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Posted By: plantsower Can't delete just one text - 01/02/22 06:06 PM
Something weird has been happening the past couple of days. When I go to delete one text out of 3 on my Mac, they all get deleted! Each text has an "x" on it to press and click to delete. Some of those texts I wanted to keep for a day or two until the conversation was finished. Any idea what's going on or what I can do about it? I haven't changed any of my settings.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/02/22 09:27 PM
Are these texts with the x on their corner in the Messages application or are they appearing at the upper right corner of your screen? If it is the latter...
  1. navigate to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus > Notifications
  2. scroll down the list of apps in the left hand pane and click on Messages
  3. at the bottom of the right hand pane in the Notification grouping drop down menu, select OFF
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/03/22 01:55 AM
On the left is the list of texts. Each one has an "x" so that it can be deleted separately from all the others. It seems to be hit and miss, but there are times when I click the "x" on one text and they all disappear! This has never happened before.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Are these texts with the x on their corner in the Messages application or are they appearing at the upper right corner of your screen? If it is the latter...
  1. navigate to System Preferences > Notifications & Focus > Notifications
  2. scroll down the list of apps in the left hand pane and click on Messages
  3. at the bottom of the right hand pane in the Notification grouping drop down menu, select OFF
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/03/22 02:29 AM
Originally Posted by plantsower
On the left is the list of texts. Each one has an "x" so that it can be deleted separately from all the others. It seems to be hit and miss, but there are times when I click the "x" on one text and they all disappear! This has never happened before.
In my Messages window, also 10.15.7, the left column is a list of the people to whom I've sent messages, each of whom has an attached "x," clicking upon which deletes the entire conversation with that person. I don't see any "x"s that enable me to delete individual texts.

Or am I misunderstanding "they all?" Does it mean all messages in a particular conversation or all conversations?
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/03/22 02:59 AM
In my Messages window, also 10.15.7, the left column is a list of the people to whom I've sent messages, each of whom has an attached "x," clicking upon which deletes the entire conversation with that person. I don't see any "x"s that enable me to delete individual texts.


Or am I misunderstanding "they all?" Does it mean all messages in a particular conversation or all conversations? [/quote]

All conversations. I may have a list of 2 or 3 different people that I am texting. When I click the "x" to delete one of them, they all disappear (at times).
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 12:08 AM
Any chance that you've tested this in your test user account?

I've got a thought, but I'd lke to get past that first.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 12:37 AM
Nope, it didn't enter my mind. The next time it happens though, I will. I will send myself some texts and then check. Thanks.


Originally Posted by artie505
Any chance that you've tested this in your test user account?

I've got a thought, but I'd lke to get past that first.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 11:51 AM
Originally Posted by plantsower
Nope, it didn't enter my mind. The next time it happens though, I will. I will send myself some texts and then check. Thanks.
If it happens once, can you count on its happening a second time, i.e. now that I asked, I wonder if the test account will tell you anything on a one shot basis. You may have to work from it for a while. (How frequently does it happen?)
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 05:41 PM
It happened for two or three days and then it stopped!


Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
Nope, it didn't enter my mind. The next time it happens though, I will. I will send myself some texts and then check. Thanks.
If it happens once, can you count on its happening a second time, i.e. now that I asked, I wonder if the test account will tell you anything on a one shot basis. You may have to work from it for a while. (How frequently does it happen?)
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 05:51 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
It happened for two or three days and then it stopped!
That's odd!

Let's see what happens next time it happens...if there is a next time.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/04/22 06:15 PM
Right. I hope not. It was very disconcerting! Another odd thing that happened was when I sent myself a couple of texts to test it from my regular account, I received a "text" from me with the word "STOP" on it. You know, like when you don't want to receive another text from an unknown texter or a company, you can text back STOP and you won't get another one? That was so weird because I know I didn't text STOP, I texted "testing." I just tried it again and got the word "testing" like I sent. Then in another few seconds I got a text from me that said "stop please." What?

Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
It happened for two or three days and then it stopped!
That's odd!

Let's see what happens next time it happens...if there is a next time.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 04:09 AM
Originally Posted by plantsower
...I didn't text STOP, I texted "testing." I just tried it again and got the word "testing" like I sent. Then in another few seconds I got a text from me that said "stop please." What?
It's like your messages were going to both you and someone else at the same time.

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 04:25 AM
Yep. I can see where you and Joe think myself and Kevs are alike. I looked at Kevs posts, and they are weird like mine at times.


Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
...I didn't text STOP, I texted "testing." I just tried it again and got the word "testing" like I sent. Then in another few seconds I got a text from me that said "stop please." What?
It's like your messages were going to both you and someone else at the same time.

