spaceghost99

Q: glitch with imessage in recently used apps

I was wondering if this is a known glitch affecting anyone else.

When I go to my recently used apps view sometimes my texts aren't up to date.  It will show me the last conversation I was in (which is what it should do) but it will be behind the last texts sent and what's more weird it will show a number at the top for new messages, even though I haven't gotten any other new messages.  All I can think is that this new message number is somehow corresponding to the texts in the conversation it isn't showing.  In fact, I had already not only checked those new messages it is showing I have, but also responded to them...the whole thing doesn't make a lot of sense though for why it does it.

 

I haven't done a lot of scientific method steps to try and consistently reproduce it, but it happens on its own often enough to make me ask here.

In case this text is a bit confusing, here are two images as an example.

recently used.jpg

This shows I have 3 new messages (which I didn't have at the time I was actually reading this text, nor when I checked recently used apps shown here).  It is also showing I exited the message app having read three messages.  The reality of this screen though is the following:

texts.jpg

I had responded to those last 3 messages, got 3 more and responded to those as well.  All of that happened 5 hours before I checked recently used apps and saw what is in the previous image.  I'm using iOS 9.3.5 on an iPhone 6 now, but have noticed this for several months on and off.  I'm trying to figure out what is going on because it doesn't just choose a random time to be lagged by compared to what it should show, but it is in fact showing a screen that never even existed because of those new messages it says I have.  Has this ever happened to anyone else?

iPhone 6, iOS 9.3.5

Posted on Sep 7, 2016 8:06 PM

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Q: glitch with imessage in recently used apps

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  • by OriginalName022,

    OriginalName022 OriginalName022 Sep 7, 2016 10:21 PM in response to spaceghost99
    Level 3 (985 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 7, 2016 10:21 PM in response to spaceghost99

    That happens to me sometimes, usually when I don't go into the Messages app to reply to a message, either because I continued the conversation on my Mac or replied from the Notification Center, but it does occasionally happen when I do go directly into Messages.

     

    The explanation for this lies in how iOS creates the images for the multitasking UI. The image you see in your recently used apps doesn't necessarily reflect all changes to an app since you last visited it. What happens when you leave an app is that iOS takes a snapshot of what the app looks like at that moment to display alongside your other recently used apps. As new information is received by an app, it can update its views to reflect this information and iOS may take another snapshot. What is probably happening in this situation is that the Messages app knows that three new messages have come in since the last time a snapshot of Messages was taken, but doesn't know which conversation they belonged to.

  • by spaceghost99,

    spaceghost99 spaceghost99 Sep 8, 2016 5:00 AM in response to OriginalName022
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPhone
    Sep 8, 2016 5:00 AM in response to OriginalName022

    Thank you for your reply, your explanation of the multitasking UI snapshot process was definitely helpful.

     

    I do have background app updates turned on, so what you said about the UI knowing messages came in but not to which conversation since the last time it did a snapshot makes some sense.  The normal case is obviously the snapshots look like the app did when you exited it so it's just weird to me to see the snapshot be 2 entire sets of replies behind what messages looked like when I last closed it.  The only thing I can think of is an interaction with snapshots and autolock.  My autolock is set to 5 minutes and I believe I did all the messaging that is missing from the recently used view without ever leaving the app or locking the phone.  I think it autolocked and then when I reopened my phone it went to the home screen instead of back straight into messages.  Maybe that caused the snapshot to do what you described.  If anyone else has thoughts, or experiences with this I'd love to hear.

     

    Thanks!