Home Forums Networks & Cross-Platform Networking Can't delete just one text

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.

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

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?

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).

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.

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?)

That's odd!

Let's see what happens next time it happens...if there is a next time.

It's like your messages were going to both you and someone else at the same time.

Curiouser and curiouser said Alice.

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.)

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]

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. I assume there is a commonly accepted protocol, agreement, standard behind it. )

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.

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.

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."

I don't get it either.

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

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 [/quote]

Thinking out Loud

I have occasionally seen message that say 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?

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.

Question: When you send a text message to yourself using your telephone number as the address, what color is the outgoing message box?

Hey, I never got this in my email!!! It's green.