Why is iMessage combining two contacts into one thread. I can only text back the last one that messaged me. This started with iOS 12

If Apple fails to provide a fix, or if the can't try to "nudge" their users to get their own Apple ID's without resorting to "peer" pressure. Or should Apple keep ignoring user settings that dictate where to send and receive iMessages then I just may 🙂

darrinofmaplewood wrote:

If Apple fails to provide a fix, or if the can't try to "nudge" their users to get their own Apple ID's without resorting to "peer" pressure. Or should Apple keep ignoring user settings that dictate where to send and receive iMessages then I just may 🙂

You should purchase whatever smartphone meets your requirements.

Lawdog35 wrote:

At least this makes me laugh after the frustration I’ve our phones this evening

No humor intended. You really should purchase whatever smartphone meets your requirements. If Android lets you violate their rules with no ill effects then you've got a winner.

darrinofmaplewood wrote:

It's rather ridiculous isn't it. I've had an iphone since the 4 and I love it, but I'm not blind enough to know when Apple has fixed something that wasn't broken, which broke it.

You really should purchase whatever smartphone meets your requirements. If Android lets you violate their rules with no ill effects then you've got a winner.

This is an extremely frustrating experience, I am concerned with the merging of conversations also. I hope Apple gets this corrected ASAP, we have family sharing but all have our own Apple IDs so I think our messages being received are ok, but anyone that we message who has a shared Apple ID it is merging everything together. Also the ability to NOT send a message to someone unless they have messaged you last is beyond annoying. This is a problem. Even after people have made new Apple IDs so they now have their own (yes I know they already should have) it is still not fixed!! This is a problem beyond inconvenient there are legitimate problems with this because now you can’t message someone and you really may need to reach them and sometimes a phone call isn’t possible. Guess people will just continue to DM on other sites Snapchat, etc since text is not working...

JenLBeigh wrote:

Even after people have made new Apple IDs so they now have their own (yes I know they already should have) it is still not fixed!!

Once the mistake has been made, correcting it is not a simple matter. Go through this thread and other similar threads. One of the more experienced forum members (look at the "level") posted a link to the correct procedure.

lakeviewyouthguy wrote:

My messages are getting mixed up with my contacts too. Messages I am sending to my kids are going to wife and vice versa. PLEASE get this glitch fixed soon! Thank you

It's not a glitch. It's a problem resulting from improper use of Apple IDs. Any "fix" is up to the user.

This started soon after I updated to IOS 12, merging messages across my entire family. We have separate iCloud email addresses but they are on the same account. Nothing we have done can rectify the problem, I also tried to move back to 11.4 without success. We have moved to Google Voice in order to have privacy between family members. I’m very dissatisfied with Apple for releasing this update without realizing what a problem they have caused.

I discovered this exact same problem today. When I text my daughter, the message only goes to my son. I downloaded ios12 this weekend. Apple has to fix this ASAP as this is how I coordinate with my kids, but now I can only text one of them and can’t get in touch with the other!!! This is a big problem.

floursmom wrote:

I discovered this exact same problem today. When I text my daughter, the message only goes to my son. I downloaded ios12 this weekend. Apple has to fix this ASAP as this is how I coordinate with my kids, but now I can only text one of them and can’t get in touch with the other!!! This is a big problem.

The solution is on your end. Read previous posts for an explanation.

Philly_Phan: You and Kilted_Tim are definitely drinking the Apple KoolAid. Kudos for towing the party line but, seriously, you might consider just letting people vent. Jumping on users to lay the smack down does not seem to be helping. Whether or not Apple acknowledges a bug, they clearly have a bit of a mess on their hands. I for one sympathize with these posters and can’t wait to see how things unfold.

I have the same issue. My teenage daughter and my own messages are consistently combined on my husbands phone. He never knows who is texting him or who he is replying to. We have tried all of the "fixes" that you can find online like restart, hard restart, turn off imessage and back on, delete the thread and start a new one, etc etc - nothing works. This has hampered our ability as a family to communicate quickly and effectively. Apple MUST fix this issue or we will abandon Apple devices soon. We cannot live in a world without texting.

"The fix is for everyone to use their own free separate Apple ID. Here are helpful links to get you started -"

If you've been following the thread, that doesn't seem to help (at least for many people)...

I’ve been dealing with this issue as well. I will add a very detailed characterization of the issues below as to provide data to help the folks addressing the issue. However, first:

Right or wrong, 4 of us have shared the same Apple ID for many years without an issue. If, as part of the upgrade to iOS 12, there’s now a known and acceptable change of behavior where a documented set of functionality is lost, it’s incumbent on Apple to enforce the policy on their end to disallow sharing of Apple IDs or to have their users accept the consequences (which would make unwanted newspaper headlines). Part of a successful software upgrade is to support all previously working functionality, as impractical as the implementation may be. So as long as people will use lighter fluid to clean sticky substances, a fan as a sleep aid for the ambient sound or a hairbrush as a back scratcher, a shared Apple ID (never enforced in the past) is a reality.

My latest incarnation of my issue:

Phones A, B, C and D all on iOS 12, all signed out of their Apple IDs for messaging, FaceTime and messaging in iCloud. Nobody uses iCloud, other than ‘Find my iPhone’. Phones A and B have deleted any message history where any of A, B, C and D are individually or in combination with anyone “... in the world...” are involved. B has now created their own Apple ID. A, C and D all still share an Apple ID.

B sends a text iMessage to each of A, C and D. D is “last”. Tapping the Messages icon for B shows these three individual message histories on B’s phone. Given that prior history was deleted, these three most individual histories show only one message per person.

B powers down their phone. B powers up their phone. Briefly, a white exclamation point in a red circle appears next to the green Messages icon on B’s phone, then disappears. The Messages app is opened for B. All 3 messages sent by B show up as if all sent to “D”. “A” and “C” do not show in the Messages history. B looks to compose a message to “C” by searching C’s name in Messages. A compose screen is displayed, C’s name is shown, but the now-collapsed history under D’s name is part of the set of old messages. The newly composed message from B to C actually goes from B to D.

Next...

“A” sends a text iMessage to each of B, C and D. D is “last”. Tapping the Messages icon for A shows these three individual message histories on A’s phone. Given that prior history was deleted, these three most individual histories show only one message per person.

“A” powers down their phone. “A” powers up their phone. Briefly, a white exclamation point in a red circle appears next to the green Messages icon on A’s phone, then disappears. The Messages app is opened for A. All 3 messages sent by “A” show up as if all sent to “D”. “B” and “C” do not show in the Messages history. “A” looks to compose a message to “C” by searching C’s name in Messages. A compose screen is displayed, C’s name is shown, but the now-collapsed history under D’s name is part of the set of old messages. The newly composed message from A to C actually goes from A to D.

So - we still have a problem. C and D are considering getting their own Apple IDs as we all await a fix.

I have two devices with my daughter. The only common account is our iTunes login so that she can make purchases for music etc that we both have access to. She has her own ID for messages and face time. We have not had a message sharing issue. Should we expect one to creep up? The only thing we share is the iTunes portion.