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 04:30 AM
This is off topic but it's aimed at you, Artie. I know it looks like we can't do private messages, but when I click on Private Message under your profile, it says "Creating useful topics/replies in the forums will increase your member level and allow you to create new Private Topics." That was when I pretended to try to private message you. Does that mean if I had useful answers I could private message someone? Can you? Your answers are useful but I don't give answers except once, I think.



Originally Posted by artie505
Originally Posted by plantsower
...I didn't text STOP, I texted "testing." I just tried it again and got the word "testing" like I sent. Then in another few seconds I got a text from me that said "stop please." What?
It's like your messages were going to both you and someone else at the same time.

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 04:50 AM
Originally Posted by plantsower
This is off topic but it's aimed at you, Artie. I know it looks like we can't do private messages, but when I click on Private Message under your profile, it says "Creating useful topics/replies in the forums will increase your member level and allow you to create new Private Topics." That was when I pretended to try to private message you. Does that mean if I had useful answers I could private message someone? Can you? Your answers are useful but I don't give answers except once, I think.
To the best of my knowledge, private messaging has been turned off other than for Mods since day one of FTM.
I'll guess that "Creating...." is "boiler plate" that doesn't apply to our circumstances but can't be gotten rid of.
(Do you want to message me? If so, I'll post an email address.)
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 04:53 AM
I don't need to message you at this time, but there are times when I wish I could. So, yeah, an email address would be nice. Thanks, Artie.

(Do you want to message me? If so, I'll post an email address.) [/quote]
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 01:59 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
I don't need to message you at this time, but there are times when I wish I could. So, yeah, an email address would be nice. Thanks, Artie.

(Do you want to message me? If so, I'll post an email address.)

FYI FineTundMac intentionally disabled Private Messaging to discourage off-forum trouble shooting. The idea is with public — on-forum — troubleshooting everyone who reads the thread can benefit from the process and hopefully the eventual solution, but once you go off-forum only the participants ever benefit. Obviously we cannot prevent the practice but we urge you to continue to do your troubleshooting and problem solving on-forum.

(Besides that, I want to know where the heck Rita's Stop messages are coming from. smile I assume there is a commonly accepted protocol, agreement, standard behind it. confused )
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/05/22 06:18 PM
Hi Joe: I get your reasoning, but most forums allow private messaging. The reason I wanted it in the past was because I've thought about sending my older Mac to someone who would have fun trying to make it work better. I've mentioned that a couple of times on the boards and no one commented. The reason I thought it should be in a private message is because maybe someone would want to take me up on it and not want to send their personal address where everyone could see it.

A far as the STOP message, you do know that when someone sends you a text you can text STOP if you don't want it from them anymore, right? I learned that from companies I have dealt with like pharmacies, etc. They always include "If you don't want to receive anymore text messages from us, text STOP." So I do that occasionally. The weirdest thing about the STOP message I got was that the first time it said "STOP" and the second time I tried it, it said "Stop please." It was more polite the second time. LOL! Twilight zone stuff.


[quote=joemikeb][quote=plantsower]I don't need to message you at this time, but there are times when I wish I could. So, yeah, an email address would be nice. Thanks, Artie.

Obviously we cannot prevent the practice but we urge you to continue to do your troubleshooting and problem solving on-forum.

Well, obviously you CAN prevent the practice because it's disabled. That's troubling to me. Its got that "We know what's best for you" tone. frown
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/07/22 01:04 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
I don't need to message you at this time, but there are times when I wish I could. So, yeah, an email address would be nice. Thanks, Artie.
This is the email address I use when I know it's at risk of being picked up by spammers, so I'm not uncomfortable using it here: eqjones@verizon.net

I had to disable my "delete immediately" rule on this mailbox to make this work, but if you send me a quick test email I can adjust it to exclude you.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/07/22 01:30 PM
Originally Posted by joemikeb
FYI FineTundMac intentionally disabled Private Messaging to discourage off-forum trouble shooting.
And, as I believe you've said previously (and not the least bit unreasonably), to save on bandwidth.

As regards troubleshooting, though, at this point, the cast of regular posters who may want to take advantage of the feature is pretty well known, and I suspect that we can all be counted on to follow the "rules."

Originally Posted by joemikeb
(Besides that, I want to know where the heck Rita's Stop messages are coming from. smile I assume there is a commonly accepted protocol, agreement, standard behind it. confused )
I don't get it either. confused

The "Please" makes it sound like Rita's test messages were going to someone who didn't want them - maybe didn't even know who she is - and finally added the emphasis to "Stop," but she says the messages are coming from herself? 2 x confused
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/07/22 07:14 PM
I must have an alter ego or a doppelgänger. Yes, I only sent it to myself. I checked the phone number. Maybe try it yourself on your Mac and see what happens. Though I've sent stuff to myself before and this never happened. I sent it from myself on my Mac, not from my phone.

