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

Pencil1992. As someone who followed this thread from the very beginning, anxiously awaiting a fix (or even acknowledgement) from Apple, I want to thank you for taking the time to raise this issue. Despite the 2-3 bad apples in this thread who constantly beat down the very real observations of frustrated but very loyal Apple iOS users, this thread for the most part proved that users genuinely want to band together and help each other. Though there were some creative temporary fixes, I for one feel vindicated that we weren’t crazy and that an actual software fix from Apple was, in fact, needed. Seeing our issue among the list of fixes was awesome. Thanks again to Pencil1992 and to Apple.

hm,, could be some of the fixes apple got me to do tonight. Give this a try to see if these suggestions help you out.

Re: 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

So for each device go into settings, then messages, then send & receive, click on the apple id (i'm guessing its the shared one) sign out and back in with the new apple id specific to that person.

Do this for facetime as well.

You might need to turn iMessage/facetime off and back on, but this should add that cell phone to the new icloud account.

I have done this and it works quite well. I have to now do this on 8 devices in a few days, tons of work, but it should fix the issue, until apple fixes the issue.

Make sure none of the email address or phone numbers are shared on any of the devices. Check this on the same send & receive screen, or in the apple id account.

This way you can use all the same icloud data, cloud game saves, itunes match and other icloud info.

NO lost information. 🙂

Also check out some of the suggestions i listed on my original post

Re: 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

I explain in this post how you can have a new apple id and NOT lose everything, its really simple as well.

Basically you have the current apple id for icloud and for imessage and facetime use the new apple id for that person.

Re: 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

welafever wrote:

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

Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Create and start using an Apple ID - Apple Support

They've made it clear that they demand the right to ignore Apple's instructions.

darrinofmaplewood wrote:

Responding to certain individuals who cannot see the potential for this to be a problem is causing many posts to be deleted and therefore unhelpful to the people who are experiencing this issue and negating the impact this is having on users to Apple.

Hanging a general plea for calm on your observation that this thread is needing more than the usual level of management attention. For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a reflection on @darrinofmaplewood or the post quoted which prompted this post.

I have also noticed a lot of posts disappearing, and with good reason because they violated Apple Support Communities Use Agreement. This community is here to provide technical support by sharing knowledge and experience with other users. It is not here to insult those who disagree about the problem or the possible routes to a resolution, it is not here to attack other members, and it is most certainly not here to support flames and rabble rousing. Flame wars do nothing except divert attention from helping each other.

Our Hosts and Moderation team are trying to keep the discussion rational and on topic, so if <you> are experiencing problems in iMessage, please help them to help you by keeping the thread civil and productive.

OysterDePoyster wrote:

A, B and C all shared an Apple ID. B now has their own.

Just curious, when B established a new ID, did A and C delete B from their contacts, and re-create B using the new ID's email address as well as B's phone number? The email (ID) in B's contact entry may help differentiate B from past history on the server (just speculation).

Also, think about what happens when an iPhone user decides to change to an Android phone ... they need to deregister their phone number with Apple so that the server knows not to route iMessages to that phone number, and instead allow them to go out as SMS messages (from a sender's iPhone). I have to wonder if a similar thing needs to be done to break free of a shared Apple ID, i.e. perhaps B needed to turn off iMessage, unregister the phone number, wait several hours, then re-enable iMessage (again, speculation). Might be worth a try.

Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online - Apple Support

rockmyplimsoul wrote:

OysterDePoyster wrote:

A, B and C all shared an Apple ID. B now has their own.

Just curious, when B established a new ID, did A and C delete B from their contacts, and re-create B using the new ID's email address as well as B's phone number? The email (ID) in B's contact entry may help differentiate B from past history on the server (just speculation).

Also, think about what happens when an iPhone user decides to change to an Android phone ... they need to deregister their phone number with Apple so that the server knows not to route iMessages to that phone number, and instead allow them to go out as SMS messages (from a sender's iPhone). I have to wonder if a similar thing needs to be done to break free of a shared Apple ID, i.e. perhaps B needed to turn off iMessage, unregister the phone number, wait several hours, then re-enable iMessage (again, speculation). Might be worth a try.

