Question SMS messages no longer there?

[groston]

Maybe someone can explain what happened…

My phone uses Textra for SMS and my wife’s phone uses the default messaging app. We have been texting each other for many years. The other day when I texted her, I was surprised that I had to enter her phone number because, ordinarily, I can find her in the users list.

When I got home, I looked into this and much to my surprise, I found no SMS messages with her (other than a few in which there was a third party included). No worries, I figured I would simply restore them from one of my SMS Backup and Restore backup files. I looked through them, the oldest is only from four weeks ago, and I found nothing from her.

Okay, things are trickier, but I figured I could use SMS Backup and Restore on her phone, edit the file, and get the messages back. However, when I looked at her phone, I could find no SMS messages to just me.

Bottom line: The entire history of SMS messages between myself and my wife has disappeared off both of our phones. What in the blazes happened????

 

[B. Diddy]

What if you use your native SMS app instead of Textra?

Also, check the app permissions for Textra to make sure it has permission to access your Contacts.

 

[groston]

I have removed google messages from my phone and Textra does have permission. Regardless, neither of these ideas would explain why the messages are missing from BOTH phones.

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm. She didn't change numbers, right? And she doesn't use anything like Google Voice as a virtual number?

It may be worth contacting the tech support for your carrier about this.

 

[groston]

Her number has been the same for more than a decade and I seriously doubt that she has ever used google voice.

 

[B. Diddy]

Odd. Ok, I think the next step would be asking the carrier, since I'm assuming neither of you would've deleted the message thread, either on purpose or by accident.