The "Please" makes it sound like Rita's test messages were going to someone who didn't want them - maybe didn't even know who she is - and finally added the emphasis to "Stop," but she says the messages are coming from herself? 2 x confused [/quote]
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/07/22 08:52 PM
Thinking out Loud

I have occasionally seen message that say
Quote
Reply STOP to quit receiving these messages
or something to that effect and as much as I hate to admit assumed it was a service provided by the message originator, and replying STOP would result in my name being removed from the originators mailing list. Indeed, a DuckDuckGo search for "reply stop to sms" turns up two different groups of hits
  1. warnings against replying to those messages because it identifies your number as "alive" and sms capable.
  2. bulk messaging firms advertising the recognition of a STOP reply as a feature of their service. This has been subjected to legal action.

Plantsower's receiving the notification with messages she sent to herself would appear to indicate that somehow a third party, perhaps her telephone company, a smart router, or even Messages has managed to get in on the act. With email the message headers provide a mechanism for tracking the various servers a message has passed through and perhaps provide a trail of crumbs, But there is no such mechanism in SMS or Messages. Unfortunately intermittent issues such as this are notoriously hard to trace and require a lot of patience to resolve.

At this point the best I can offer are questions, and a request:
  • Question: Was the text sent to an email address or telephone number?
  • Question: Is that email address or telephone number associated with your Apple ID?
  • Request: can you capture a screenshot the next time the message appears[/b] and post it so we can see it?
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/07/22 11:48 PM
At this point the best I can offer are questions, and a request:
  • Question: Was the text sent to an email address or telephone number? Telephone number.
  • Question: Is that email address or telephone number associated with your Apple ID? I just looked up my Apple ID info and they do have my current phone number.
  • Request: can you capture a screenshot the next time the message appears[/b] and post it so we can see it?
[/quote] I just tried it again but I didn't get the stop message. If I do in the future, I will screenshoot it.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/08/22 04:14 PM
Question: When you send a text message to yourself using your telephone number as the address, what color is the outgoing message box?
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/08/22 11:42 PM
Hey, I never got this in my email!!! It's green.

Originally Posted by joemikeb
Question: When you send a text message to yourself using your telephone number as the address, what color is the outgoing message box?
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 01:40 AM
That means your message is being routed as an SMS message. If it were going via iMassage the bubble would be blue. That in turn leads me to suspect some sort of blocker/filter/etc. at your cellular phone provider as a cause of your inexplicable messages.

Look at the entry for your name in Contacts:
  • Are the email address and telephone number associated with your Apple ID listed?
  • Is there a "me" icon next to your name in the contacts list?

If the answer to either or both of those is NO, that needs to be corrected.

If you have an iPhone be sure that in Settings > iCloud > and likewise on your Mac in System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud Drive > OPTIONS — be sure Messages is turned ON and it won't hut to have Contacts turned on in both places as well. This won't effect the inexplicable STOP notifications, but it will assure your messages are synchronized between your devices and has no attached cost or risk.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 03:29 AM
Look at the entry for your name in Contacts:
  • Are the email address and telephone number associated with your Apple ID listed? They are now. The phone number was in my contacts, and the email was previously, but I have recently changed my email address for my apple ID so I just changed it in my contacts.
  • Is there a "me" icon next to your name in the contacts list? My initials are next to my name in a gray circle if that's what you mean.


If the answer to either or both of those is NO, that needs to be corrected.

If you have an iPhone be sure that in Settings > iCloud > and likewise on your Mac in System Preferences > Apple ID > iCloud Drive > OPTIONS — be sure Messages is turned ON and it won't hut to have Contacts turned on in both places as well. This won't effect the inexplicable STOP notifications, but it will assure your messages are synchronized between your devices and has no attached cost or risk. [/quote] I know that you may find this weird, but when I went to iCloud Drive on my Mac, contacts was in the list but not Messages. I checked "contacts." When I clicked on Options, neither one was listed there. I went ahead and turned them on in iPhone though.
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 02:16 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
They are now. The phone number was in my contacts, and the email was previously, but I have recently changed my email address for my apple ID so I just changed it in my contacts.
[*]Is there a "me" icon next to your name in the contacts list? My initials are next to my name in a gray circle if that's what you mean.
Follow these instructions to set up "My Card" in contacts

Originally Posted by plantsower
I know that you may find this weird, but when I went to iCloud Drive on my Mac, contacts was in the list but not Messages. I checked "contacts." When I clicked on Options, neither one was listed there. I went ahead and turned them on in iPhone though.
Not weird, just an elderly version of MacOS. If you didn't find Messages, is iMessage in the list on your Mac? If so turn it ON.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 06:37 PM
Follow these instructions to set up "My Card" in contacts. There is no My Card listed there.

