Searching Text Messages

[Joshua Jackson]

I just wanted to find an old (maybe a month old) text message that I sent to my wife and realized that no search feature was present.
Is there any such functionality?

 

[eric12341]

Goto your wife's entry in the people hub, navigate to history and look for the older section.

 

[Joshua Jackson]

Goto your wife's entry in the people hub, navigate to history and look for the older section.

Hehehe...
I was looking for something a little less manual.
JJ
Sent from my Verizon HTC 8X using Board Express

 

[explosive0]

Just realized I couldn't search for a message. Jesus Christ. This is absolutely ridiculous.

 

[OzRob]

Just realized I couldn't search for a message. Jesus Christ. This is absolutely ridiculous.

Yes, it is. Microsoft doesn't seem to want to learn the lesson so comprehensively taught to them by Google - search matters!

 

[rdubmu]

It might have to do something with a patent. I remember google taking out universal search out of Android devices. Same thing with IOS.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

 

[OzRob]

It might have to do something with a patent. I remember google taking out universal search out of Android devices. Same thing with IOS.
Sent from my Nokia Lumia 920 using Board Express

Who's patent? And it's not really an issue of universal search, it's about searching within your text messages. Android certainly has that, and I'm pretty sure iOS does as well. Microsoft just 'forgot' to put it in.

EDIT: I think it really points to an issue that Microsoft has had almost since day one. It always seems to be blind to the fact that people regularly push the limits of an OS. I'm sure they probably left search out of the messages app because they didn't consider that people keep loads of texts. It probably figured people would just delete old texts and therefore they could just 'browse' through them. It's the same reason the music library stuff on things like Media Center is so god awful and laggy if you have a large music collection. MS don't consider people who want to stress the system a little. I think it goes back to the mindset of the company when Bill Gates said "Who is ever going to need more than 640KB of RAM?". Well the answer turned out to be "everyone", but MS didn't cotton on to that until the writing was well and truly on the wall.

 

[Dave Blake]

Nope you cant search text messages but why would you need to. I have never needed to search text messages short of finding a comment in a conversations maybe an address or something given. That is simple enough just go to the conversations you are having with the person and scan the thread. You can also go the person in contacts and look through their history.

Windows Phone is different from other OS's that doesn't mean you can't do it its just not done the same way its done on the other OS. If you changed from one of the other OS's I think you did that to experience some thing different didn't you? Instead of getting upset because WP doesn't search text messages the exact same way the OS you just got tired of and witched form how's about figuring out how this is accomplished on WP?

 

[OzRob]

Nope you cant search text messages but why would you need to. I have never needed to search text messages short of finding a comment in a conversations maybe an address or something given.

That's an incredibly short-sighted and rather condescending comment. Just because YOU don't find it necessary doesn't mean that someone else won't have a very valid reason for wanting to do just that. The OP, in fact, very much wanted to search his text messages, hence the reason for starting this thread.

There are many valid scenarios in which search within messages would be a 'needed' facility. Some people send/receive lots of texts from lots of different people. If there's important information buried in that lot, browsing conversations would be downright tedious. Similarly if you use your phone for work and get clients texting you with sales queries. You might need to quickly find some info from a client to process an order.

W8 is meant to be a SMARTphone operating system. Why force us to do something really DUMB like browsing through months of SMS history to find something. If the WP8 developers can't figure out how to put a search function in the messaging app, then this platform is doomed.

EDIT: And as to this assertion that WP is different and that you just do it "differently" in WP, well no, you can't search messages period. There is no 'different' way of searching, there is just NO way.

 

[stmav]

So manually searching is not a way? Yes, there is no automated search, or a quick way to search. And those are features that Windows Phone could use. But saying there is no way is incorrect. And most salesmen use email for quotes, so that there will be a trail on their computer as well as their phone. And you can search email on Windows Phone. Not the best example to use.

 

[OzRob]

So manually searching is not a way? Yes, there is no automated search, or a quick way to search. And those are features that Windows Phone could use. But saying there is no way is incorrect.

Searching and browsing are two different things. There is no way to 'search' for a particular phrase or words in your text messages, but you can browse. So saying there is no way to 'search' within text messages is correct. Browsing is not a different way to search, it's browsing. Trying to equate the two is like a claiming a car with manual window windows has power windows, it's just that you manually supply the power to wind the windows.

 

[Abdul Rahman Noor]

I just stumbled across this thread after realising i couldn't search a text a friend sent me a while back.

What i find more disappointing is the sort of fanboyism among some of the members here who defend missing features each time something like this is pointed out, instead of just admitting its a shortcoming. WP is a good OS with an awesome UI, but some aspects of it are plain unfinished.

 

[MrTJ]

I can only agree with Abdul and OzRob The missing "search in text messages" is a missing feature. Thats is that. No need to find try to silly excuses for this.

