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"Phantom" text messages? It says I have unread texts when I don't (I have tried everything)

So here's the deal: I'm having the "phantom" message problem where, despite the fact that I have checked all of my texts, I still get the little (1) on the app (or in my case, 36!)

Funny thing is that when I go into the messages (the 36 are from 3 different people) like I have about 17 from a friend, call him Bill, and I go into Bill's messages, it says I have read those 17 and I have 19 left. But when I go back into the main text tab thing, all 36 are still unread. I can't even delete messages. I can't delete the conversation and have it STAY gone (it'll come back after a reboot.)

I have tried everything.

I have tried closing the app. I've googled this problem and have checked and done every solution that seemingly worked for those people. Plugging it into my computer. Holding home and power and letting it reboot. I've cleared the Notifcations bar (the one you drag down). Turning it completely off. I just finished restoring it and IT'S STILL THERE. I am at such a loss and i'm so ******.

The only thing I have left to do is go to an Apple store and demand they fix my phone, which I plan on doing in the next couple of days.

And then these JERKS at Apple say they can't do customer service via the internet unless I shell out $20. Seriously? I might have to get an Andriod when my contract is up.

I am PRAYING this is just some glitch that will go away...

iPhone 5, iOS 7.1

Posted on Mar 25, 2014 12:30 AM

Best reply

florindo@85

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Jul 19, 2017 9:51 PM

Ask Siri to read your unread text messages and she will read you the unread text and then she will ask you if you want to respond to the text;

tell Siri NO and the phantom text will be gone. This worked for me.

View in context

60 replies

tfrankum

Level 1

4 points

Jul 21, 2014 12:24 PM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

Did this just start happening? I have never had this problem until this month.

Aug 8, 2014 1:02 PM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

Did you try to delete all your messages? I tried everything too...rebooting, closing app...the only thing that worked for me was to delete all messages. I have a 4s and running. iOS 7.1.2

Aug 9, 2014 12:45 PM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

I just had this on iOS 7.1.2

I was saw a message notification come through from somebody I knew, read the snippet and a few minutes later when I tried to read in the message app, it was not there (despite the red unread message notification symbol). Coincidently, I accidently copied too much content to my phone at that time and was getting storage full notification on my iPhone, so maybe that screwed up how messages handles unread messages.

I thankfully was able to delete a few messages from that send, which deleted a whole bunch more than I wanted, but it fixed the problem. I then just asked them to re-send their messages.

Aug 12, 2014 2:06 PM in response to DaveEmmons

OK, it took awhile but I slowly made my way through all the text messages until I found the culprit.

All is well, but I wish I hadn't had to go through that.

Aug 25, 2014 10:53 AM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

I had the same problem. I tried deleting messages, etc, etc. THIS IS WHAT ACTUALLY WORKED FOR ME AND IT DID IT INSTANTANEOUSLY.

Have Siri help you find the offending message that is causing all the problems. Ask Siri, "Siri, read me my unread messages". She will read the message that is giving you the phantom text notification. She will ask if you want to reply. Just say no. When you return to your homescreen, the unread text notification will be gone. Simple.

Sep 21, 2014 1:39 AM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

I fixed it!

Just delete all of ur convisations, worked for me 🙂

Oct 26, 2014 6:50 AM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

Go to Settings - messages - message history - keep messages 30 days -

if you leave it on 'forever' it will often show ghost messages.

Nov 11, 2014 2:50 PM in response to edkerner

For anyone struggling with how to do this in iOS 8.1 (where it's woefully hidden):

Go to your message stream for an individual (one of the last few people you were messaging, when the problem showed up -- you're going to have to make an educated guess which is the problem message stream).
Touch the individual message (the little speech bubble around the words), and HOLD until you see the black popup bubble that says "copy | more ...
"
Select "More..." in that popup bubble.
You'll see little circles slide in to the left of all the messages in the stream. The circle next to the message you were touch-and-holding when you clicked "More..." should be blue and have a check mark in it -- it's been selected. Select any others you want to try deleting, to fix this badge count problem. You can click the message bubble, not the circle, in case you have big thumbs like me. When you've selected all that you want to delete:
Click on the trash can icon in the very bottom left corner of the screen.

Your final task: wish for a new head of UX with Steve-Jobs-like vision for simplicity and intuitiveness, so that it doesn't take someone with two decades of experience in interaction design to decipher this kind of interface.

<hoping> <hoping> <hoping> 🙂

Nov 17, 2014 8:15 AM in response to edkerner

Thanks a lot. The only working solution by me.

Simone

Jan 3, 2015 3:40 AM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

Actually, i read this somewhere else, and my fix was to send myself a message and when i received it (immediately), deleted the conversation with myself, closed the message app. And poof it was gone

hope this helps

lucyp73

Level 1

0 points

Jan 7, 2015 9:09 AM in response to baertiejo

This worked for me - thanks!

Jan 27, 2015 9:30 AM in response to lucyp73

I wasn't up for deleting message threads or hunting through message threads...

I tried:

- Quit Messages

- In terminal: killall Dock

- Restart Messages

No joy.

So, I then went to System Preferences -> Notifications and located Messages in the list.

I then unchecked "Badge app icon" then checked it again.

That worked.

Jan 29, 2015 3:24 PM in response to edkerner

Worked for me too! Thanks!

Mar 15, 2015 2:00 PM in response to shouldagonewithandriod

I used Siri to fix my problem as another post suggested. I just asked her to read my unread messages and replied no if I wanted to respond. I'm not sure why it still showed it unread since I had read it but it may have been due to it being a group message. Problem solved, no more "1" in the red bubble on my iPhone text message icon.

Apr 8, 2015 3:30 PM in response to neophilenyc

This worked perfectly! I've been messing about with my settings for about 12 hours trying to fix the problem but this was spot on. Thanks a lot!

"Phantom" text messages? It says I have unread texts when I don't (I have tried everything)