SMS...
 

At the risk of being labeled a geekeezer...

I don't do SMS (aka text messaging) with my cell phone. I just call the people I want to converse with.

However I was asked today how one could save SMS messages from their cell phone to a Gmail account.

Is this even an issue? Do Tmobile, Verizon, etc.. hold your text messages hostage? Can't I just address a text message to an email address?

Ive tried doing the text msg to email and Ive yet to get it to work. they do have messaging services like MSN, AOL etc but I believe they're pay services (requiring sign ups etc). Havent heard of anyone doing a Gmail version yet.

I've done text to email, and email to text, but I'm not sure what the question is.
oh.. how you can save them to gmail account,,, interesting. I hadn't heard of that before. I'll try it and let you know.

Gmail is not really important here, the real goal is to take text messages from a cell phone and back them up to a file or to email (email just seemed easier)


So how did you do get SMS message from a cell phone to email?

Thanks.

Never mind.

I just tried it with my Tmobile service. Once I figured out how to change the cell phone keypad from numeric to alphanumeric I was able to peck out an email address and forward it to my email.

Does that work with other carriers?

it works with verizon. I send text messages (photos too) to regular e-mail addresses all the time, I can even save them in my address list so I don't have to type them each time.

I don't know a way to just back them up to a regular account but you can easily just forward them to one.

I really had no fear that you would figure it out. Yes, its a pain, and yes, it works.
There are, or claim to be, thrid party programs that let you download or send your sms archive to an email address.

The only problem with forwarding it is that you change or at least add to the metadata of the message - thus they all appear to have come from the person who forwarded them and lack controls to prevent tampering with the original message. This of course presumes this means you want to retain such messages as records demonstrating compliance, or documenting a decission process.

The need in this case is to preserve them for evidence in a trial. I don't think that even having them in the phone would be admissible due to possible tampering. However I do think that the saved version would be enough for a judge to allow a subpoena to the carrier.

Of course if you have a way to perserve all the tasty metadata I'd be down with that.

If that's the case, then you might require the judge's blessing - or at least the opposing council's for whatever preservation action you take (short of leaving them on the phones). The courts typically prefer preserving evidence in the state it is discovered (i.e. on the phone). Come December 1st, though there are changes in the Rules of Evidence (in Federal Court anyway) that may give you some leeway in how to handle those items