Help me get my text messages
March 27, 2011 3:58 PM   Subscribe

How can I document/print/transfer text messages from a Straighttalk LG220C phone?

TL;DR alert, Ugly breakup, horrible things said, texted. Want to save texts and refer back to them to protect myself or if I have inkling to return to abusive relationship. Hooked up to Vista OS, have correct drivers installed, but no program that has worked thus far to see the root directories. PC sees it as a modem on com 8,9, 5 &6, but cannot actually connect. Have downloaded multiple programs, some with trojans some without, and none have been able to get into the phone, ostensibly because Straighttalk doesn't want the phone hacked. I just want the messages, not for nefarious reasons. CNET had programs: MOBILEdit, Cell Phone Manager, BitPim, and oddly enough, Motorola's Razr utils connected with the phone but I still couldn't see inside. Paired with bluetooth to work phone but do not know how to transfer said messages if I can't get to them in the phone. I could forward to someone that has a smartphone but I'm frankly embarrassed, not only because of my own actions but that there are a large quantity of messages. Help, I'm "Google" wasted.
posted by ~Sushma~ to Technology (5 answers total)
 
If the point is to have something to look at to remind you why not take pictures? Borrow a little digital camera or someone else's cameraphone. Save the digital images or have them printed - you can tape them up around your bedroom so you can't help but be reminded (though that sounds like a recipe for downerville to me).
posted by phearlez at 4:32 PM on March 27, 2011 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: OQ: "How can I document/print/transfer text messages from a Straighttalk LG220C phone?"

I'm more concerned with leaving a paper trail in case he offs me. I don't think ST Verizon keeps the texts on file anywhere.
posted by ~Sushma~ at 5:18 PM on March 27, 2011


Get a Google Voice number and forward the texts to that? Still a PITA but not as embarrassing.
posted by mskyle at 6:17 AM on March 28, 2011


Here's a similar question I asked previously. Does any of this help? - aj
posted by Alaska Jack at 2:12 PM on March 28, 2011 [1 favorite]


Best answer: Was that re-quoting of the original question for me? If so, I stand by my answer of taking pictures of the screen display. It's no more or less reliable/believable/tamper-proof than a forwarded message. If you want something more unassailable as you can shoot slide film.

If the point is preservation of evidence I don't think anything will beat actually putting the phone in a safe place so the texts continue to be stored in non-volatile storage. Sears has the LG220 without contract (sold as a Tracfone but it's the same network and you should be able to have it activated by Verizon on your monthly billing account) for $15. Get it swapped out and put the old one in a safety deposit box.

Or pick up the phone and call Verizon and find out for sure if texts are preserved; you can sorta-kinda tell the truth and say legal action is pending and you need to find out where/how to send the subpoena to document the text history.

But anything where you transfer the texts elsewhere is going to be subject to claims that they're not as they originally were received. At that point, from a legal standard, you likely may as well just have the transcribed.
posted by phearlez at 2:15 PM on March 28, 2011


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