How to Backup and Transfer SMS, Messages from Android Phones to PC

Method 1. Backup and Transfer SMS from Android to PC with a Desktop Android Manager

Dr.Fone - Phone Manager (Android)

A Smart Android Transfer for Doing between Android and Computers.

• Transfer files between Android and computer, including contacts, photos, music, SMS, and more.
• Manage, export/import your music, photos, videos, contacts, SMS, Apps, etc.
• Transfer iTunes to Android (vice versa).
• Manage your Android device, like Samsung S22 on the computer.
• Fully compatible with Android 8.0 and later.

Available on: Windows Mac

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Step 1. Run the software and connect your Android phone to computer

At the very beginning, download the right version of Dr.Fone on your computer. Install and launch it. Choose "Phone Manager" from all the functions and use a USB cable to connect your Android phone to the computer. After connection, your Android phone will be displayed in the main window.

Note: Both Windows and Mac versions work in a similar way. Thus, I just take the Windows version as a try. If you're using a Mac, you can follow the steps too.

Step 2. Backup and Transfer SMS, Messages from Android to PC

Select Information tab. Go to the left column and click SMS. In the SMS management window, select the message threads that you want to transfer. Click Export to save and transfer the messages from Android to your PC in .html or .csv format.

Method 2. Transfer Android SMS to PC with an Android App

Apart from desktop software, there're also many android SMS backup apps that let you save SMS on an Android phone to an SD card and then transfer it to a computer. Among them, SMS backup & Restore stands out.

Step 1. Go to Google Play Store on and download SMS Backup & Restore app.
Step 2. Launch the app and tap Backup to backup SMS to SD card of your Android phone.
Step 3. Mount your Android phone as an external hard drive by using a USB cable.
Step 4. On your computer, find your Android phone and open the SD card folder.
Step 5. Find the .xml file, and copy it to your computer

Further Reading: How to Read SMS.xml on PC

Usually, Android SMS you transfer to PC are saved as a .xml file, .txt file, or HTML file. The last two formats are easily readable. To read the SMS.xml file, you need to draw support from a third-party tool – Notepad++. It's a free source code editor, letting you read the SMS.xml file conveniently.

Note: Please don't edit the .xml file when using Notepad++. Or, the file might be damaged.

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