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Modifying sms.db

L

lundh

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 28, 2006
29
0
I'm thinking about replacing my failing Sony Ericsson with an iPhone but it is essential for me to be able to keep all information. The address book, the calendar and stuff like that seems to be easy.

The sms-database on the other hand. I have not found any easy way to transfer them. In fact, i have not been able to find any way to transfer the information at all.

I read somewhere that the iPhone store sms messages in an sqlite database. I guess that the database has to be backed up somewhere on my Mac when I sync the phone. My idea is to modify the backup so that it includes the messages from my old phone, and then and restore the database to the iphone. Is this possible? Preferably without jailbreaking the iPhone.
 
I can jailbreak the phone if it makes the process easier. What is the problem with editing the sms.db-file manually?
 
If you have a mac you can use a program called Syphone to copy and display the contents of your SMS database.
 
Yeah but I want to import messages to the iPhone. Syphone can only read data from the backups.

I could look at it myself if someone could provide me with a few sms.db-files, preferably with the following content:

sms.db 1: 1 sms message.
sms.db 2: 2 sms messages from the same number.
sms.db 3: 2 sms messages from the same number and 1 message from another number.

I someone feel ambitious I would also like the same databases as above in two copies, one with the messages read and one with them unread.

And last, a second sms.db that has 1 message, but a different message then the other sms.db with one message.
 
me too!

want to do exactly the same thing!

I have got a Nokia 6120 and would like to transfer (some of) my old text messages to the iphone 3G which I'm going to get soon.

I don't mind doing some manual work to achieve this. In the end it would be very nice to just have my old messages on my iphone with correct date and sender =)

is it really only possible with a jail-breaked iphone?
could I jailbreak the phone, do the sms.db edit, undo the jailbreak and I would still have the modified sms.db with my beloved old messages on the phone?
(I think I only need to do the edit once, so jailbreak the iphone only for this sole purpose...?)

thanks!
 
That should be possible, from what I have read. The only thing that worries me is the additional data that is saved in the database.

The file shoud be a normal sqlite-database but with additional fields for data used by the SMS app. It's not as easy as just adding addtional entries for the messages you want to import, there is some other data that has to be added and modified also.

I don't own an Iphone yet so I can't do any more research into the details of the database until I get hold of sms.db-files.
 
hm, i'm not a database expert...

what do you refer to with the additional data to be added and modifed? is this data in the same sms.db file?

could anyone with an iphone try this, please? :rolleyes:
 
Hi,
have just come across this thread and it describes my problem exactly. I have a Sony Ericsson W995 with lots of texts on it which I want to get over to a new iphone 4 as soon as possible.
Don't mind jailbreaking/putting the effort in if someone can offer some pointers
lundh did you ever get anywhere with it?
Thanks
 
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