How to check if I have sent a sms to someone before?

Most SMS apps will retain the history for a very long time if you don't delete the conversation.

My suggestion is, don't delete any conversation with a "real contact" if what you say is important to you.

For me, it isn't.... I delete conversations with folks whom I have not talked to recently. One page full of names is usually more than enough for me.

If the contact you are "going to" send an SMS is not in your "history list", there is no way to determine what you may have said before..... and why would it matter? Anything over 24 hours old is just about useless.

 

Can't you just use the search box in the messaging app?

 

if you are using the Samsung default sms app,

you need to install Textra or other very good SMS app.....

I ditched the Samsung default sms app as soon as I turned on the phone the 1st time.

Textra has options that the inbred app don't have.

 

Simply because there will be a SMS/Text thread for that ph# unless you delete "the conversation" yourself.

This will only work though, for any SMS that has occurred since Textra or other SMS app has been installed.

For myself? once the messages cease to be of value, I delete them anyway. I only keep current message threads alive on the phone.
Especially if they happen to have a lot of photos buried among the messages. I just delete that thread and move on with life.

 

Why not just open your messaging app and click on the message and read what you have already sent?
If you aren't deleting your messages then all you have to do is open the app and look at the messages for each contact.

 

Simple really. Go to contacts. Look for the person. Open contact. Tap the message button. Voila you are in your thread with the person can see the past messages.

Another way is to open the message app, tap thr menu button, select search. Type the person's name/number. Click on the search result. And you are in that person's thread.

NVM. Re-read the thread. My answers weren't what you need. Although AFAIK what you're looking for isn't available to my knowledge, mainly because the makers didn't think like you do. In my case for example, using your scenario. If I see an ad for a bike on sale, and wondering if I sent a message to that person before, I'd be hitting the search box and not new mesaage.

 

@spman

what you are asking for just simply is not available in Android.
you must live on CL, I SMS a lot, and have never had your problem....
the only things I care about are current SMS threads, I delete the old threads to get them off the screen.

the only way Android is going to have a 'history' is for you to have a current thread...
I have never, ever, seen a history pop up when entering just the phone number as you are showing.

IMO, you are going to have to keep a log on the side somewhere of whom you send an SMS to, and that would be time consuming... just not worth the effort, if you send someone the same ?? twice, what harm is there?

 

I have an LG G Stylo (Metropcs)
5.1.1
SMS App: Hangouts

If I go to Contacts, Select the name, Select the "messaging" icon, Hangouts will open and go to the thread of the person I selected. The entire history is there.

Now, I don't use the default LG text app, but I just tested it and it shows the text history of the person I chose.

EDIT: Nevermind, I didn't read Chan's reply above. However, this is what I do to see previous history.

 

I just tested on my phone. I tap the create a new sms icon, Once I type the number, it pops up as a choice and then I choose the number. The history shows immediately.