How to Retrieve Old Text Messages Before Syncing an iPhone

iOS hides its directory structure, which can make recovering your SMS messages tricky.
... Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

If you're selling your old iPhone on the used market, and want to back up your text messages, or you need to back up your text messages from a business-provided iPhone, you'll need a separate utility to do the task. There are third party iOS file explorers that enable you to retrieve your old SMS messages from your iPhone.

  • USB cable

1 Using DiskAid

2 Download and install the DiskAid program

Download and install the DiskAid program on your computer. A free trial period should see you through this process.

3 Connect your iPhone

Connect your iPhone to the computer with the USB cable. Turn off iTunes when it launches and start DiskAid instead.

4 Click on iMessage

Click on "iMessage" within DiskAid.

5 Choose the export format from the available options

Choose the export format from the available options. You can export to plain text, PDF or comma separated values depending on which application you plan to use to read them.

6 Using iExplore

7 Download and install the iExplore program

Download and install the iExplore program on your computer.

8 Connect your iPhone-2

Connect your iPhone to the computer with the USB cable. Shut down iTunes when it launches and launch iExplore instead.

9 Click

Click on "Backups" and then "Messages." A list of all the people you've had SMS conversations with will display; select one (or shift-click to select multiple conversations.)

10 Click Export

Click "Export" and choose an export format.

11 Using iFunBox

12 Download and install iFunBox

Download and install iFunBox on your computer.

13 Connect your iPhone via USB cable

Connect your iPhone via USB cable. Turn off iTunes if it starts and launch iFunBox instead.

14 Click on Raw File System

Click on "Raw File System" to display a series of folders. Click on "User," then "Library," then "SMS" to get to the SMS folder.

15 Copy the file sms.db from that directory to your computer

Copy the file "sms.db" from that directory to your computer; this is the database with all your SMS messages. To load the SMS messages to a new iPhone, repeat this process, but copy the file "sms.db" to the new iPhone.

Ken Burnside has been writing freelance since 1990, contributing to publications as diverse as "Pyramid" and "Training & Simulations Journal." A Microsoft MVP in Excel, he holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Alaska. He won the Origins Award for Attack Vector: Tactical, a board game about space combat.

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