Free online VMSG to TEXT converter

Older phones and backup programs may save SMS or other message records as .vmsg, while text editors, scripts, and archive systems commonly accept .txt. Converting the file creates a plainly readable copy that does not depend on the original handset software.

What the VMSG format is

VMSG is a mobile-message export format used by some phones, handset utilities, and backup applications. It commonly stores SMS records and may include sender and recipient fields, timestamps, message status, encoding information, and the message body. Some programs also use the extension for voicemail-related records or references to media.

The format is not a single, completely uniform specification. Files from older Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and other mobile backup systems can use different field names, delimiters, and character encodings. Many VMSG files are text-based and can be inspected in a text editor, but readable source data does not guarantee that every editor or importing program will recognize the .vmsg extension.

What the TEXT format is

A TEXT file normally uses the .txt extension and contains unformatted character data. Notepad, TextEdit, mobile file managers, command-line tools, indexing software, and archive systems can usually open it without the original phone application.

Plain text is easy to search, copy, process with scripts, and preserve as UTF-8. It does not retain the device-specific structure of a message export unless that information is written out as readable labels and values.

How to convert VMSG to TEXT

For a direct conversion without installing software, use the VMSG-to-TEXT converter on 101convert.com. The service is available free of charge:

1. Open the VMSG-to-TEXT conversion page on 101convert.com.
2. Select the .vmsg file from the phone backup or local storage.
3. Start the conversion and download the resulting .txt file.
4. Open the result in a text editor and check message text, sender or recipient fields, dates, and non-ASCII characters.

If the file is already readable text and only the filename or encoding needs changing, use a desktop editor:

1. Make a backup copy of the original VMSG file.
2. Open the copy in Notepad, Notepad++, TextEdit, or another editor that supports the source encoding.
3. Use File → Save As, select UTF-8 when the source displays correctly, and save the copy with a .txt extension.

Renaming .vmsg to .txt changes only the filename. It can be enough when the destination program already accepts the VMSG contents as plain text, but it does not extract fields, decode message data, or remove mobile-specific formatting. Use an actual converter when the destination requires normalized text rather than merely a different extension.

Quality and compatibility limitations

Conversion may preserve the message body while omitting proprietary status fields, threading information, MMS media, voicemail audio, or attachments stored separately from the VMSG file. A plain text file cannot contain binary attachments or preserve the original phone application's layout.

Character encoding can affect accented letters and non-Latin scripts. If text appears corrupted, reopen the source with the encoding indicated by its headers or by the exporting application, then save it as UTF-8. Keep the original VMSG file because a TEXT conversion may discard fields that cannot be represented in plain text.