How do I save an entire SMS chat? Possible?

[TJC70]

Last week 3 of the doctors I work for jumped on the iPhone Verizon bandwagon (gasp I know!). Prior to this I was easily able to save critical conversations in BBM by simply copying the chat to my memopad.

Now their messages come through as sms texts and when I go to save it, although the entire conversation appears to be saved, as soon as I delete that message in my sms box the whole thing is gone. Or sometimes only one tiny thread is saved!

Hoping there is an easy way to do this.

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[berryfit]

I've tried and it only saves individual messages. The sms function is actually individual messages grouped together. That's why it gives you the option to combine user messages or keep them separate.

Not sure if there's a third party app out there, but you can't do it, as far as I know, and I tried...sorry.

[BiG BaLLA 923]

I would really like to know that!!

One thing that makes me very mad. I have a huge amount of saved individual messages that I need and I wish that I could just keep the entire conversation.

[ETW11]

There is an app called Dexrex SMS Backup. This app automatically saves every text on your BB onto their website in conversation form, even if you delete the texts from the phone. You just login to dexrex.com and see all of your conversations. I can't remember, but I believe the app is free as well. I know it is available from BlackBerry App World and may also be available from Mobihand and probably the Dexrex web site. Good luck.

[jaydee5799]

just use DM to create an ipd or backup of your phone and use the free MagicBerry to read the ipd files.

MagicBerry Blackberry IPD Editor and Converter - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

[TJC70]

Originally Posted by jaydee5799

just use DM to create an ipd or backup of your phone and use the free MagicBerry to read the ipd files.

MagicBerry Blackberry IPD Editor and Converter - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Originally Posted by ETW11

There is an app called Dexrex SMS Backup. This app automatically saves every text on your BB onto their website in conversation form, even if you delete the texts from the phone. You just login to dexrex.com and see all of your conversations. I can't remember, but I believe the app is free as well. I know it is available from BlackBerry App World and may also be available from Mobihand and probably the Dexrex web site. Good luck.

Great to hear! Thanks to both of you for your help. I will check into both of these sites in the morning

[rapanui21]

I have written a macro which reads the SMS Messages DB IPD file (generated from Blackberry Desktop Manager) and produces two text file.

If you are interested in using this macro, please contact me (rapanui21@yahoo.com). It is free to you with no strings attached. I will email it to you complete with documentation. I am a 64 year old, retired programmer and I still enjoy challenges. Figuring out the format of the IPD file was definitely a challenge.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first output text file contains unformatted (raw) data for every Database Block Field on the IPD file. Format of the output file is: Field Type and Field Data.
Example: Field Type = 11. Field Data = <1><0><0><0>

Note: For records which contain primarily binary data, each byte is represented in ascii notation and is set off with <brackets>.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
The second text file contains formatted data for every pertinent Database Block Field on the IPD file. Format of the output file is: Date, Time, Phone#, and Message.
Example: 04/04/2011 08:25 800-555-1212 Good morning.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The macro runs under Excel and Windows.

I also have written some nifty macros using the ADDRESS BOOK DB and CALENDAR DB IPDs as input. They produce some very useful text files. Let me know if you are interested in them as well.

[dixie1017]

Originally Posted by TJC70

Great to hear! Thanks to both of you for your help. I will check into both of these sites in the morning

Newbie here! I've been wanting to know how to save entire text conversations also. Did you have any luck with the suggestions given to you? I hope so! If so, which solution did you try, and did it work? Also, are you able to e-mail or print these saved SMS conversations? Thanks!

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[jaydee5799]

Please try some of the suggestions above and let us know if they worked for you.

[dog_s72]

So I was just having the same issue so in playing with my phone for about an hour I found that if you go to your inbox and hit the blackberry button then hit view folder, scroll down to sms inbox and highlight the conversation (dont open) and hit save message... that should save the entire conversation to your saved messages which you find in your inbox after hitting the bb button under view saved messages... hope that helps a little. I have been trying to do this for quite some time and I wish there was an easier way... Sorry its such a crappy description on how I did this.

[jwolf6589]

Originally Posted by dog_s72

So I was just having the same issue so in playing with my phone for about an hour I found that if you go to your inbox and hit the blackberry button then hit view folder, scroll down to sms inbox and highlight the conversation (dont open) and hit save message... that should save the entire conversation to your saved messages which you find in your inbox after hitting the bb button under view saved messages... hope that helps a little. I have been trying to do this for quite some time and I wish there was an easier way... Sorry its such a crappy description on how I did this.

Cant export the conversation to a email though.

[ubersurfer]

Originally Posted by jwolf6589

Cant export the conversation to a email though.

Ah, but this can! (I've been using it for years. Works wonderfully.)

From App World:

MessageForward

MessageForward can automatically forward your incoming SMS messages to any email address.

-Conveniently check your SMS text messages via email.
-Avoid situations where you always have to check your phone.
-Save a backup of all your incoming text messages for future reference.
-Check your SMS text messages even when you do not have your BlackBerry® with you.
-Keep track of SMS text messages on multiple phones in one single email account.
-Compatible with Gmail, AIM Mail, Windows Live Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, GMX Mail, Zenbe, Fastmail, Mail.com, HotPOP, 163.com, and any other email account.
-Example: An AT&T subscriber gets a SMS text message on their BlackBerry®, then with MessageForward™, a copy is automatically forwarded to their Outlook.


This product comes with a 30 day value back guarantee. More info: S4BB Limited » About.

The key here is that it saves incoming messages only, so you're getting just "their" side of conversations. Still, it does what it does very well without any user intervention (following setup, of course) and may be worth the $4.99 US price to you.

Hope this helps.