Yesterday, me and about 10 of my friends (Who all use iPhones) got a SMS from an unknown number - with the contents of some 75% off a new Harry Potter DVD or something. The display number has used some characters that don't like the iPhone too much and so when opening the message, SMS app crashes and takes you back to the main menu. You are going to have a lot of unread messages because you cannot open the SMS app at all until this message is erased. Obviously, we were all worried.
To solve this problem is quite simple and here are 2 solutions to get your SMS app back to normal. This guide is for Windows users, but I'm sure Mac users will have a similar solution. I am assuming that since you are using an unlocked iPhone, it is already jail broken, and besides that procedure can be found on the usual places using google. 99.9% your iPhone is ready to use this guide. If not, find out!
Solution 1 (Easy version)
This is an easy version, BUT, using this version will also erase all your other SMS messages that may be stored in your Inbox / Outbox. If you dont mind losing these messages, or need a cleaning of your messages use this version.
1. UseiBrickr 0.91 (Google the software, download and install)
2. Dock your iPhone with the computer
3. Open iBrickr
4. Click on 'Files'
5. In the phone on the right click on 'var', then 'root', then 'Library', then 'SMS'
6. Click on 'sms.db'
7. Click on 'Delete'
8. Confirm the delete command.
9. Disconnect the iPhone and restart the iPhone. Your SMS app will be back to normal, with no messages in the Inbox or Outbox!
Solution 2 (Normal version)
This is an normal version, using this version will keep all your other SMS messages that may be stored in your Inbox / Outbox. This is great cause it keeps your old messages as they were, only deleting the corrupted message. (This version has been copied from Modmyiphone.com, credit to user VegasTheory; and has been tested to work)
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This Windows guide is designed to help people achieve the following:
1) backup their SMS's
2) delete a single SMS
3) possibly fix SMS application keep crashing
It may fix the crashing by investigating the sms.db file then editing it slightly to fix. Worth a try before deleting your whole SMS.db file!
Software you'll need:
- iBrickr (i'm using v0.8)
- SQLite Administrator (free GUI software -
SQLite Administrator - International Milestone Beta)
STEP 1 - BACKUP SMS's ON COMPUTER
1) dock your iPhone with the computer
2) open iBrickr
3) click on 'Files'
4) in the phone on the right click on 'var', then 'root', then 'Library', then 'SMS'
5) click on 'sms.db'
6) click on 'Download'
A copy of this SMS database file will now be in your iBricker directory.
Note: Incase you need to revert back to this file later make a second copy somewhere else and rename it (ie. sms_backup_todaysdate.db).
STEP 2 - DELETE / EDIT SINGLE SMS
1) download and unzip SQLite Administrator
2) you do not need to install, just enter the directory and run 'sqliteadmin.exe'
3) click 'Database' then 'Open' (or Cltr+O)
4) navigate to your 'sms.db' file and click 'Open'
5) on the right panel click on 'Edit Data'
6) click on 'Table' and select 'message'
- A complete list of your messages will now be displayed
7) scroll down the list and find the message you want to Edit or Delete
To EDIT a message
Double click on the actual message under the 'text' heading.
A text box will then appear with the message. Just edit and click the tick or click the cross to cancel.
To DELETE a message
Click the desired ROWID number for the message you wish to delete then click the delete button (looks like a minus sign just below the 'Edit Data' tab).
Caution - Ensure you have the correct message highlighted as there is no 'Are you sure you wish to delete' popups. Although, it shouldn't really matter as you should have made a second sms.db back up file it you followed Step 1.
8) once finished making changes click 'Database' then 'Close' (or Clrl+W)
STEP 3 - UPLOAD THE UPDATED SMS.DB FILE
1) dock your iPhone with the computer
2) open iBrickr
3) click on 'Files'
4) in the phone on the right click on 'var', then 'root', then 'Library', then 'SMS'
5) click on 'sms.db'
6) click on 'Delete' then on 'OK' - to delete the current 'sms.db' file.
7) click on 'Upload file(s)'
8) navigate to your new 'sms.db' file
- the file must be named 'sms.db' and all lowercase
FINISHED - Open SMS and you should see the changes!
Always remember to backup so that you can just put the same file back if things go wrong.
FINAL NOTE ON ADDING SMS's: You could also add SMS's to the sms.db file using this program but be careful if you try to do this. There is a sqlite_sequence system table which contains the ROWID number for the next message. If you create a SMS with a ROWID number higher than any other ROWID number you will probably want to update this table as well otherwise you could run into problems later. I have successfully added a text message with a lower ROWID number without problems though.
Hope this helps - it's probably the simplest process at the moment.
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Well let me know your success stories here. I'm back to 100% now, and may complain about that SMS to Etisalat if it goes down again. Cheers.