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 suspect, but do not know for sure, that the iOS caches the AppleID info for existing conversations, which would explain why once changed to separate AppleIDs, some have reported success in deleting any existing threads of conversation with their family members and things remain separated once new conversations begin.

Actually, it’s built into the iMessage settings (and still there) you can set the send/receive numbers for each individual on an account... if they meant for all to be lumped together (and then some thrown out) they wouldn’t let u slick and choose

Also, I have several numbers under my at&t account (phones and iPad) for myself and family... what if att decided they should automatically start calling each other (ie every time I call my wife it forwards to daughter too, then decides to stop calling wife even though I dial her number) just because they are all on the same monthly bill?

Sent from my iPad

Just reporting back that since yesterday evening, after I set all of our phones to stop using our apple ids (the option in the send-receive section under settings/message when you tap on your Apple ID at top), no other threads have been combined. This after dozens of messages today with the same phones that had previously combined. I don’t know the downside of setting it that way but my phone and all other apps and functions continued to use my I’d and operated in the typical manner. We do not use the iCloud for backups or storage but the laptop backups I did today stored the messages as usual. As an aside I still haven’t heard this happening to any other provider than ATT. The ATT rep that I spoke to last night looked up the carrier version currently used (33.2) and stated it primarily had to do with improving the data flow of graphics...

This is a nightmare. iMessages is combining my kids texts so it’s hard to reach them. I delete the string and text each one separately but in a few minutes they are combined in one text. We are all on same ID. Better get this fixed Apple. Pitiful

I am having this issue with my two children. After spending hours googling, turning stuff on and off, etc, i think i found a work-around. I started a new thread with my daughter and added myself (my phone number). This seems to work but - I’ve only tried it with one child. (My other child is sleeping and I don’t want to wake her. ) I don’t have any problems in other group messages with my daughters so i figured I’d try. So far it seems to be working. My daughter seems to think Apple will address this issue. Hope so.

This only effects the contacts of my wife and daughter. We all share one NON family apple ID. (I don't want to pay an extra $15 per month) Apple has finally gotten wise to people like myself sharing a single apple ID. I have turned off iMessage and that has stopped the sending of texts to the wrong person, however I really enjoy using iMessages so this "solution" is not ideal. All 3 of our phone numbers now appear on the apple website and can not be removed, annoying to say the least.

Backdoc01: I too have turned off iMessage for all members of my family who share one appleID. However, ios12 is still combining messages. For example, I can no longer locate two separate message conversations/threads on my phone where I once communicated individually with my mom and my wife. There is kw only one combined “frankenthread”. It’s a mess.

I am having the same problem - text messages from my husband and son are combining into one thread and I can only text back the last person who texted me. Oddly enough, on my iPad they are still separate threads. Now I have discovered a new issue. I turned off iMessage on my phone in a (wholly futile) attempt to fix this and apparently created a new problem - I am no longer receiving texts from anyone who sends them to me via iMessage. I discovered this when I checked my iPad tonight and saw they had been coming to my iPad only. I really wish Apple had left well enough alone. This iOS is an absolute nightmare. I have had iPhones since 2008 and have never encountered so many problems. Also, when I contacted Apple Support via chat for assistance with my problems, I was sent a super helpful article on how to save my messages to the Cloud. Um, ok.

In my scenario:

iPhone 8+ on 12

iPhone 7+ on 12 *** Me, and the only one with the issue

iPhone 8 on 11

iPhone 7 on 11

If I create a message with any of the other phones and Me! (a contact I created with my own number), then I'm able to send messages to individuals, and be sure I know which of the 3 I'm messaging.

I've considered turning off imessage all together on my phone and seeing if that solves the problem until Apple fixes it.

They can't mean to do this or the messages would go to all 3, not one random person out of the three who happened to text me last. This is truly stupid if it's intentional. What a mess.

It's actually not. If it was behaving "correctly" then all people with the same Apple ID would get the same messages, the same way that my husband gets messages on both his iPhone and his iPad, like one big group chat. That might not be so bad. The PROBLEM is that only one of the 3 people will get the message and it's a total crap shoot on which one gets it. It happens to be the last person to message me. And since all the messages are merged into one I can't tell who said what. It's nuts.

backdoc01: It is my understanding that we can no longer "roll back" to a previous version of IOS. If you have a proven way of doing so, could you please advise on the steps? I tried restoring from a previous backup but the phone automatically pulled down the latest ios (12)...which totally defeated the purpose. Thanks in advance!

Yep, mine is doing the exact same thing. Here is my family's phones:

Phone 1 = iPhone 6s, ios 12.0

Phone 2 = iPhone 7, ios 11.2.6

Phone 3 = iPhone 7, ios 11.2.6

Phone 4 = iPhone 7, ios 11.2.6

All are on same Apple ID account.

Messages from phone 1 are combined in one thread with Phones 2, 3, and 4. Phone 1 can only message the last person from Phones 2, 3, or 4. Phones 2, 3, and 4 do not have any combined threads and can message all phones separately. So frustrated!!

Message combining among users who share AppleIDs is not a carrier issue, it's an iOS issue and the behavior may very well be judged "not a bug" as the reasons people share AppleIDs is the reason Family Sharing was invented.

backdoc01 wrote:

As I am waiting for my iOS 11.4.1 ipsw to download and instal, is everyone on AT&T who has this problem or does this cross all carriers?

It is not a "problem". It is behaving EXACTLY as it was designed to do. The problem is sharing IDs. Don't do that. Why is that so difficult for people to get through their skulls and into their gray matter?

If you took the time to look back at this discussion you would see that the problem is happening to groups of people who do not share apple ids as well as those who do. It appears that their primary commonality is making use of the iCloud for more than Finding my iPhone. I have four phones on the same ID, use my laptop for backups, do not use iCloud, and once I signed out all four phones from Apple ID messaging have had no further problems with merging. A bit more effort on your part to understand the issue might help to avoid offering inaccurate sarcasm.