IOS 12 combining text messages

Just delete all conversations on phones using the same Apple ID and anyone having the combined texts on their phone texting your phones.

Try deleting history on all family devices not just your phone

Just a Band-Aid to the issue at hand, I have found when I ask Siri to text someone specific in my family, it goes to that family member. If I try to do it manually it gets lost in the shuffle.

What loss of data do you anticipate? If each person has their own ID and you use Family Sharing there shouldn’t be any loss of data.

I am having the same issue as well and opened a different thread called "Text messages going to wrong recipients after iOS12 upgrade." There are four of us on the same Apple account. Per the suggestions from my thread I have slowly been seperating the accounts. We are now on different Apple accounts. One of us is still using the original account. The problem is persisting however. I was txting fine with my son last night after creating a brand new account for him. However this morning after txting my daughter, the history of his txt is now within my daughter's history. It's very fustrating. Also per the suggestion of posting I will be cleaning up our contacts next by deleting the other members of our family. Other things I've tried: deleting all txting history, turning off Handoff, editing the contacts for my family. I also want to add that I am the only one with the issue and the only one who updaed to iOS12.

Totally incorrect...this is only true since family sharing was added as a feature. Before that Apple allowed/permitted/suggested shared Apple ID's to share apps, music, etc. After family sharing was added they are trying to force everyone into a separate ID....we tried that several times but Apple's servers have a bug and would not let my wife have her own after we shared. This is pure B.S. and Apple better fix. The issue isn't that this is how this should work, combining messages for same Apple ID's...its sporadic...does it sometimes and then after deleting conversations it separates them again, for a while then does it again...that's pure bug...this is not the user's fault...fix this Apple!

Deleting the conversations on all family devices seems to have worked for us. Everyone being pedantic about how you’re not all supposed to use the same Apple ID— it may have caused the problem but it had nothing do with fixing it.

Phil,

This is not limited to iMessages. I was having this issue, so I turned iMessage off. I continue to have my text thread with my wife combined with my younger daughter's. I have confirmed iMessage is not being used on my phone, by the green bubbles in the text thread. I believe this is an issue with IOS 12.

Wow, perhaps Apple could take some "how to clearly state something" lessons from you.

This is unclear?

https://appleid.apple.com/faq/#!&page=faq

That they do not prevent you from sharing Apple IDs is an acknowledgement they can't possibly prevent it.

They clearly do advise against it.

Xenos8 wrote:

KiltedTim thanks for the input. I get the fact that Apple never supported sharing ids. The all of a sudden is with iOS 12. Everything was fine until I updated. Also, my family has not updated and their phones are fine. Our Apple accounts are now separate but the issue persists on my phone where txts are combined between my daughter and son.

Things change in this world. Get used to it.

Once you make the mistake of sharing an Apple ID, it usually takes more effort than simply creating separate ones. The correct procedure has been documented many times so I won't repeat it here.

This is a terrible problem. I have 4 family members (myself and three kids) on a single icloud account. My wife has a separate icloud account. After upgrading their phones to iOS12, my wife started reporting that the wrong messages were going to the wrong kids. I had not updated my phone yet (work phone) so I seemed unaffected. Did the usual; make sure only configured to send/receive from their respective phone numbers, signed out of icloud. I even created separate icloud accounts for all the kids but it still threads messages or sends them to the wrong phone. All phones do use the same account for iTunes purchases, perhaps this is an issue. After creating new icloud accounts for everyone I deleted all messages from all family members to each other - individual and group - from everyone's phone. Issue persists. I have even seen the header of a text message switch names from "Kid A" to "Kid B" as I watched. Apple needs to fix this problem. There is no justifiable explanation for it to work this way intentionally.

darrinofmaplewood wrote:

Philly_Phan wrote:

Those of us that followed Apple's instructions not to share Apple IDs are having zero, nada, zip, diddly-squat, nothing, zilch, bupkus problems. There is absolutely no benefit to a shared ID and it does cause problems. Unfortunately, Apple is unable to prevent users from ignoring instructions.

Configure your devices correctly and your problem will go bye-bye.

Philly_Phan, I'm sorry but that is simply not true. You also could be affected if you communicate with others who are sharing an Apple ID. You may not understand that just because YOU don't share your ID doesn't mean that others don't and if YOU try to message them YOUR messages may go to the wrong recipient.

I know the point you are trying to make, but please understand that sharing an Apple ID has worked for people for many years and they are frustrated because the issue feels like it's from the update and not from something they were doing wrong.

If you are going to be helpful to people, please try to enlighten them as to why they are having issue and not belittle them for what you perceive as their wrongdoing.

Yes it is true. Persons that are sharing an Apple ID are causing you problems. Apple does not have the legal authority to force them to configure their iPhones correctly. Simply because they lucked out without problems for several years changes zero, nada, zip, diddly-squat, nothing, zilch, bupkus.

@bobatrek

"With a separate ID for each family member being the fix, how does Apple suggest we limit our teens App Store downloads since they have their own ID?"

There is a setting in Family Share that requires them to ask permission for app store purchases.

That is fine but from what I have seen getting separate IDs does not fix the issue completely. It may prevent other issues but this needs to be fixed ASAP and then make sure that everyone has their own ID.

I have had an iPhone since the original iPhone went on sale. Back then, there was no way to have separate Apple ID’s for each family member, so I do not think it’s accurate to say that it has never been supported. That being said, we got our teen aged daughter her own Apple ID a year or so ago, and my messages to her are being combined with my messages to my husband.