iMessage alerts only go to active device in iOS 10?

[Morac]

I've seen some odd behavior with iMessage in iOS 10 where sometimes messages wouldn't go to all my devices and sometimes it would. If I have iMessage open on multiple devices I see messages coming in, but frequently I wouldn't get notified at all.

I think I figured out what's going on. It looks like iMessage will only send push alerts to a device that's being used. For example, if my iPad screen is locked, but my iPhone is not, the iMessage alert will only display on my iPhone. The reverse is also true. If the screen on both devices are locked, it will go to both. If both devices are in use, it seems to randomly pick one.

Is anyone else seeing this behavior? Is it normal (like Hey Siri only picking one device) or a bug?

 

[theshoehorn]

If you're in the iMessage conversation, you won't get a notification because its been read immediately.
I've noticed that when I receive a message, the push will go to the last device I used FIRST, and if I don't read it after a couple seconds (maybe 5-10) then it will appear on the other device(s).

 

[Morac]

Based on what I've seen it will only go to the device I'm using. I'm pretty sure I've waited more than 10 seconds.

 

[micbarry]

Yes, I'm getting exactly this! Why haven't more people noticed?

 

[Lappen71]

What is it to notice? Its the correct behavior. You only get notification on the device you are active on. Yes sometime the notification is a little bit slow and don't appear instant on all devices when you don reply.
Apple has changed the behavior because of complaint that before all devices got notification at the same time.

 

[micbarry]

What is it to notice? Its the correct behavior. You only get notification on the device you are active on. Yes sometime the notification is a little bit slow and don't appear instant on all devices when you don reply.
Apple has changed the behavior because of complaint that before all devices got notification at the same time.

Sure, good comment. I guess the change in behaviour - even if by design - would have been noticed. Until recently, when you got a text message, all your devices would alert you, but now your phone just sits there and does nothing if you're on your Mac. So the actual change in expected behaviour is noteworthy and you'd think it would have been mentioned more. It's a big change after all!

 

[Lappen71]

Sure, good comment. I guess the change in behaviour - even if by design - would have been noticed. Until recently, when you got a text message, all your devices would alert you, but now your phone just sits there and does nothing if you're on your Mac. So the actual change in expected behaviour is noteworthy and you'd think it would have been mentioned more. It's a big change after all!

Maybe for you but not for me. If i don't doing anything eventually my iPhone will notify me.

 

[micbarry]

Maybe for you but not for me. If i don't doing anything eventually my iPhone will notify me.

Well...then there is an issue. I wonder what's going on?

 

[Lappen71]

Well...then there is an issue. I wonder what's going on?

One thing you can do its logg out from iMessage on all your devices.
Restart them and login again.

 

[micbarry]

Morac seems to be having the same exact issue as me...

 

[Morac]

Maybe for you but not for me. If i don't doing anything eventually my iPhone will notify me.

I've actually had cases where I don't get alert notifications on any of my devices. At least they don't pop up. I'll notice a badge number of iMessages.

I don't know why this changed. There was nothing wrong with the way it used to work. All devices would get notifications. When the message was read on one device the notification would be removed from all others. Actually I can't see how the way it works now could be considered expected as it is counter-intuitive.

 

[micbarry]

I preferred it the way it was before too. The way it is now can only be described as broken.

 

[aristobrat]

I don't know why this changed. There was nothing wrong with the way it used to work. All devices would get notifications.

I didn't like that.

If I was sitting in front of my Mac at work (which I do 40 hours a week) and get an iMessage, my iPhone (in my pocket) used to also vibrate. Why? I got the message on my Mac. That used to be maddening during back-and-forth iMessage conversations.

Nowadays I also have an Apple Watch. I can't imagine my iPhone vibrating in my pocket (and my Apple Watch vibrating on my wrist) every time an iMessage comes in while I'm on my Mac.

Alert me once, on the device I'm using.

 

[micbarry]

I guess that's true. Of course, the new implantation needs to work consistently, otherwise you may miss a message, which is far worse in my opinion.

 

[Zeiss]

no I think this is an error or problem - I have all the stuff on (haha I know) so I'm at work on my Mac, but I don't want to have any actual 'notification' (cause I teach and that would be funny), but I have my watch on and my iphone in my pocket - and I miss the notification! Same if I am watching Netflix on my iPad, no tap on the wrist, no buzz on the phone, cause I am using the iPad - I have missed loads of messages because of this, but I don't want notifications on my mac (teaching) or iPad (annoying), just my phone and watch.....

Anyone else have this issue and a solution....?

 

[Crispyds]

I've seen some odd behavior with iMessage in iOS 10 where sometimes messages wouldn't go to all my devices and sometimes it would. If I have iMessage open on multiple devices I see messages coming in, but frequently I wouldn't get notified at all.

I think I figured out what's going on. It looks like iMessage will only send push alerts to a device that's being used. For example, if my iPad screen is locked, but my iPhone is not, the iMessage alert will only display on my iPhone. The reverse is also true. If the screen on both devices are locked, it will go to both. If both devices are in use, it seems to randomly pick one.

Is anyone else seeing this behavior? Is it normal (like Hey Siri only picking one device) or a bug?

I can see it not notifying you audibly on every device if you are glued to or work near your computer all day. The problem is I have my computer on in an office and I'm running all over a convention center all day away from my computer most of the time. Since my computer is on it's alerting my computer and my phone stays silent so I miss the 10 texts that come through on my phone unless I actually pull it out of my pocket and look at it which I would have to do every couple minutes as to not miss the texts.

It's a pain in the ass and I wish there was a way to set alerts on/off per device because I want all of them alerting me all the time! I'm missing way too many messages and will most likely have to disable iMessage until they get it fixed.