How to Restore Android Messages From Google Drive

Quick Tips

• Since text messages are stored in the cloud, they can be easily recovered if you misplace your smartphone or after a factory reset.
• You can back up messages using Google Drive. Go to Settings > Google > Backup > Enable Backup > Account > SMS and Text Messages.
• You can use device settings like factory reset or third-party restore apps.

Restore Android Messages From Google Drive By Resetting Your Phone

Backing Up Messages to Google Drive

On your Android smartphone, you can back up almost all kinds of data. By default, when you back up your device, it backs up and saves text messages to your connected Google Drive account. This means, for now, there’s no way to back up only SMS messages.

That said, check out how to automatically back up text messages to Google Drive on an Android smartphone.

Step 1: Open Settings > go to Google.

Step 2: Tap on All Services > choose Backup.

Step 3: Choose SMS and MMS Messages option to backup > tap on Confirm.

Step 4: Tap on Back up now to begin the process.

You can now check the backup of your text messages on the same page without going to the Google Drive app. Tapping on it only shows details of the backup. But how do you restore that backup, and most importantly, how do you restore your SMS text messages?

Using Factory Data Reset

Currently, the Android OS is built so that you can’t restore backups made to Google Drive directly. Several Android users have complained and searched for a fix, but it just cannot be done. It’s saddening, but that’s how the Android OS is wired, at least for now.

The only workaround is to factory reset your device. Only then can you restore your text messages (alongside other backup data). After a factory reset, all data backup will be restored.

Restore Google Drive SMS Backup Using Third-party App

There are a handful of applications on the Google Play Store that can help you backup and restore SMS text messages from your Google Drive account. We recommend SMS Backup & Restore designed by SyncTech Pty Ltd.

Launch the app after installation, grant it the necessary permission it requests, and follow the steps below to backup and restore messages on your Android device.

Backup SMS Messages

Step 1: On the app’s homepage, tap on Set Up A Backup.

Step 2: Toggle off Phone calls to back up your SMS messages > tap Next to continue.

Step 3: Toggle on Google Drive > tap Next to continue.

Step 4: Now, tap the Log In button to connect the app to your Google Drive.

On the next page, you will need to select the type of access you want the app to have to your Google Drive. We recommend giving the app limited access.

Step 5: Select the second option — Only access to files and folders opened or created with SMS Backup & Restore.

Step 6: Select the Google Drive account > tap Ok to continue > tap Allow to grant the app access to your Drive account.

Step 7: With your Google Drive account configured, tap Save to proceed with the SMS backup process.

Step 8: Tap Next to proceed.

After that, the backup process will commence, and you will get notified of its completion.

By tapping the Set Up A Schedule button on the homepage, you can create an automatic or recurring schedule for backing up your messages. The app lets you schedule SMS backup daily, weekly, or hourly.

Restoring SMS Messages

Step 1: On the app’s homepage, tap the hamburger menu icon > choose Restore.

Step 2: Toggle on Messages to select the most recent SMS data or tap Select Another Backup to restore a different backup data. Tap the Restore button at the bottom to continue.

Step 3: The app will display a prompt requesting to be your default SMS app temporarily. Tap Ok to continue. Tap Yes to make the SMS Backup & Restore app your default messaging app.

Step 4: The SMS restoration process will commence. When it is done, tap the Close button to proceed.

Step 5: The app will prompt you to change your default message app to the official Android Messages app via a pop-up. Tap Ok.

Step 6: Go back to your home screen or your app tray and launch the Messages app.

Step 7: Tap Set As Default to set the Messages app as default > tap on Yes to continue.

Step 8: Do that, and deleted SMS text messages will begin to appear as new messages in your phone’s notification panel.

Note that you’d typically have to wait about 15 minutes to an hour for restored messages to reappear in the Messages app. The volume of messages in the backup entirely determines this.