Recommended software for contacts/SMS transfer?

[Varti]

Hi,

once I'll get my Gemini I'll like to move all my contacts and SMSes from my old Android 2.3 phone to my new device. Can you guys recommend any tool or procedure to do that? I have used in the past Titanium Backup which worked very well, unfortunately it requires a rooted Android, and we might not have that option on the Gemini, at least initially. There's an option under Android to use Google Drive to do the transfer, though I don't like the idea of all my data being stored online... any other recommendation?

Varti

[Rosie]

Hi,

once I'll get my Gemini I'll like to move all my contacts and SMSes from my old Android 2.3 phone to my new device. Can you guys recommend any tool or procedure to do that? I have used in the past Titanium Backup which worked very well, unfortunately it requires a rooted Android, and we might not have that option on the Gemini, at least initially. There's an option under Android to use Google Drive to do the transfer, though I don't like the idea of all my data being stored online... any other recommendation?

Varti

I have my phone synced up with GMX's contacts service.  Fair enough it's still on-line but the data is held within the EU and subject to EU data protection which is good enough for me to trust it.  Whenever I get a new phone I just set it up to use GMX and all my contacts automagically appear.

The service is free for modest use if you do decide to go that way.

Rosie

[Varti]

I have my phone synced up with GMX's contacts service.  Fair enough it's still on-line but the data is held within the EU and subject to EU data protection which is good enough for me to trust it.  Whenever I get a new phone I just set it up to use GMX and all my contacts automagically appear.

The service is free for modest use if you do decide to go that way.

Thanks Rosie, looks like a simple solution. Unfortunately, I'd need to export all the stored SMSes too, which GMX seems to not support:

https://support.gmx.com/contacts/synchronizing/android.html

Varti

[petefoth]

I have my phone synced up with GMX's contacts service.  Fair enough it's still on-line but the data is held within the EU and subject to EU data protection which is good enough for me to trust it.  Whenever I get a new phone I just set it up to use GMX and all my contacts automagically appear.

The service is free for modest use if you do decide to go that way.

Thanks Rosie, looks like a simple solution. Unfortunately, I'd need to export all the stored SMSes too, which GMX seems to not support:

https://support.gmx.com/contacts/synchronizing/android.html

Varti

I use a hosted NextCloud service* to store Contacts, Calendar, Notes, To-Dos and files. And CalDAV/CardDAV sync programs to sync to my phone. When I get my Gemini I will use the DAVDroid app from F-Droid https://f-droid.org/packages/at.bitfire.davdroid/. I also use the NextDrive and Notes apps to sync files and notes.

I don't bother synching SMS messages, but if  I wanted to, I would try the Next Cloud SMS app https://f-droid.org/packages/fr.unix_experi...e.owncloud_sms/. That requires at least Android 4 or 5, and requires your NextCloud provider to be running the ocsms app.

Alternatively there's the SMS Backup+ app which will backup SMS and call logs to IMAP https://f-droid.org/packages/com.zegoggles.smssync/. This only requires Android 2.3 or later so it may work for you.

* I use the free service hosted by OwnDrive https://owndrive.com/. I'm thinking of upgrading to their Pro service at €1.99/month, which does support SMS sync (as well as Password management and lots more)

I hope that helps

Pete

[Varti]

I use a hosted NextCloud service* to store Contacts, Calendar, Notes, To-Dos and files. And CalDAV/CardDAV sync programs to sync to my phone. When I get my Gemini I will use the DAVDroid app from F-Droid https://f-droid.org/packages/at.bitfire.davdroid/. I also use the NextDrive and Notes apps to sync files and notes.

I don't bother synching SMS messages, but if  I wanted to, I would try the Next Cloud SMS app https://f-droid.org/packages/fr.unix_experi...e.owncloud_sms/. That requires at least Android 4 or 5, and requires your NextCloud provider to be running the ocsms app.

Alternatively there's the SMS Backup+ app which will backup SMS and call logs to IMAP https://f-droid.org/packages/com.zegoggles.smssync/. This only requires Android 2.3 or later so it may work for you.

* I use the free service hosted by OwnDrive https://owndrive.com/. I'm thinking of upgrading to their Pro service at €1.99/month, which does support SMS sync (as well as Password management and lots more)

Thanks for your help! The fact that my phone only has Android 2.3 (and no, there’s no more recent version of Android for it) is quite limiting. I wish that, once my Gemini will arrive, rooting instructions will be already available for it, so that Titanium Backup will become an option. Otherwise, I’ll see if there’s any CalDAV/CardDAV app for older Androids, and use SMS Backup + for SMSes.

Thanks again and regards
Varti

[petefoth]

<snip>
I’ll see if there’s any CalDAV/CardDAV app for older Androids,
<snip>

I have used CardDAV-Sync free https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...fs.carddav.sync and CalDAV-Sync https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?...dmfs.caldav.lib on previous phones.  Both worked fine and I would recommend them. They both work with Android 2.3.

[speculatrix]

I love SMSBackup+ for a number of reasons:
* messages are put into a Google Mail folder so you can search by number and text
* messages and call logs are put into a Google Calendar so you get a record of communications and calls, including call length

so when you're asked "when did you speak to X" you can find the call log and say "I rang X on the 5th January at 10:25 and the call lasted 17 minutes".

[RicardoClay]

Did you find the software what you needed?

[moishegoyet]

Why do you refuse to use Google Drive? Your contacts and SMS are not posted publicly; they are associated with your email. You can share things through it, but the app will not publish anything without your permission. I trust Google. Because it is such a large and powerful corporation, you unwillingly begin to trust what they do. So you may use Google Drive in peace. It will save any numbers, even temporary ones from https://quackr.io. However, if you come across another program, please let us know. I'm pretty curious. What is more, I believe that many people would be satisfied from your experience.

[fourier1]

Hello. You can use apps as Contacs + or Wondershare TunesGo. They offer a trial period but with a temporary number you can extend the trial period to 90 days.