Is this Messages bug fixed in iOS 11?

[Branch]

This is a bug from iOS 8, but it still applies unfortunetly in iOS 10. Can anyone who has iOS 11 confirm if it is fixed?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/does-messages-consolidate-conversations-in-ios-8.1762454/

 

[macduke]

This is a bug from iOS 8, but it still applies unfortunetly in iOS 10. Can anyone who has iOS 11 confirm if it is fixed?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/does-messages-consolidate-conversations-in-ios-8.1762454/

I hope so! I hate this bug. It will do it on the Mac too. Ruins the whole experience.

 

[Branch]

I hope so! I hate this bug. It will do it on the Mac too. Ruins the whole experience.

oh see for me it works as it should (combined threads) on a mac, but not iOS. hopefully someone with iOS 11 has good news.

 

[Tanax]

How should this work even?
Let's say you have a conversation with the same person but via 2 phone numbers. If you merge this to 1 conversation, how should it know which number to send to when you write a reply?

 

[Branch]

How should this work even?
Let's say you have a conversation with the same person but via 2 phone numbers. If you merge this to 1 conversation, how should it know which number to send to when you write a reply?

you can still start a convo with whichever number you want, it just shows up with the other number with a little grey thing that says "iMessage with XNUMBER". use messages on the mac if you don't understand-- it works as it should there.

nonetheless, I don't want to get off topic on the merits or not of this format-- i just want to know if it works the same on iOS 11 as it has worked on the mac for the past 4 years.

 

[C64]

Don't have this bug that often anymore, but it's definitely still there. I'm also hoping this has been resolved with the store-everything-in-icloud changes.

 

[Mlrollin91]

you can still start a convo with whichever number you want, it just shows up with the other number with a little grey thing that says "iMessage with XNUMBER". use messages on the mac if you don't understand-- it works as it should there.

nonetheless, I don't want to get off topic on the merits or not of this format-- i just want to know if it works the same on iOS 11 as it has worked on the mac for the past 4 years.

How can you be so certain, that how it works on Mac is supposed to work the same on iOS? You are just guessing, but there is no evidence that it is the case.

I will tell you why I don't think its a bug. iOS, you can use your phone number OR iCloud for iMessages. On macOS, you must use your iCloud. Your iCloud can transfer over your phone number, but Messages on Mac does not require a phone number. Therefore it makes perfect sense for threads on Mac to combine, but not on the iPhone because you may intentionally be sending from different sources and want to keep the separate. I know for a fact in the last 5+ years I send from different sources and do not want them to combine.

You are just speculating they should work the same.

 

[Branch]

Well yes, but my question of does it work the same on iOS 11 still stands, does it not?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Well yes, but my question of does it work the same on iOS 11 still stands, does it not?

Yes, but calling it a bug does not. Its been 3 years, going on 4, at this point its probably not a bug.

 

[Branch]

Yes, but calling it a bug does not. Its been 3 years, going on 4, at this point its not a bug.

So you're saying a bug that is long standing is no longer a bug? That's ridiculous. If you want to say it's not a bug for the reasons you previously mentioned, that's ok, and we can agree to disagree, but to say "it's not a bug because it's been a long time" is not fair.

 

[Mlrollin91]

So you're saying a bug that is long standing is no longer a bug? That's ridiculous. If you want to say it's not a bug for the reasons you previously mentioned, that's ok, and we can agree to disagree, but to say "it's not a bug because it's been a long time" is not fair.

No, I'm giving a hypothesis to say why its not a bug. You are claiming it is a bug with no evidence or even a hypothesis to state it is one. Give a reason why you think its a bug. I outlined why its most likely not a bug, and it seems to have been the same way for years now. Meaning its probably not a bug and is by design. This is no different than the other argument about "Mail badge not syncing is a bug". its not a bug, its a design.

Its clearly designed differently than macOS.

 

[Branch]

No, I'm giving a hypothesis to say why its not a bug.

And I gave a hypothesis as to why it is. Whether or not I agree with yours or you agree with mine is not the topic of this discussion. I am wondering how it works on iOS 11.

