Wow look... View Text Message Backup in Outlook!?

[mth17]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum and its my first post :smile:
Stumbled upon this post on Google because I was trying to find a way to look up old text messages with my significant other for memories sake but I could not do so on my Nokia Lumia 920. It would just show the call log when i went into the history log and stopped showing recent texts messages that were before this month... I think it might be due to the recent update that it does this...but i do not like it one bit. The method luk3ja works for me. Here is my proof:

http://i42.tinypic.com/9thl45.png

As you can see, all of my texts show as well as what said in each text message. Here is what I did and maybe these steps will will work for you so that you can see your texts messages too :grin:

1. Go to Outlook

2. On the left hand side, under Folders, there should be a folder labeled "Messaging history"

3. Click the label "Messaging history" and look at your address bar... It should look something like this ->
https://bay168.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa/#n=1541631139&fid=b
This is my unique address bar for my Outlook account. What is important is the =b at the end.

4. Click on the address but do not select/highlight it; press the "End" key on your keyboard.

5. Press either backspace or delete so that it is now "https://bay168.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa%2f#n=1541631139&fid=" (notice there is no more "b" in the end of the url)

6. Press enter. All your text messages should pop up.

Note: This did not work the first time for me actually. I got it to work after I clicked on the Photos label on the left hand side and logged out and logged back in so you might need to fiddle around with your account first by clicking random folders and logging in/out in order for this to start working. Cheers

 

[xcen]

Partially worked for me. Messenger and Facebook Chat is till there, but I can also see my SMS messages.

 

[Julie Adams]

This worked for a moment, then all the texts disappeared. I could see all my texts - just like I used to with Nokia Suite. But alas, when i clicked on the arrow for the last page, they all disappeared. Since then when I try it, I can only see emails. I know they are there somewhere, but I don't know how to get them back again!

 

[Indistinguishable]

I can't seem to find the "Messaging History" tab on Outlook. Is there something I need to do to enable it?

 

[kurtd]

I have "Messaging History" in Outlook.com but it's empty. I did check my phone and I do have the option enabled to backup text messages. Any idea how to get this working?

 

[Sekyal]

It isn't a "tab" it is in the column on the left. For me it is the 6th folder down right under "Deleted". I got it to work with mth17's instructions. It is co-mingled with email but neat never-the-less.

 

[Indistinguishable]

It isn't a "tab" it is in the column on the left. For me it is the 6th folder down right under "Deleted". I got it to work with mth17's instructions. It is co-mingled with email but neat never-the-less.

The folder isn't there for me.

 

[kurtd]

It isn't a "tab" it is in the column on the left. For me it is the 6th folder down right under "Deleted". I got it to work with mth17's instructions. It is co-mingled with email but neat never-the-less.

Very strange, those instructions made a few texts appear for me but not very many. Is it only supposed to show the messages currently on my device? I thought history meant past messages?

 

[Pete]

Yes, Outlook.com holds all of your messages. I think the url manipulation is prompting some kind of bug. When this thread first turned up, I could see my text messages fine. Today, I can', and it's been hit/miss for quite a few other people too.

At least we know where they're being stored.

 

[hoovermac]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum and its my first post :smile:
Stumbled upon this post on Google because I was trying to find a way to look up old text messages with my significant other for memories sake but I could not do so on my Nokia Lumia 920. It would just show the call log when i went into the history log and stopped showing recent texts messages that were before this month... I think it might be due to the recent update that it does this...but i do not like it one bit. The method luk3ja works for me. Here is my proof:

http://i42.tinypic.com/9thl45.png

As you can see, all of my texts show as well as what said in each text message. Here is what I did and maybe these steps will will work for you so that you can see your texts messages too :grin:

1. Go to Outlook

2. On the left hand side, under Folders, there should be a folder labeled "Messaging history"

3. Click the label "Messaging history" and look at your address bar... It should look something like this ->
https://bay168.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa/#n=1541631139&fid=b
This is my unique address bar for my Outlook account. What is important is the =b at the end.