I recieve a lot of messages from people who are noget going to be stored as contacts in my Phone. Once in a while I need to dig back to find a phone number or something else within a message. With out a search funciont it takes time and is difficult. This is simple and plain ridiculous, it can not be done on Windows Phone 8.

It it actually one of the few thing i really miss on my WP8.

 

[knuthakon]

You guys should all go vote for the feature here!

Search Phone Content!
Or
Full text search - SMS

 

[raacut]

Nope you cant search text messages but why would you need to. I have never needed to search text messages short of finding a comment in a conversations maybe an address or something given. That is simple enough just go to the conversations you are having with the person and scan the thread. You can also go the person in contacts and look through their history.

Windows Phone is different from other OS's that doesn't mean you can't do it its just not done the same way its done on the other OS. If you changed from one of the other OS's I think you did that to experience some thing different didn't you? Instead of getting upset because WP doesn't search text messages the exact same way the OS you just got tired of and witched form how's about figuring out how this is accomplished on WP?

WOW ! just wow...... Is it really that hard for you to admit when there is a very important feature missing in WP8 ? With all due respect your arrogance is quite astonishing to me.

 

[vichuhit]

WOW ! just wow...... Is it really that hard for you to admit when there is a very important feature missing in WP8 ? With all due respect your arrogance is quite astonishing to me.

Haha... You shouldn't be telling this. Hm, there is no feature for searching a message in WP.
well if you remember the content of the particular message, why do you even need to do search that. (if you don't remember it, how are you gonna search it mate!!!)
now, if you really desperate to retrieve it. Log on to the live id you used in your mobile via pc and search it under messaging history folder. (i believe you enabled text back up). I hope it helps. And don't s**t WP for not having this option. It is redundant.

 

[kbilly70]

That's an incredibly short-sighted and rather condescending comment. Just because YOU don't find it necessary doesn't mean that someone else won't have a very valid reason for wanting to do just that. The OP, in fact, very much wanted to search his text messages, hence the reason for starting this thread.

There are many valid scenarios in which search within messages would be a 'needed' facility. Some people send/receive lots of texts from lots of different people. If there's important information buried in that lot, browsing conversations would be downright tedious. Similarly if you use your phone for work and get clients texting you with sales queries. You might need to quickly find some info from a client to process an order.

W8 is meant to be a SMARTphone operating system. Why force us to do something really DUMB like browsing through months of SMS history to find something. If the WP8 developers can't figure out how to put a search function in the messaging app, then this platform is doomed.

EDIT: And as to this assertion that WP is different and that you just do it "differently" in WP, well no, you can't search messages period. There is no 'different' way of searching, there is just NO way.

So much this. Very well said OzRob

People on here are so self-absorbed. It's half the reason why I can barely stomach frequenting these forums.

I may never need or want to search for a particular text message but that doesn't mean I can't see why some people would. I may never use the notification center, or need separate volume controls. But just because I may not use it, want it, need it, I still see why other people might want or need these features.

People need to get over themselves and understand that if it's a feature on another platform then it's in the best interests of this platform to have that feature.

 

[kbilly70]

Haha... You shouldn't be telling this. Hm, there is no feature for searching a message in WP.
well if you remember the content of the particular message, why do you even need to do search that. (if you don't remember it, how are you gonna search it mate!!!)
now, if you really desperate to retrieve it. Log on to the live id you used in your mobile via pc and search it under messaging history folder. (i believe you enabled text back up). I hope it helps. And don't s**t WP for not having this option. It is redundant.

Right, because someone might remember only a snippet of a conversation and searching would be easier instead of logging into their Live account. Seriously, get over yourself.

 

[Nimdock]

I agree text search is needed.

Haha... You shouldn't be telling this. Hm, there is no feature for searching a message in WP.
well if you remember the content of the particular message, why do you even need to do search that. (if you don't remember it, how are you gonna search it mate!!!)
now, if you really desperate to retrieve it. Log on to the live id you used in your mobile via pc and search it under messaging history folder. (i believe you enabled text back up). I hope it helps. And don't s**t WP for not having this option. It is redundant.

Are you serious? I guess you never use a search engine because if you know what you are typing in the box why are you searching? Who ever heard of keywords to find things.

Sometimes people can be so short sighted.

 

[Dave Blake]

WOW ! just wow...... Is it really that hard for you to admit when there is a very important feature missing in WP8 ? With all due respect your arrogance is quite astonishing to me.

I don't believe i insulted you once in my reply. Is it impossible for you to understand that this might be something I have no use for. Maybe just maybe I like to have people's email, phone calls, text messages, Facebook and Twitter replies available in one location. It just might be easier for me to only have to look in one place for all of this information about a person.

I also find it interesting that you have taken such a personal approach to my opinion. Its almost like you were offended by my comments.