While SMS is still popular in the U.S., RCS has finally become a reality for most Americans. Google Pixel and most other Android phones include built-in SMS backup, which helps migrate messages to your new phone during the setup process. However, these backups expire eventually, and you can’t set them aside permanently, limiting their utility. Two of the best free apps for backing up and restoring SMS messages are SMS Backup+ and SMS Backup & Restore. SMS Backup+ allows you to automatically back up your SMS, while SMS Backup & Restore exports SMS and MMS messages in a single file. Both apps offer more control than the default system but have their limitations. With SMS Backup & Restore, backup files can get big if you have enough MMS or SMS messages, and regular backups could burn through data. However, the app is faster than SMS Backup+, making it a better choice if you need to restore backups on another device.