 

[Mlrollin91]

And I gave a hypothesis as to why it is. Whether or not I agree with yours or you agree with mine is not the topic of this discussion. I am wondering how it works on iOS 11.

Where? Where is your hypothesis? You said it supposed to work one way, but no reason to why it is "supposed" to work that way.

You are saying its a bug, but have zero evidence to support that claim. I don't have evidence per se, that its not a bug, but I can at least provide an explanation to why its not. And look at past similar examples to support my conclusion.

You have provided nothing but a claim that its a bug because it works one way on macOS and it should be the same on iOS. When its pretty clear that Messages works differently on iOS than macOS because of different login requirements.

You are more than allowed to have your opinion, but making a claim is not the same thing as an opinion.

 

[Branch]

All I am looking for is someone on iOS 11 to answer the yes or no question posed in the OP.

 

[Mlrollin91]

All I am looking for is someone on iOS 11 to answer the yes or no question posed in the OP.

Then you shouldn't have claimed it was a bug in the OP and the title. Because you are unable to prove that it is a bug or not. You could have simply asked "does the behavior of message threads work the same in iOS 11 as previous version?"

Thats a yes or no question.

If you truly think its a bug, submit it to Apple and wait for their response. They will say if its intended or a bug. They have done on several occasions for me personally.

 

[Branch]

Then you shouldn't have claimed it was a bug in the OP and the title. Because you are unable to prove that it is a bug or not. You could have simply asked "does the behavior of message threads work the same in iOS 11 as previous version?"

Thats a yes or no question.

If you truly think its a bug, submit it to Apple and wait for their response. They will say if its intended or a bug. They have done on several occasions for me personally.

That is a good idea, and I will do so.

 

[bwhinnen]

No it does not. It still separates each as a separate thread; well it does on existing threads I have with my wife, one to her number from my number and the other to her number from my iCloud ID...

 

[Branch]

No it does not. It still separates each as a separate thread; well it does on existing threads I have with my wife, one to her number from my number and the other to her number from my iCloud ID...

can you try (if you're willing to) deleting those two threads and text her to her phone and email and see if it still makes them as separate?

 

[bwhinnen]

can you try (if you're willing to) deleting those two threads and text her to her phone and email and see if it still makes them as separate?

I was happy to keep the messages from her, so I won't be deleting those ones. I tried it with my Son's phone and there are two different message threads.

 

[brilliantthings]

I also think it's a bug and an extremely annoying one

 

[rikscha]

I haven't seen many people complaining in the past about having different conversations in iMessages for the same person.

I find that extremely annoying and can't believe Apple hasn't done anything about it for years.

Now that iMessages sits in the cloud and keeps everything in sync, can someone confirm that iMessage conversations with the same person have been merged into one?

Just to clarify and give you a practical example, at the moment, you have a contact Joe and have his mobile number and his iCloud email address against his contact and vice versa.

You might be iMessaging him to his mobile number which will open a conversation in iMessage with him.

Joe might have in his settings set-up though that whenever he iMessages someone, his iCloud email will be displayed rather than his mobile number. This means, if Joe is not responding to your already open conversation directly but sends you a message using the 'new Message' button, he will open a second conversation with you. In the described scenario you could in theory end up having multiple threads with the exact same person.

Funnily though, on the Mac, it has been merging those conversations all along.

Can someone confirm iOS 11 behaviour ? Thanks.

 

[Mlrollin91]

Already a thread on it. I am a strong advocate that this is not a bug and is intentional.

