPhone.

Summary

Droid Transfer can copy and transfer music, messages, photos and more from your Android phone to your PC. Let see how we can restore your messages to an Android device...

1. Create a backup of your messages using Droid Transfer.
2. Click 'Backup & Restore', then 'Restore'.
3. Select your backup file on your computer, click 'Open'.
4. On your phone, tap 'Make Default' on the pop-up (this is only temporary). Then click 'OK / Yes' to confirm.
5. On your computer, select conversations to restore to your device, and click 'Restore'.
6. On your phone, tap 'OK / Yes' to set your messaging app back to default.

You can download the free trial of Droid Transfer below, allowing you to try out the software.

Free Droid Transfer Download

Detailed Steps

Run Droid Transfer on your PC and connect to your Android Device running Transfer Companion as described in our Setup Guide.

In the Droid Transfer window on your computer, click the Messages Icon - Droid Transfer will display all of the message conversations on your Android Device.

Click the 'Backup & Restore' button in the toolbar at the top of Droid Transfer on your PC.

Hit the 'Restore' button.

Next, select your backup file from your PC and click 'Open'.

Now we need to do a little housekeeping on your Android Phone. A pop-up will appear asking if you would like to make Transfer Companion your default messaging app. This is necessary in order for Droid Transfer to restore messages to your device, but is only a temporary change. The default app will be reverted to the original one after the message restore is complete. This change will not affect your phone's ability to receive messages.

On the pop-up tap 'Make Default', then 'OK / Yes' to confirm.

Back to Droid Transfer on your PC: select the conversations you wish to restore to your Android Device, then click 'Restore'.

Once the restore is complete, as promised, Transfer Companion on your phone will prompt you to revert your default messaging app. Just tap 'OK / Yes' to complete this process.

Restoring / Transferring messages to a new device

If you have a new Android device, and you would like to transfer your old device's message to it, Droid Transfer can do this too!

Simply create a backup of your old device's messages to your PC using Droid Transfer. Then, download Transfer Companion on your new Android device, connect it to Droid Transfer on your PC, and complete the restore process in this article. Your new device will be populated with your old device's messages!

Duplicating data?

When you restore messages and message conversations to a device, you don't have to worry about duplicating data. Droid Transfer makes sure that only the gaps are filled in, and if a message or conversation exists already, it will not be duplicated.

Also, when restoring a message conversation from a contact which does not yet exist on the device you are restoring to, Droid Transfer will intelligently add the contact to your contacts.