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

The problem likely lies in old ties from prior linkages somewhere in the software / communications database ether. But unless you factory reset every Apple device with any prior linkage, delete every contact with linkage, every old iMessage thread, every tie of prior AppleID possible linkage, restart on separate AppleIDs, etc., etc. it will be hard to know. A solution that has worked for our family (where we share AppleIDs across a few people) has been to (1) update to latest iOS release 12.0.1 (2) ensure one phone (and only one phone but you need one) is set up to "start a new conversation" from the AppleID email address in messaging settings (in our case it's my phone), and all others linked to same ID send/receive from the carrier phone # from their SIM card for the phone and (3) delete all old thread where the linked issues were taking place. This has worked for others in this discussion thread as well. Ours has been fine now for over a week.

In the for what it's worth category, I will repeat again one person's opinion (my own) since the only posts in recent days have been from the other side - Apple does indeed not recommend using the same AppleID for more than one human, that is true. It can lead to issues like these. It clearly was not designed at the outset for more than one human per AppleID. For a lot of reasons, but one simple financial one is people cheat and have 50+ friends and family "sharing" music and other content rather than paying for it.

That said, they know people do it, and several people I have spoken to in support at various levels understand why in the case of parents, etc. folks do it. As a parent of a child who has suffered with depression and anxiety, I would do it again and feel if this is what parents want to do, they should go ahead and do it - regardless of what others in this thread think. Is it subject to risk of issues such as this? Yes. Does Apple know it happens and do they try to "support" where they can - yes, they do. They do not recommend it, but they acknowledge it and will try to help you if you call - keep asking for a higher level of support until you reach someone who is senior enough to be both knowledgeable and a solution driven support person.

This needs to be optional... in exactly the same way that I can choose to send / receive from only some of the addresses on my Apple ID in iMessage. This needs sorted out quickly... but I’m not holding my breath as the replies seem to suggest it’s being seen as ‘my’ issue... it’s not... I just want it to work the way it has done until now, and I need to be able to trust that when I send a message it is going to the correct person. Never assume that doing something will make things easier...

Like stated the only way I have solved the issue was to delete the group chats and individual chats that had names tied to them.. It seems to be happening to my wife and I, she’ll get my messages and I’ll get here’s.. But it happens when we are tied in a group chat and individual chat with that one person..

So I made them on their end delete and messages containing my Wife and I in them and retry and had been a success...

Will this work all the time?, I hope so! But the fix needs to happening. We’ve been tied together for years!

Maybe next trip to apple I’ll see what the “Geniuses” say and worse case I have them set up a separate iCloud login for my wife without losing a single thing!

When I send an iMessage to my granddaughter, it goes to my son-in-law’s iMessage and her name disappears. Both he and I have called Apple Support with different responses. They do share an Apple ID, but according to another post on this thread, Apple says that is okay. When is Apple going to fix this “bug.?”

I am not sharing an Apple ID. My son-in-law is sharing with his daughter who is a child. I believe when his daughter first got an iPhone, it was for emergency purposes and Verizon set it up that way. I don’t know why. If he goes to appleid.apple.com now and creates an Apple ID for his daughter, does Verizon need to be contacted? BTW, everyone else in the family can text her except me. I have a 6Plus.

PP is correct. If you are having this iMessae issue as a result of shared AppleID and you want to fix it - that approach should eliminate it. Whether or not future iOS releases resolve this iMessage merge, something similar could (and likely will) happen again in the future if you share AppleIDs. I don’t think anyone has indicated Apple has ever said it is ok to share AppleIDs among humans. The surest way to avoid these types of issues is to avoid sharing AppleIDs.

PattiinCA wrote:

My son-in-law is sharing with his daughter who is a child.

Then they have to stop and both of their phones have to follow the procedure I gave above.

It doesn't matter WHY they did it. It was NEVER supported by Apple.

Thank you. I do think I will remove myself from this discussion group, however, because others have said if there are extenuating circumstances, Apple will allow it. I had hoped to get definitive answers but responses are all over the map. You seem pretty adamant. I accept that. I am just frustrated because I am the only one in the family that has this problem with texting my granddaughter. Don’t know how you explain that. I’m done. Thx.

Verizon does not need to be contacted - this is an Apple thing. Verizon call network works off the SIM card, and doesn’t care what ApplD is logged in. It’s not possible to know why it’s only you having this issue - but it is knowable what the root cause is for your family - shared AppleID. He can play around with the settings, etc and you can delete threads, etc. but it may crop up again.

PCA - This particular issue is crappy...my family has had the same one and it’s not been fun. The reality is it’s partly semantics, but that won’t help solve your problem. Apple knows people do this, and they cannot stop you, so in that sense one can argue they allow you to do it - but that’s not really “supporting” or “allowing in special sitaruions”. The reality is the system isn’t built to be used by multiple humans - even though iMessage worked fine across multiple devices on the same AppleID prior to this release. I know that’s an unsatisfying answer, but it seems to be the truth of the situation. He can keep her on his AppleID, and you may be able to get it working - but just know that software and databases and data tables not intended for that use may (probably will) kludge up again. In the end, you can do it, but the root cause here is the shared AppleID being used for something it’s not built for.

The thing is ... once we noticed the problem, the two others who shared my AppleId ... created their own. Still happening. And only on MY phone, not theirs.

Annoying. My work around is: texting myself AND the other person if I need to send a text to whomever was not the last one to send me a text.

This isn’t even about sharing a ID. To the system it’s just another device, it has 0 knowledge on who is holding and using the device. I wish people would stop spreading this news of separate ID’s as the cure all. The problem lies in iOS. The “send and receive messages from this number” setting is broken. Heck, someone’s answer earlier when I mentioned about a work and personal phone was that I should have two different ID’s, yeah, ok.

That being said, what has worked for me was deleting any message threads I had with anyone using a iOS device and starting fresh that way. I have been going for a few weeks now “sharing” a ID and have no problems.

I did something similar - I did not delete or change anything. I just started a group text for me and son1 and another group text for me and son2. That was working for a week or 2. Then about 4 days ago I noticed they each had their individual threads back - complete with all conversations and pictures from before the merge. I do not know how, or if it will last, but for now we are all back to our individual threads and able to text each other confident that the right person will get the message.

Same here. I have a couple that's married, had a group conversation with them a few weeks ago, and now any message I send to him look as if they were sent to her. Obviously, he is getting my message, but on my iPhone (Xs Max, iOS 12.0.1) the messages reside in her thread. Annoying. Hope that this will be fixed with the iOS 12.1 update coming later today.

iCoco wrote:

Same here. I have a couple that's married, had a group conversation with them a few weeks ago, and now any message I send to him look as if they were sent to her. Obviously, he is getting my message, but on my iPhone (Xs Max, iOS 12.0.1) the messages reside in her thread. Annoying. Hope that this will be fixed with the iOS 12.1 update coming later today.

Apple can't fix it, because it is the result of settings on their phones. And you can't fix it either, as the problem is how they have configured their phones. If you point them to this thread they can learn how to fix it.