4. Click on the address but do not select/highlight it; press the "End" key on your keyboard.

5. Press either backspace or delete so that it is now "https://bay168.mail.live.com/default.aspx?id=64855&owa=1&owasuffix=owa%2f#n=1541631139&fid=" (notice there is no more "b" in the end of the url)

6. Press enter. All your text messages should pop up.

Note: This did not work the first time for me actually. I got it to work after I clicked on the Photos label on the left hand side and logged out and logged back in so you might need to fiddle around with your account first by clicking random folders and logging in/out in order for this to start working. Cheers

K - so I tried all the suggestions above and this is the only one that seems to work reliably for my phone. Only had the 920 for a week, messaging history from last week is all there. Hope it continues to work! Very handy indeed!

 

[cw1988]

Found a way to view EVERY text message you have ever sent and recieved! It even shows them as unread if I havent opened the text message on my phone WOW!

In Outlook if you click 'messaging history' on the left hand side then look at the URL of that page...

should be similar to this...
Code:
https://blu154.mail.live.com/?n=12345678&fid=&as=1#n=12345678&fid=b

If your remove the end bit after the &as=1 then press enter it suddenly shows all texts instead of your facebook and skype chats etc!
Code:
https://blu154.mail.live.com/?n=12345678&fid=&as=1
(dont copy this URL because yours will be different)

Guys, this is what i did. Login to outlook first, if your on a tablet make sure your on pc site.

Click the first link above and boom!! Text messages appear

 

[hoovermac]

So now a curious question - if we happen to flash the phone or reset it, will we be able to retrieve all those backed up messages into the message store on the phone? I am curious as I have an unlocked phone and I am thinking about flashing it with another rom. If I do, any suggestions as to an appropriate rom? Is there a rom that seems to work best for unlocked phones? I searched the forms and the internet, and I haven't had a lot of success finding info?

 

[cw1988]

That would make sense ir else the text backup option is pointless tbh. Will need to have a look around outlook and see if there is a way to transfer back to the phone

 

[AR2186]

So now a curious question - if we happen to flash the phone or reset it, will we be able to retrieve all those backed up messages into the message store on the phone? I am curious as I have an unlocked phone and I am thinking about flashing it with another rom. If I do, any suggestions as to an appropriate rom? Is there a rom that seems to work best for unlocked phones? I searched the forms and the internet, and I haven't had a lot of success finding info?

Yes it pulls all the messages down. No custom roms (yet) for Windows Phone as no one has figured out how to get around secure boot.

 

[Pete]

That would make sense ir else the text backup option is pointless tbh. Will need to have a look around outlook and see if there is a way to transfer back to the phone

It happens automatically after a hard reset. I had to hard reset my phone a few weeks ago, and all my old text messages came back to my phone automatically. Was pretty fun watching them pop back up - my life passed by before my eyes...

And yes, I doubt that there will be any custom roms for WP8, I don't think anyone managed it for WP7 either. It's pretty much the most secure phone OS out there.

 

[link68759]

There are plenty of WP7 ROMs

 

[Stefan De Moor]

It doesn't work for me, have tried various suggested solutions.
When removing the B at the end of the url it gives me all messages (mails)
When ending url with &fid=&as=1 it gives me the advance search

Does it still work for you?
Any tips that you could give me?
Any news from MS with an update that would make up a folder with the sms in outlook.com?

Thanks by advance.

 

[John20212]

This is a very interesting feature, it looks like Microsoft is testing the system based on the mixed success rate of above posters and the fact that they are not yet advertising it as a feature.

btw do you need to have text message backup enabled on your phone for this to work? and/or your phone number set up with your MS account?

 

[kiddj55]

Found a way to view EVERY text message you have ever sent and recieved! It even shows them as unread if I havent opened the text message on my phone WOW!

In Outlook if you click 'messaging history' on the left hand side then look at the URL of that page...

should be similar to this...
Code:
https://blu154.mail.live.com/?n=12345678&fid=&as=1#n=12345678&fid=b

If your remove the end bit after the &as=1 then press enter it suddenly shows all texts instead of your facebook and skype chats etc!
Code:
https://blu154.mail.live.com/?n=12345678&fid=&as=1
(dont copy this URL because yours will be different)

So I'm not sure if everyone knows but Outlook sent out an email saying how they're getting rid of messaging history in outlook! So I was wondering how would we access this now!?

 

[neo158]

Strangely enough I got an email about this today