Why are text messages disappearing

When I turn my phone off then turn it on later there is a text message on the lock screen but when I unlock the phone it is gone

Posted on Jan 25, 2018 11:53 AM

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Posted on Jan 25, 2018 12:04 PM

what you saw on lock screen is just a notification. the message is in the messages app.

80 replies

May 2, 2018 7:42 PM in response to kbryant823

I was finally able to get a VIDEO of this issue.


I must apologize twice over for the quality of the video. First because it was filmed while in the car and also for my very quick and rough attempts to blur out my text message numbers/content.


The video shows how I received 2 text messages when my phone was off, one from Android and one from iPhone. When turned on, the iPhone shows both texts on the lock screen, but then when unlocked, ONLY the iPhone message ever appears in the Messages app and the Android sent text message disappears and is gone forever.


iPhone Issue - Text Messages from Android Users Disappearing if Received when iPhone is Off - YouTube

Mar 30, 2018 8:18 AM in response to otheriau

It's the same with Verizon. As far as they are concerned, my phone DID receive the messages. I can go online and login to my Verizon Wireless account and can see a history of all text messages that were sent to me. I can see the date/time and the sender's number. Unfortunately, I can not see the text/content of the message. It is forever lost.


This is super awkward because I use fingerprint/Touch ID to unlock my phone once I turn the phone back on. There have been times where I just very briefly see the glimpse of a text message on the lock screen once it lights up and I have entered my passcode before it sends me to the Home screen. The text message never arrives (as we all have been noting in this discussion). I then have to login to Verizon Wireless online and look up my history to see who texted me. I then have to text them back and say, 'Hey, did you txt me? Because my phone is malfunctioning and I'm not properly receiving text messages'.

Apr 17, 2018 10:26 AM in response to Optimihomecare

OK so I was on the phone again yesterday. Apple got more info & took some screen shots of my phone. They seem to be more aware of it & are trying to figure it out. What did/has seemed to work since yesterday is I took my pass code off per recommendation of Apple to see if I got messages. I am now getting messages from all the folks that I was not. This is not a fix though as one shld have a pass code, but at least you can turn your phone off!. Again I will keep folks posted as I have a f/u call on Friday.

Apr 18, 2018 7:46 AM in response to kbryant823

Yes, I mentioned earlier in this stream that turning the passcode option off will allow you to receive text messages that arrive when your phone is turned off.

The only way to get Android texts when you use a passcode is to put your phone on airplane mode instead of turning it off. This allows you to turn off the Internet and receipt of phone calls and text messages when you don’t want the noise and interruptions. You’ll still receive the Android texts after you take you phone off airplane mode and open it by putting in your password.

Tech support wasn’t able to help me and they also took over my screen and did screenshots. Totally resetting my phone didn’t work either. I went through multiple support staffers and weeks worth of testing. I found the hacks here in the community of users, not through Apple’s workforce.

Aug 2, 2018 7:33 PM in response to kbryant823

Yes happening here too. The beauty of the internet: the 7 different techs i've spoken with at Verizon and Apple have never heard of this issue, but we all know it intimately. Not a reasonable "solution" to never turn the phone off.


(My settings were already on "persistent" to begin with)


However: as somewhat helpful until it's resolved: you may like to know: that I have found that the Messages being (or trying to) synced up with the laptop Messages app, the messages do seem to show up on the laptop (though not on the phone -- in the same manner as described -- irratically missing ones after the phone has been off). So you might like to know that if you sync up Messages with another device such as laptop, you might at least get the missing messages on the laptop (or other device?). That seems to be the case here.


Still not a total solution though.... What is the solution?? And is it's Apple's issue, or Verizon's? i guess it must be Apple if it's happening across different carriers...

Feb 19, 2018 8:14 AM in response to mdesignffm

Correct. It was from the Messages app.


This has happened 3 times so far on 3 different days. The first one was from my pharmacist. On the lock screen, in the Message banner notification, I could see the sender AND the text of the message, which was a reminder to pick up a Rx. When I unlocked my phone, the Messages app did not show a red 1 badge, and when I opened the Messages app, the new message was NOT there, even though I could see all the other past text messages from my Pharmacist.


This happened at least 2 other times, once on another regular txt message and once on an iMessage.


Sorry, I do not have a screenshot.

Mar 23, 2018 6:08 AM in response to anthonyfrombeeston

This just happened to me AGAIN yesterday. The symptoms were a bit different so I've listed them below. I am on Verizon with iPhone 6s.


1. iPhone is off-->Turn on iPhone.

2. On the lock screen, I can see that I have 2 new text messages (amongst some other notifications like Google News). One text is from a friend that has an iPhone, the other is from a friend that does not have an Apple phone. I can see/read the content of both messages from the lock screen as well as see the sender's number.

3. Unlock phone--> I can see there is the red badge on the Messages app with a 2 (so far so good).

4. Open Messages app. No new messages are showing (uh oh).

5. Within 2 or 3 seconds, one of the messages 'arrives' with a banner notification at the top of the screen and a new text message appears in Messages with the blue dot next to it showing that is it new. It is the text from the friend with the iPhone (iMessage). I am able to open and read it.

6. The other txt message I saw on the lock screen NEVER arrived! Because I looked at and read the message from the lock screen, I was able to remember what he said and reply to his text, but his original text message is NOT showing in my Messages app.


This is ridiculous. I am going to have to take a pad and paper and re-write down the sender and content of all text messages that show on my lock screen because I have no confidence that when I unlock my phone that they will actually show up in my Messages app!

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Why are text messages disappearing

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