RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

I have literally hundreds (probably thousands) of texts between me and the missus from the time I got my iPhone 3GS (2 years ago) and I want to get to the very first one I sent her.

Do I really have to scroll up to the top of the first page and press "Load Earlier Messages" time and time and time again to eventually back track through all my messages to get to the first one ? Is there no way of going straight to the first message ?
Its gonna take me ages !

Ro.

boxst

I don't think you will get them at all? Only iMessages are stored on a server (i.e. from the OS update a couple of months ago) not text messages?

RoShamBo

iTrader: (1)

I deffo have them from Jan last year as I was scrolling back through for ages and ages and got to Jan 23rd 2011....then some facker texted me and I had to start again and gave up !

boxst

Wow okay. I didn't think the phone stored messages from so far back. I know that iMessages are stored on the server so that they can be distributed to the various devices.

Jamescsti

Don't think there's a short cut but maybe try putting the phone in airplane mode to stop it communicating whilst your going back through?

Jaybird-UK

wow, Ive always viewed SMS a disposable messaging and delete most of the time

Bugatti

If you have an idea of what the message said, you could try putting the words into the search bar and see if it brings up the message.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

On the store and forward system they are, on the phone they are downloaded.
The S&F system will only retain them for around 72hrs if they cannot be delivered, then they will be deleted and a fail to deliver message sent to the originator.

The ammount of messages on your phone depends on how much memory you have, you can store thousands if you wish

Tony

Jaybird-UK

A quick google returns a number of ways to do this

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=365067
http://www.iphone-sms.com/

Jonnys3

I was informed by an O2 IT techie that service providers have to maintain 5 years worth of data regarding mobile calls and SMS/MMS messages in the UK. How true that is I wouldn't like to say but it's highly likely so I would query your service provider.

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

They wont retain the messages but they will retain billing records, if he say's they retain anything else then he is talking total BS

Tony