How to Automatically Backup Your Texts and Call Log

Android does an excellent job automatically syncing pertinent data to Google’s servers. Restoring or migrating contact information and app data is nearly effortless, but the process falls short in backing up text messages and call history.

Luckily, backing up your texts and call logs is simple. Most backup apps available in the Google Play store work to this end, but if you want frequent backups you can rely on it’s best to automate the process. Here are two ways to do it.

Read More: How to Reduce Mobile Data Usage in 5 Easy Steps

Backup Texts to Gmail with SMS Backup+

SMS Backup+ syncs your SMS, MMS, and call logs to a Gmail account of your choice. It offers several settings to fine-tune your backup experience.

Download the app from Google Play and follow the simple prompts on the screen to set up your backup. By default, SMS Backup+ saves your data every two hours and within three minutes of receiving a new message. You can choose to sync existing data or only the texts and calls you receive from this point forward.

Save Your Data to Google Drive Spreadsheets with IFTTT

IFTTT—short for If This, Then That — uses third-party apps to create automated recipes that respond to triggers you define. It’s a powerful productivity tool with a desktop and mobile app version that makes automation simple and straightforward.

This method sends all future data to a Google Spreadsheet for easy searching and sorting. Note that it does not make backups of older data. For that you will need to use a third party app that can export your data to a CSV file.

To create full backups of your data, you’ll need to create several recipes.

Recipe 1 – Outbound Calls Log

Under the channel for “If This,” find “Android Phone Call” and select the trigger for “Any Phone Call Placed.” For your “Then,” choose “Google Drive” and the option to “Add Row to Spreadsheet.”

From here, you can define the spreadsheet and add the location you’d like the information to go to, or let IFTTT automatically create one. By default, it will save the date, time, and duration of the call as well as the recipient’s name and number. This can be changed in the “Formatted Row” field of your recipe.

Recipe 2 – Inbound Calls Log

Using the steps outlined above, create your “If This” with the trigger “Any Phone Call Answered.” Again, choose the Google Drive option and let IFTTT do its thing.

Recipe 3 – Missed Calls Log

Follow the recipe a third time, changing your Android call trigger to “Any Phone Call Missed.” Customize it to your liking, then create the recipe. Now you should have a spreadsheet for each type of call action.

Recipe 4 – Saving Your SMS Messages

Select “Android SMS” as your “If This.” Set your trigger to “Any New SMS Received.” For your “Then,” scroll down, select “Google Drive” and then “Add Row to Spreadsheet.” You can configure the spreadsheet options if you wish. Repeat this process to create another recipe for “any new SMS sent.” Keep in mind that these recipes do not work on MMS messages.