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

TThe suggestion of deleting texts from the person who sent at the time immediately before this started happening works! I think the reason it happens is that when texting quick back and forth messages the other person and your replies to each other may cross at the same time confusing the count. At least that what happened for me. It happened yesterday and I "knew" something was off before I saw the phantom because I got the text as I sent my own. I tried turning phone off and on and going into various texters message histories but could find no unread. This morning I did a search, found this thread, deleted a couple o texts from when the glitchy exchange happened and no more phantom!!

I just had this problem and I tried Reset Network Settings, that didn't work. So I went to Messages in Settings and I turned off IMessage, MMS Messaging and Group Messaging. Then I went back to the Messages App and opened it, and suddenly the unread messages showed up! In my case I just deleted them, but you might just open and read them. Then I went back to settings and turned on IMessage, MMS Messaging and Group Messaging again. I have no idea why this worked.

Hope this helps.

All you have to do is open the Messages app, click "edit," and then look at the bottom of the screen. Should have a clickable field appear that says "Read All." Click this and all phantom unread message notifications disappear.

The correct answer to this issue isn't to message all your contacts.

First close the

Messages

Then simply open up Activity Monitor and quit the Dock process to restart it.

source: apple.stackexchange.com/questions/41786/can-i-reset-notification-centre-badge-co unter-for-messages

I scrolled to my oldest texts and deleted 4-5, and the problem ended. It seems to have started when I turned my phone on (from completely off) and as I was quickly trying to unlock and open, I seem to remember a text message (that had come in while off) scrolled across the screen. I only noticed a couple of words and not who it was from, and figured I'd read it later. However when I went back later to find it, there was no message with those couple of words I had noticed. So I think that text somehow never made it to the queue but the 'alert' appeared by the Messages icon anyway... Thank you to the person who posted this solution a couple of years ago - it still works, at least it did for my old (5s) that I've refused to download any updates for...

BRILLIANT! Thanks Mr. Wizard.

I'd tried every other solution.

My text app showed "2" unread text messages. Though I'd read and responded to the text (which had an attached photo hence the "2"). When I asked Siri to read any unread texts she found it, read it to me and asked if I wanted to respond. Once I said "No" I didn't want to respond - the phantom "2" on the text app that has been driving me crazy magically disappeared.

Thanks so much! I had 4 unread messages I couldn't see. 3 of them were from a phone my daughter was using while traveling in Greece, so I think that had something to do with it (I'm in the US). But Siri read it right out, and now the little number is gone. Thank you again!

The solution to this Problem is to "Reset All Setting" it won't erase your pics, contacts, or apps.

:-/

This is the ONLY solution that worked - after having tried ALL of them! Thanks.

This worked!!! I tried everything else first of course. You are a genius!

Followed the instructions edkurner wrote, and it worked!!

Thank you so much

if all else has failed, do a sim swap, its a long shot but, never know, it might help

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