Originally Posted by plantsower
I know that you may find this weird, but when I went to iCloud Drive on my Mac, contacts was in the list but not Messages. I checked "contacts." When I clicked on Options, neither one was listed there. I went ahead and turned them on in iPhone though.
Not weird, just an elderly version of MacOS. If you didn't find Messages, is iMessage in the list on your Mac? If so turn it ON. [/quote]

I mean Messages (I know Messages and iMessage is the same thing) is turned on because I use it. But it's not listed where you told me to look in iCloud in system prefs.


I also just noticed that when I merged everything yesterday, I lost some of my contacts in my Mac though they are still in my iPhone contacts.
Posted By: artie505 Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 08:20 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
I mean Messages (I know Messages and iMessage is the same thing) is turned on because I use it. But it's not listed where you told me to look in iCloud in system prefs.
Nor on my installation running the same 10.15.7. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posted By: joemikeb Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 11:05 PM
Originally Posted by plantsower
Follow these instructions to set up "My Card" in contacts. There is no My Card listed there.
Color me confused The title of the referenced Apple article is Set up your My Card in Contacts on Mac and the content is a step by step on setting one up. As you already have a card that can be used, just scroll down the page and under the heading [I]View My card you will find an example of what the "Me Icon" looks like and a little further down under Make Changes To Your Card there are instructions on how to make a given Contact card into "My card" and details of how that gets linked between devices.

Originally Posted by plantsower
I also just noticed that when I merged everything yesterday, I lost some of my contacts in my Mac though they are still in my iPhone contacts.
Give it some time to. settle but unless you turn iCloud > Contacts ON in your Mac the contacts will not synch between you iPhone and Mac. Log onto your iCloud account and see which device's Contacts are synchronized with iCloud.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/09/22 11:26 PM
Will do when I get a chance. Thank you.


Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by plantsower
Follow these instructions to set up "My Card" in contacts. There is no My Card listed there.
Color me confused The title of the referenced Apple article is Set up your My Card in Contacts on Mac and the content is a step by step on setting one up. As you already have a card that can be used, just scroll down the page and under the heading [I]View My card you will find an example of what the "Me Icon" looks like and a little further down under Make Changes To Your Card there are instructions on how to make a given Contact card into "My card" and details of how that gets linked between devices.

Originally Posted by plantsower
I also just noticed that when I merged everything yesterday, I lost some of my contacts in my Mac though they are still in my iPhone contacts.
Give it some time to. settle but unless you turn iCloud > Contacts ON in your Mac the contacts will not synch between you iPhone and Mac. Log onto your iCloud account and see which device's Contacts are synchronized with iCloud.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 01/10/22 03:52 AM
Okay, this time I found "My Card." Funny, when I clicked on it, it showed a card of mine (I had two) that isn't in my contacts anymore after merging, but it showed up in My Card! I checked iCloud and I should be synched with my iPhone and my other Mac according to what is shown. Also, in that my card the "make this my card" was grayed out. I supposed I can just delete my cards and start over.



Originally Posted by joemikeb
Originally Posted by plantsower
Follow these instructions to set up "My Card" in contacts. There is no My Card listed there.
Color me confused The title of the referenced Apple article is Set up your My Card in Contacts on Mac and the content is a step by step on setting one up. As you already have a card that can be used, just scroll down the page and under the heading [I]View My card you will find an example of what the "Me Icon" looks like and a little further down under Make Changes To Your Card there are instructions on how to make a given Contact card into "My card" and details of how that gets linked between devices.

Originally Posted by plantsower
I also just noticed that when I merged everything yesterday, I lost some of my contacts in my Mac though they are still in my iPhone contacts.
Give it some time to. settle but unless you turn iCloud > Contacts ON in your Mac the contacts will not synch between you iPhone and Mac. Log onto your iCloud account and see which device's Contacts are synchronized with iCloud.
Posted By: plantsower Re: Can't delete just one text - 03/10/22 07:01 PM
Well, I thought I was done with this, but it's happening again. My Mac and my iPhone both show the same texts. I like that. But usually when I delete them from one device I have to separately delete them from the other device. I like that, too. Today I deleted some texts from my iPhone. It then deleted them from my Mac without my permission. Sometimes when this happens, I can quit Messages on my mac then go back in, and they reappear on my mac. (Of course this is usually when I delete one message off my macbook and then they all disappear.) This time it didn't. I'm so mad! mad I didn't want the ones on my Mac deleted because that's where I do most of my texting, and I had conversations going. I have everything sent to "forever" so I don't get it.



Originally Posted by plantsower
Something weird has been happening the past couple of days. When I go to delete one text out of 3 on my Mac, they all get deleted! Each text has an "x" on it to press and click to delete. Some of those texts I wanted to keep for a day or two until the conversation was finished. Any idea what's going on or what I can do about it? I haven't changed any of my settings.
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