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-this-messages-bug-fixed-in-ios-11.2049520/

Here is my reasoning:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/is-this-messages-bug-fixed-in-ios-11.2049520/#post-24670175

 

[rikscha]

I understand the reasoning behind it but the behaviour on the Mac is slightly different. It should be merged and keep it as one as you can end up having the same conversation over two threads. This is not very elegant. It doesnt work this way in WhatsApp. Correct me if I am wrong, but when you are changing your telephone number on WhatsApp, you will still be able to continue using your existing conversations? Of course the way how whatspp works in the background is different, i.e. it only works registering one telephone number against your name if you like while iOS allows you to register multiple emails and numbers. When you start syncing iMessages across devices though (which is basically already the case, except for deleting messages), then it would be much cleaner to have one conversation for all your 'accounts' rather than separate one's. This makes btw the use of groups also extremely annoying. iMessage should simply use your Apple ID account as one regardless of what numbers or emails you have. Why do I need to have the option to send a message from my email address or telephone number. iMessage is not replacing your normal SMS service (that was probably the idea behind this way back +iPads and iPods obviously don't have a telephone number) and it would make things easier to introduce only one choice.

 

[GreyOS]

I haven't seen many people complaining in the past about having different conversations in iMessages for the same person.

I find that extremely annoying and can't believe Apple hasn't done anything about it for years.

Now that iMessages sits in the cloud and keeps everything in sync, can someone confirm that iMessage conversations with the same person have been merged into one?

Just to clarify and give you a practical example, at the moment, you have a contact Joe and have his mobile number and his iCloud email address against his contact and vice versa.

You might be iMessaging him to his mobile number which will open a conversation in iMessage with him.

Joe might have in his settings set-up though that whenever he iMessages someone, his iCloud email will be displayed rather than his mobile number. This means, if Joe is not responding to your already open conversation directly but sends you a message using the 'new Message' button, he will open a second conversation with you. In the described scenario you could in theory end up having multiple threads with the exact same person.

Funnily though, on the Mac, it has been merging those conversations all along.

Can someone confirm iOS 11 behaviour ? Thanks.

Aren't the scenarios I hinted at in my post 3 years ago still an issue? https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...conversations-in-ios-8.1762454/#post-19462008

For example, what if Joe has an iPhone which receives iMessages to both his number and his email, and an iPad which only receives iMessages to his email. He gives his number to friends for private iMessage conversations and leaves his iPad at home with the family.

You and Joe have a private iMessage conversation using each other's numbers. None of this syncs to his iPad, because that's how he wants it.

Joe is sitting on the sofa one day with only his iPad to hand. He iMessages you, and it gets sent from his email. You want this to go into your existing conversation with his phone. On the face of it, it might seem ok. But where do your replies go? You now have a thread which has iMessages from multiple sources. Where do your replies go? Do they go to the original source, his phone? Then he won't get your reply. Do they go to whatever it was his last message came from - in this case his email? That means you can't continue a private conversation to his iPhone until he resumes sending you iMessages from his iPhone.

I'm sure there are lots of other complicated set ups which make the solution not as simple as you think.

As it stands, I think it's right that each source of iMessage gets its own thread, no?

 

[Mlrollin91]

Aren't the scenarios I hinted at in my post 3 years ago still an issue? https://forums.macrumors.com/thread...conversations-in-ios-8.1762454/#post-19462008

For example, what if Joe has an iPhone which receives iMessages to both his number and his email, and an iPad which only receives iMessages to his email. He gives his number to friends for private iMessage conversations and leaves his iPad at home with the family.

You and Joe have a private iMessage conversation using each other's numbers. None of this syncs to his iPad, because that's how he wants it.

Joe is sitting on the sofa one day with only his iPad to hand. He iMessages you, and it gets sent from his email. You want this to go into your existing conversation with his phone. On the face of it, it might seem ok. But where do your replies go? You now have a thread which has iMessages from multiple sources. Where do your replies go? Do they go to the original source, his phone? Then he won't get your reply. Do they go to whatever it was his last message came from - in this case his email? That means you can't continue a private conversation to his iPhone until he resumes sending you iMessages from his iPhone.

I'm sure there are lots of other complicated set ups which make the solution not as simple as you think.

As it stands, I think it's right that each source of iMessage gets its own thread, no?

I completely agree with you. As I hypothesized above, macOS and iOS work differently with iMessages. macOS uses iCloud, while iOS uses iCloud OR phone number. Therefore, it makes sense to combine all threads on macOS, but on iOS keep the separate as you may want to have one thread with your iCloud and one thread with your phone number in exactly the scenario you outlined above.