How to Get Text Message Records From a Prepaid Carrier
Reviewed by Jacob Reed, founder of Verity ·
Short answer
Records for a prepaid brand sit with the company that runs it, and like every carrier's they show dates, times and numbers, not what was said. Verizon owns TracFone and its brands, including Straight Talk and Total Wireless; T-Mobile bought Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile in 2024; Cricket belongs to AT&T and Metro to T-Mobile. A lawyer subpoenas that company for the log. For the words themselves, the record is on the phones: export the conversation.
Prepaid plans are common in co-parenting cases, on both sides. The brand on the SIM card is often not the company that holds the records.
Who holds the records
- Straight Talk, Total Wireless, TracFone, SafeLink: Verizon, which completed its purchase of TracFone Wireless in November 2021.
- Mint Mobile, Ultra Mobile: T-Mobile, which completed its purchase of their parent company in May 2024.
- Cricket and Metro: AT&T and T-Mobile; see records from Cricket and Metro.
- Any other brand: its terms of service or privacy policy names the company that provides the service. That company is who a subpoena goes to.
What the records show
A carrier keeps a log of each text on the line: the date, the time, the other number and which way it went. In most cases it doesn't keep the words. Prepaid accounts also tend to show the customer less than monthly plans do. What each major carrier keeps, and for how long, is in how long phone carriers keep text messages, and the subpoena process in subpoenaing Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile.
What to do yourself first
- Look in your account page or app for a call and text history, and save what it shows.
- If there is none, ask customer service in writing what they can give the account holder, and keep the answer.
- Export the conversation from your phone. That is where the words are (see how to export your texts).
Putting a log next to the messages
A carrier log proves that messages were sent and when; the exported conversation shows what they said. Verity reads the export in your browser, without uploading it, and numbers every message in date order, so a line in the log can be matched to a numbered message.
Pages cited
Read on November 3, 2026. Carrier ownership and record policies change; check before you rely on them.
- Verizon completes TracFone Wireless, Inc. acquisition (Verizon, November 2021)
- T-Mobile Completes Mint Acquisition (Benton Institute summary of T-Mobile’s release, May 2024)
This is general information, not legal advice. Verity is not affiliated with any carrier. Ask your attorney whether a subpoena is worth it in your case.
The words are on the phone
Drop in your export and read every message numbered in date order. It is read in your browser and is not uploaded.