Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

lyceumHQ

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Aug 4, 2010
1,574
762
As above. There were some programs that allowed this but I tried them with my 5 on iOS 8 and no luck so I don't see them working with iOS 9.

When the 9.1-9.2 JB is released I'd love to be able to set up as new and restore only sms and contacts.

I know contacts can be restored via iCloud but there's still no default option to restore just SMS. And as I have an sms I can't lose I've been restoring from a backup since the 4s.

So does anyone know of a way to just restore these? Or am I still, 4 year later stuck with a full restore or nothing at all?
 
I don't know of a way, but this is one of the many reasons my contacts are on Google. I don't need to worry about a restore of those - ever and I can use them on almost any device. Unlike iCloud.

As to my messages…I don't consider any of that important as any important stuff is either communicated face to face or remove offline.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lyceumHQ
I don't know of a way, but this is one of the many reasons my contacts are on Google. I don't need to worry about a restore of those - ever and I can use them on almost any device. Unlike iCloud.

As to my messages…I don't consider any of that important as any important stuff is either communicated face to face or remove offline.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

I have my contacts backed up to google as well as iCloud they're not what I'm worried about.

I don't consider sms that important either generally, I have nothing important in my messages that isn't elsewhere.

But I have an sms message from my mother, she sent me it after I showed her how to send sms messages (she didn't do technology). It's the only sms she ever sent me and she passed away three years ago. All my other text messages can be deleted or lost, that one can not. It's not important in the traditional sense of the word, its contents are of no importance yet it's the most precious thing I have on my phone.

I can't back it up elsewhere. I can't 'save' it elsewhere. This is why I need to restore both contacts and sms.
 
I have my contacts backed up to google as well as iCloud they're not what I'm worried about.

I don't consider sms that important either generally, I have nothing important in my messages that isn't elsewhere.

But I have an sms message from my mother, she sent me it after I showed her how to send sms messages (she didn't do technology). It's the only sms she ever sent me and she passed away three years ago. All my other text messages can be deleted or lost, that one can not. It's not important in the traditional sense of the word, its contents are of no importance yet it's the most precious thing I have on my phone.

I can't back it up elsewhere. I can't 'save' it elsewhere. This is why I need to restore both contacts and sms.
Got you. I understand.

There may be third party apps to get your text message database off. I know Syncmate by Eltima lets you sync between devices. It may be able to download your messages.

EDIT: Yeah, here's it's sync options.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lyceumHQ
Got you. I understand.

There may be third party apps to get your text message database off. I know Syncmate by Eltima lets you sync between devices. It may be able to download your messages.

Thanks. Will check it out.

I tried a few with the iPhone 5 on iOS 8. Ibackupbot claimed to work but it didn't. When I clicked sync nothing happened. Same with every other program Google threw up.

But I'd love to to a truly clean install.

Thenonlymothet way I can think to do it is delete all apps and pics (they're obviously all backed up), music and and everything besides sms and contacts then create a backup and restore from that.

Edit. It seems that's for Mac only. I'm using Windows 10!
 
Last edited:
Thanks. Will check it out.

I tried a few with the iPhone 5 on iOS 8. Ibackupbot claimed to work but it didn't. When I clicked sync nothing happened. Same with every other program Google threw up.

But I'd love to to a truly clean install.

Thenonlymothet way I can think to do it is delete all apps and pics (they're obviously all backed up), music and and everything besides sms and contacts then create a backup and restore from that.
Well, Syncmate is more of a sync, so what would happen is that it would sync the messages on your phone to whatever device you wish and then you'd restore and then could choose to sync the messages back to your device.

Not really a backup, but more like moving the furniture around to clean.

It's worked for me in the past but I have not used it lately. I did use it two years ago to get my wife's data off her Windows phone and temporarily on to the Mac at work then transferred it to her iPhone. So, that worked anyway.

But yeah, the other route you described is all I can see to do it if nothing else works.

There may be a way to use iFile on a JB iPhone to move the SMS database but I have no clue where it's located.

Kind of a shame concerning Apple here. I had an inexpensive backup app for my Windows phone in 2009 and it allowed me to restore data down to a single file from an entire backup. Yet, an iDevice is all or nothing in 2015.
 
As above. There were some programs that allowed this but I tried them with my 5 on iOS 8 and no luck so I don't see them working with iOS 9.

When the 9.1-9.2 JB is released I'd love to be able to set up as new and restore only sms and contacts.

I know contacts can be restored via iCloud but there's still no default option to restore just SMS. And as I have an sms I can't lose I've been restoring from a backup since the 4s.

So does anyone know of a way to just restore these? Or am I still, 4 year later stuck with a full restore or nothing at all?

