Restore Duplicated Messages

[LuckiestLiz]

Does anyone have a cool trick for deleting a TON of duplicate messages? I'm using Google Messages.

I'd switched from Samsung to Google on my Note 20 Ultra just ahead of the new phone (to see if I was open to using it) by using SMS Backup and Restore.

When my S22 Ultra came, I used Smart Switch to transfer files, call logs, and messages (not settings or apps).

I am just now seeing that there are duplicate messages for almost everything going really far back. Photos, text, all of it.

There are some chat threads I'm absolutely not willing to delete. I tried using SMS backup and restore again, clearing my Google Messages after backed up and selecting restore with the check for duplicates option but it's clearly restoring the duplicates. It's SO MUCH.

Hoping there's an easy trick to fix this...

 

[LuckiestLiz]

Worse... I just deleted some duplicates, went back, and they're there again. Granted, the restore is still in progress so I will wait to try that again but what the heck. I've never allowed backup of messages but I'll see if that's maybe set up somewhere.

Edir: Not seeing it backed up anywhere, including on the SMS backup/restore (not set to auto, no old copies as I deleted before doing it last night).