iOS 7: Messages search function not working properly

I have exactly the same bug.

Search within Messages will only return search results for threads that have had activity after the upgrade to iOS 7. Older threads that contain the keywork being search are not returned.

Can't seem to find any way to rebuild the Messages index (assuming there is one)!

Dear iPhoneOwner1234,

I've managed to solve this problem on my iPhone 5.

Now the search will return results for threads that have not been active after the upgrade.

The steps that worked for me are as follows:

1. Upgrade to ios 7.0.2 (used iTunes to do this)

2. Back up the phone using iTunes

3. Go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Erase All Content and Settings

[I wanted to get back to a clean factory image]

4. Restore from iTunes Backup

5. Restore Photos, Songs, Apps from iTunes content

6. Try searching in Spotlight or Messages' Search Bar

Doesn't seem to work at first.

But later on it started to work. So perhaps the restore from backup does trigger a re-index.

Happy that it now works both in Spotlight and in the Messages' Search bar.

Other things seem to trigger a fix for some searches. I've been trying searches on my iPad mini (iOS 7.0.2), and some previously failed searches have begun to work. I've done nothing on my end; just more searches.

Hmm. Not too useful, I know. It seems entirely random which messages will become searchable.

Hi iphoneowner1234,

Totally agree - quite an overkill solution and was worried I might get stuck in "no man's land"!

But happy it worked cause I have a lot of info in my old messages and it's just so convenient to be able to search for them.

Glad it worked for you too.

Thanks very much for posting this - it worked for me too!

I just spoke with an Apple tech support about this. The agent hadn't heard of the issue, but also suggested a full backup, erase, restore. (although that was right after I pointed him to this thread)

After doing more research, he said this behavior was a "feature" to reduce the size of the index and help prevent slowness and crashes. That may have been what he read somewhere, but I don't believe it since people have indicated that a refresh of the device seems to rebuild the Search Index.

I was really hoping that there was a setting somewhere specific to search to either reset the entire seach index, or specifically the Messages index.

Looks like I'll either live with this problem, or go through the hastle of resetting my device.

Hi,

Noticed there were are few more threads related to this thread.

E.g.

Re: Spotlight search will no longer search SMS after upgrade to 6.1.2

is the same problem occurring during an earlier upgrade to iOS 6.1.2 - and it was resolved the same way too i.e. wipe the phone clean and restore from backup.

So seems like this bug has been there even before iOS 7. At least we know it's not a new bug(!)

Now there is another problem with the search function. Older messages are apparently indexed. But when trying to open a result, the conversation is opened at the last 'page'. Can anyone confirm?

"Older messages are apparently indexed. But when trying to open a result, the conversation is opened at the last 'page'. Can anyone confirm?"

If I tap on a search result, the message thread opens to the message that contains the phrase. In other words, it scrolls to the proper place.

If you're not seeing this behavior, then you've got a problem on your system. Reboots often solve this kind of problem.

Upgraded, finally, to iOS 7, and ran into this issue.

Backup, Reset iPhone, and Restore from Backup got search working properly in Messages.

THANKS!

How long does it take for it to start working after restore?