Restored text messages too many times - many duplicates

[net1994]

Hi Guys - My Verizon Galaxy S7 got bricked last week. Verizon sent me a new one. Before it was bricked, I backed everything up. For my text messages, I used the app 'SMS Backup & Restore.' Well I couldn't tell if it was working, so I tried 3 times. Then to realize every conversation/thread had every text written back or forth 3 times for the same identical response/reply. Is there a way to undo this? I prefer to use the verizon Message+ app for text messages. They are duplicated there, as well as in the stock 'Messages' app built into the OS.

If this can be undone, do I delete the messages database file(?) and then run the messages restore again? I know it's probably as easy as that, but just wanted to check before I start deleting stuff.

 

[Rukbat]

No, deleting the database file will kill the message app - it needs the database.

About the easiest way is to delete all messages (so you don't have to look to see if this is the next to last one or the last one - just delete them all, starting at the bottom of the list, so the list doesn't keep jumping - then do one last restore.

Or, if you're in the mood for some learning, install an SQLite editor, find the database file, and enter a query on it

DELETE FROM '<name of the table, which you'll see in the app>';

That should delete everything in one shot. (That's single quotes around the table name and a semicolon at the end.) If the app has a "delete all" button (some do, some don't), you can hit that instead.

 

[net1994]

The app backed up the original message db on the phone, to my google one drive account.
What if I uninstall the app, delete the local message db (which I know where it is on the phone), then reinstall the app and try to restore the original db backed up before I bricked the phone?

 

[Rukbat]

With a null db? That should work.