jwyliegs5

Q: Siri won't text my contacts in iOS 10

I have a problem with my iPhone that I did not have before updating to iOS 10. I think it is somehow related to Contacts, but I can't figure out what.

 

If I go into Messages and choose an existing thread, I can message someone quite easily with the keyboard. However, if I ask Siri to text my wife, or text <name>, the message does not send. It ends up in a new thread called iPhone, with a bunch of unsent messages. I tried deleting contacts and adding them back but have the same problem.

 

I kind of rely on this feature while driving so would love some ideas on how to correct this.

iPhone 6s, iOS 10

Posted on Sep 24, 2016 2:31 PM

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Q: Siri won't text my contacts in iOS 10

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  • by sberman,Solvedanswer

    sberman sberman Sep 24, 2016 2:41 PM in response to jwyliegs5
    Level 8 (40,255 points)
    Sep 24, 2016 2:41 PM in response to jwyliegs5

    That thread name "iPhone" sounds like a clue.

     

    Are these contacts set up in the correct form?  Might they have been imported from some external source (e.g., Facebook) and therefore not be set up correctly?

     

    • Does each contact have a name set up correctly?
    • Does it have an "iPhone" identified as such by field name?
    • Is each contact name unique (not duplicated) in your contacts list?

     

    Might you be saving old iMessage (or SMS) threads, perhaps with multiple recipients including your intended recipient, that would lead to confusion for Siri?

  • by Eric Mac,

    Eric Mac Eric Mac Sep 25, 2016 4:31 AM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (9 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 25, 2016 4:31 AM in response to sberman

    I too have had similar issues with contacts and Siri. When I updated to iOS 10 I had many contacts disappear off the phone, but still appear in Outlook on my computer and I confirmed they were on the Exchange server. I even tried removing all contacts, and re-adding them. I primarily use Exchange to house my contacts. When I check both my computer and iOS Outlook app, they are there, though some are gone.

     

    Another related issue with contacts in the iOS 10, which likewise is new with this new iOS updates, is that Siri is terribly unreliable now when it comes to issuing voice commands related to contacts. For instance, I used to stated "text my wife" and it would do it with no problems. But now, it says "I don't know who your wife is." When I then tell Siri who my wife is, she states "Ok, but I already know that." Likewise, I am having a lot of problems texting other individuals. When I ask Siri to text someone, she will say "Sorry, I don't see [John Doe] in your contacts", but when I got to the Contacts apps, the individual is there.

     

    Any help here would be most appreciated.