Will this setting delete all of my current messages? need SMS and MMS backup data gone for storage

[u/m00npunk]

i just switched from an apple to a samsung zflip, this is my first time on a phone that is not apple.

since ive switched, my google account storage has been at max. my storage says it comes primarily from my phone, and particularly from my SMS and MMS messages.

i did find the option 'Delete and turn off SMS & MMS messages backup?' under the back up data setting, but im worried this is going to delete all of my conversations as it says 'This will delte SMS & MMS messages from your Google Account, and stop backing up SMS & MMS messages from this device.'

its the first part of that which im worried about, will this delete all of my messages i already have, or not? is this safe to do to get my storage back but still keep my current messages?

[u/osa1011]

You can check what's taking up storage at:

https://one.google.com/storage

Regarding backing up text messages, you can use a third party app like SMS Backup and Restore and then decide where you want to store that backup

[u/m00npunk → u/osa1011]

yeah i have, unfortunately i couldnt insert an image to this post, but my google storage says that 11.50 GB of device backup is whats taking up that storage, and when i looked further into it, it specified that 11GB of it was from SMS and MMS message backup

[u/killian_0verride]

If the wording is correct that should just delete it from your account and not your device, but if anyone who’s encountered this before and has done it can let us know that would be nice

[u/_coffee_]

Create a new gmail account.

Download/install smsbackup and restore, set it to save to your new account.

Backup all your messages there, then turn off the automatic saving done by google. If google then deletes all your messages, you've got them safely stored away on a different account and can restore them.