This is my manual way of restoring my SMS when I set up as new. It only works when jailbroken though since you need file access and can be a bit complicated (Personally, I think it's easy but others might think differently)

BACKUP PHASE
1. create an itunes backup
2. itunes restore to 9.1/9.2
3. restore from itunes backup
4. jailbreak device
5. install ifile/filza/openssh/Apple File Conduit 2/etc and navigate to /var/mobile/Library/SMS
6. transfer "sms.db" & the "Attachments" folder to your computer

RESTORE PHASE
7. itunes restore to 9.1/9.2
8. jailbreak device
9. install ifile/filza/openssh/Apple File Conduit 2/etc and and navigate to /var/mobile/Library/SMS
10. delete all the files inside the SMS folder
11. transfer the "sms.db" & the "Attachments" folder you previously backed up to your computer
12. Make sure the "Owner" permissions are set as "mobile", and NOT "root". Otherwise, your messages app will not be able to access the database
13. respring/reboot the device
14. your previous SMS should be back

Note: The restore from itunes backup is a necessary step to make the SMS.db file compatible with a different iOS version. There may or may not be changes to the database in a new iOS version.

Well, Syncmate is more of a sync, so what would happen is that it would sync the messages on your phone to whatever device you wish and then you'd restore and then could choose to sync the messages back to your device.

Not really a backup, but more like moving the furniture around to clean.

It's worked for me in the past but I have not used it lately. I did use it two years ago to get my wife's data off her Windows phone and temporarily on to the Mac at work then transferred it to her iPhone. So, that worked anyway.

But yeah, the other route you described is all I can see to do it if nothing else works.

There may be a way to use iFile on a JB iPhone to move the SMS database but I have no clue where it's located.

Kind of a shame concerning Apple here. I had an inexpensive backup app for my Windows phone in 2009 and it allowed me to restore data down to a single file from an entire backup. Yet, an iDevice is all or nothing in 2015.

If you're ever interested in how to restore SMS manually

Same here, I don't see why apple does not implement selective restore. It doesn't seem like it would be difficult

It would make it easier if apple added SMS backup to the cloud. SMS is one of the big reasons (from what I've observed) I see people lean towards restoring from backup than starting fresh
 
  • Like
Reactions: eyoungren
This is my manual way of restoring my SMS when I set up as new. It only works when jailbroken though since you need file access and can be a bit complicated (Personally, I think it's easy but others might think differently)

BACKUP PHASE
1. create an itunes backup
2. itunes restore to 9.1/9.2
3. restore from itunes backup
4. jailbreak device
5. install ifile/filza/openssh/Apple File Conduit 2/etc and navigate to /var/mobile/Library/SMS
6. transfer "sms.db" & the "Attachments" folder to your computer

RESTORE PHASE
7. itunes restore to 9.1/9.2
8. jailbreak device
9. install ifile/filza/openssh/Apple File Conduit 2/etc and and navigate to /var/mobile/Library/SMS
10. delete all the files inside the SMS folder
11. transfer the "sms.db" & the "Attachments" folder you previously backed up to your computer
12. Make sure the "Owner" permissions are set as "mobile", and NOT "root". Otherwise, your messages app will not be able to access the database
13. respring/reboot the device
14. your previous SMS should be back

Note: The restore from itunes backup is a necessary step to make the SMS.db file compatible with a different iOS version. There may or may not be changes to the database in a new iOS version.



If you're ever interested in how to restore SMS manually

Same here, I don't see why apple does not implement selective restore. It doesn't seem like it would be difficult

It would make it easier if apple added SMS backup to the cloud. SMS is one of the big reasons (from what I've observed) I see people lean towards restoring from backup than starting fresh

Thank you! That's brilliant. Really hope it works.

Have copies this to my desktop and will give it a go as soon as (or if!) the 9.1/9.2 JB becomes available.

It seems simple enough. I always install iFile and worst case is it doesn't work and I restore from a backup as usual.

So create backup, restore from that backup on the newer version of iOS. JB, remove the sms.db. Restore again JB and copy over the sms.db. Have I got that in the right order? Just to tripe check.

Now I just need to wait for the JB to be released.
 
Last edited:
Thank you! That's brilliant. Really hope it works.

Have copies this to my desktop and will give it a go as soon as (or if!) the 9.1/9.2 JB becomes available.

It seems simple enough. I always install iFile and worst case is it doesn't work and I restore from a backup as usual.

Been working for me since the iOS 6 days!

edit: owner permissions has to be mobile for every single file and folder

I normally don't keep pictures in my messages app. if you're the same, only backup and transfer the sms.db file. makes it easier and simpler (if every file transfer defaults as root; it's a pain to change each individual's file permission)
 
  • Like
Reactions: lyceumHQ
Been working for me since the iOS 6 days!

edit: owner permissions has to be mobile for every single file and folder

I normally don't keep pictures in my messages app. if you're the same, only backup and transfer the sms.db file. makes it easier and simpler (if every file transfer defaults as root; it's a pain to change each individual's file permission)

No all my pictures are backed up and the sms I'm wanting to save is just text.

Thanks again. Can't wait to give it a go now.

Will be great to be able to set up as new.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.