How to Get Text Message Records From Verizon

With many cellphone carriers, you can only view phone number information on incoming and outgoing text messages. Verizon members are in luck, though. You can not only view your texting history, but you can also see the content of some recent messages themselves by simply logging into your Verizon account. You can also see the general Verizon text messages history for others on your account, but you'll need to be logged in under the specific phone number to see the actual messages.

As a service to its customers, Verizon now provides access to recent text messages through its website. You'll need to set up an account, then log in. You can only read messages from the past five days, and you'll be limited to only messages communicated with fellow Verizon customers.

To view your recent text messages, sign in under your phone number and select "Account" and "Text Online." You can then scroll through conversations attached to that specific phone number, then choose the desired conversation if you want to view messages for it. The Verizon text log is only available for the phone number signed in.

If you're merely interested in taking a look at your Verizon text log, you can do that as well. Verizon stores up to 12 months of records on each cellphone, so this will take you much further back than the five days of text logs. It will also display communications with non-Verizon phones, unlike the text message conversation log.

To view your Verizon text messages history log, select "Bill Summary" once logged into your account. Then select "Charges by Line," and you'll see call data for each number that's part of your account. You'll only be able to go back 12 months, so if you want to keep the information for later view, you'll need to save them as a PDF or Excel document.

Verizon also lets you review your Verizon text message history through its My Verizon app, downloadable in the Apple iTunes and Google Play stores. Viewing your text messages is only one benefit of having the My Verizon app. You'll also be able to monitor your data usage, make changes to your plan, review your bill and more.

To view your Verizon text message records on the app, select "Menu" from the upper-left corner and tap "Bill." You'll see the option to "View Bill Details," which takes you to "View Paper Bill" so that you can see all the data on incoming and outgoing calls for the time period in question. Although it's handy to be able to access this information from your phone, you'll find it isn't quite as easy to work with as the online version of your account portal, though, so you may want to stick to that for viewing usage details.

If your interest in Verizon text message records extends beyond those who share an account with you, you'll run into some roadblocks. You'll need to be signed into the phone number of the account in question if you want to view the actual content of text messages. That means even if someone is in your household, with you paying for that person's cellphone plan, you won't be able to see the content unless you have that person's password.

If someone isn't on your plan at all, though, you won't have access to that person's Verizon text log. This is a security measure, and you probably are grateful that other people can't easily access your records. If there's a legal or criminal issue requiring access to text messages, law enforcement or the court system may be able to get the necessary information.