Deregister iMessage on your iPhone or online - Apple Support

Hi rockmyplimsoul,

You just touched on my biggest issue with this and why I feel Apple should have done more to prepare users. What if the users in the scenario you two are describing don't live near one another? How can you convince "users A & C" to delete years worth of history on their phones if they don't want to?

Everyone keeps assuming that the people having the problems are the ones who are sharing Apple ID's but they're not. Users who message people who share Apple ID's are having their conversations merged as well. Clearly this is possible since the issue didn't happen before the update.

The following is copied from an sberman post…

Sharing IDs is the cause of your issues. Stop doing this immediately.

Each person receiving a new Apple ID should thoroughly cleanse her/his iOS device(s) as follows:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Here is guidance on setting up new Apple IDs:

Help your child set up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Family Sharing and Apple ID for your child - Apple Support

I'm sure Family Sharing has been brought up many, many times in this thread. Here, once more, are some links. This is the easier, better and more trouble-free way:

Set up Family Sharing - Apple Support

Family Sharing - Apple Support

The system isn't perfect. But this is Apple's best attempt to provide a workable solution to the kind of issues being discussed here, while also maintaining a high level of privacy and security which is a fundamental company goal.

sjvivian wrote:

...and after 5 days strings merging again on some phones...Apple if you are monitoring this, hopefully you’re working on it. Would be great to have any sort of acknowledgement, fix timeline, etc.

No, they are not. If you want Apple to know you have this issue, you can use the Contact Support link at the top right of every page or use the feedback page:

Product Feedback - Apple

Regardless of which method you choose, you will not get an acknowledgement (other than the Apple Support rep acknowledging they received your information) or a timeline for any changes Apple might be considering.

Oct 10, 2018 6:59 AM Re: Why is iMessage combining two contacts into one thread. I can only text back the last one that messaged me. This started with iOS 12in response to sjvivian

I know...I'll believe it if / when it happens. For what it's worth, it wasn't 1st level support, she claimed to be sending things back and forth to engineering, and she answered some very specific questions about support, policy, etc. -- she didn't seem to be boilerplating it - but you're of course correct, we'll never know - I could very easily have led the witness and be looking to hear what I wanted to hear...because I'm not rushing to alter our family set up : o )

Murph321 wrote:

Possible fix?

3. We discovered that, despite the affected three phones displaying a unique Apple ID (Settings>>select Apple ID under the picture on the first screen), when looking at the "Send & Receive" screen in the iMessages app (the screen that allows you to select the phone numbers used by the phone), the three impacted phones were all still displaying the same primary Apple ID (the one on my phone from back in the pre-Family Sharing days when we all shared one Apple ID).

That is critical. A high-ranking poster gave a surefire solution that does not involve any investigation.

The following is copied from an sberman post…

This is the cause of your issues. Stop doing this immediately.

Each person receiving a new Apple ID should thoroughly cleanse her/his iOS device(s) as follows:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Here is guidance on setting up new Apple IDs:

Help your child set up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Family Sharing and Apple ID for your child - Apple Support

sholden wrote:

All four of use my Apple ID.

The following is copied from an sberman post…

This is the cause of your issues. Stop doing this immediately.

Each person receiving a new Apple ID should thoroughly cleanse her/his iOS device(s) as follows:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Here is guidance on setting up new Apple IDs:

Help your child set up an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Family Sharing and Apple ID for your child - Apple Support

Philly_Phan wrote:

Each person receiving a new Apple ID should thoroughly cleanse her/his iOS device(s) as follows:

What to do before you sell, give away, or trade in your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

If I setup a new ID for my wife, is it necessary to wipe the device as if I were going to sell it? I don't really want her to lose all the apps she has downloaded or have to take the time to download them all again since our home internet is slow. I assume I cannot restore from a backup that was backed up under the old (my) Apple ID when she is logged in to her new ID? After setting up the new ID, I will setup the family sharing feature for future use and other reasons.