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iPhone and iPad showing unread messages even though I’m not seeing any unread message

I have the answer to this and needed to post because it was no where to be found. You need to ask Siri to read your messages.

Posted on Apr 25, 2023 9:41 PM

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Posted on Oct 30, 2023 11:32 PM

I had that issue, had no unread messages but still came up as 3 unread.


Easiest way to deal with this is saying ”Hey Siri” ”read my messages”.



She will read the ones that are unread that you may have missed and problem will often solve this issue.


47 replies

Nov 11, 2023 7:00 PM in response to SravanKrA

My iPhone screen did not have a Filters option. By searching elsewhere, I found that you can go into settings and enable the option to "Filter Unknown Senders". My screen now looks like the above screen. Unfortunately I still have hundreds of unread messages that "Read All" doesn't clear. The only way I've found is listening to Siri read them for hours on end.

Apr 26, 2023 12:24 AM in response to macmata

If your iPhone or iPad is showing an unread message badge but you're not seeing any unread messages in your inbox, it could be due to a few possibilities:


  1. At times, you may have an unread message in a thread that you haven't read yet. Try opening every message thread and looking for any unread messages.
  2. Check your junk folder for any unread messages. If you find any unread messages there, mark them as read. (See the pic below)
  3. If you're part of a group message, it's possible that someone in the group has sent a message that you haven't seen yet. Check the group message and look for any unread messages.
  4. If you have multiple devices that are synced to the same account, it's possible that the unread message is on a device that you're not currently using. Try checking your other devices for any unread messages.
  5. Try restarting your device see if it fixes the issue.


I am certain some of the above would have solved the issue stated by you.

Feb 20, 2024 11:10 AM in response to elis11

Absolutely the best resolution I found even after searching every tech article I could stand reading & tried every single suggestion. Just make sure you go click unread messages & then undelete blocked senders if you have an excessive number before you ask Siri to dictate any that you cannot find. When I listened to mine, some were from blocked spam senders. Even if it’s a couple hours of dictation to get your message box cleared, that’s preferable to seeing the number on the message icon taunting you every day!


Thank you very much for the helpful solution!!!

iPhone and iPad showing unread messages even though I’m not seeing any unread message

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