Message+ and “Move to iOS” App Issue, Disable Message+?

[Sarl]

I have a Samsung Galaxy S8 and recently purchased an iPhone 13 Pro. I’ve used the Verizon message+ app for years thinking it was the native messaging app on my device. I want to move my data to my iPhone, but it seems like the message+ app is causing issues with the “Move to iOS” app. The message+ app sends a text to the new device to confirm I want to allow it access, but it seems like it locks up the process of the Move to iOS app.

I pay for backup, but only 90days of messages are saved (which is dumb and a ripoff), and I don’t want to lose years of data. Can I disable the message+ app and keep all the messages stored on my phone’s native message app? I hope that if my messages are just in the native message app, I’ll be able to move them to my new iPhone with the Move to iOS app (or some other data transfer app). Would it be less of an issue if I was moving between different android devices, because I can return the iPhone and get something different if I have to (can you tell I’m desperate to save my data?)

When I look at Apps in the Settings menu, my message+ app is using 579mb while the native message app is using 102mb. Does that mean all my texts aren’t saved in the native message app? I can scroll back years in my text conversations in the native app, so it seems like they’re there. 

[vzw_customer_support]

We know it's important to keep your messages, Sarl. When you go to your native messaging app, and scroll to the bottom message, is it the same as what is in Message+? *Rebecca

[Sarl]

the newest message in the native messaging app is the same as the the newest message in message+

[Sarl]

I may have misunderstood. I can scroll back pretty far to some old texts in my native message app, but it pauses every once in a while to load more.

[Ann154]

There are a number of SMS Backup applications available in the Google Play Store that will backup all of your text messages to a file. The one I use backs up to a XML file format. This backup will allow you easily transfer all of your messages between Android phones. For example, my text messages will go back 2009 if I scroll down far enough. That is means I have transferred between several android phones before they were restored on my current phone. 

I have never tried to transfer the messages between Android phones and iPhones. It may not be possible, but check the application's description to see if that is an option. 

[vzw_customer_support]

Thanks for the reply, Sarl. When you are not using the Move to iOS app on the device and you download the Message+ app on the new iPhone from the App Store, are you able to start the process without the device locking up? -Kevin

[Sarl]

Hi Kevin, I downloaded the Verizon Message+ app on the iPhone, but it only has the last 2 weeks of messages. 

If I disable the Message+ app on my Samsung/Android device and use the native messaging app, will that delete my data/texts?

[vzw_customer_support]

Thank you for reaching out to us today, it's important to get your messages backed. Please check and ensure there is enough storage on the device to restore form further back. *Gen

[Sarl]

I checked my iPhone and I'm using 12.2 GB of  256 GB. My old Samsung only has 64 GB of space total, so it's not that I don't have enough space on the iPhone.

[vzw_customer_support]

Got it! Have you used iCloud to back up your messages on the iPhone?

*Breanna