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Other Can you successfully send an iMessage but have a recipient with an iPhone not receive it?

Starfyre

Starfyre

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Nov 7, 2010
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I sent a text/imessage at 3:00pm (just a simple text, no gifs) and later at 3:30pm send the same text.

The recipient says that they never received the 3:00pm text I sent, only the 3:30pm and took screenshots of their screen/iMessage chat thread. All the text message receive times appear to match up.

This is the first time in history I’ve encountered this issue. Is this even possible? I suspect the recipient deleted my message off their iMessage locally... because on my end the iMessage doesn’t say “Not Delivered” for the one sent at 3:00pm.

Is the recipient lying to me about not receiving my message at 3:00pm? Or is it possible for my message to have been sent out successfully, but they happened to be in a dead zone with their phone during 3:00pm so that they couldn’t receive it (even it appears to not show “Not Delivered” on my end?)

Later on, recipient sends me a screenshot of the correct text order received... but tells me their phone successfully updated the order after they kept scrolling up and the system updated the text message order and filled in the gaps including the 3:00pm message. Also learned recipient is running iOS 11.4 and I am running iOS 12.
 
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Sometimes I’ve sent a successful text through iMessage and the recipient never received it. Sometimes they’ll receive a text way after I’ve sent it ... and sometimes the recipient will receive them way out of order. I know all this because me and my family use iMessage exclusively. iMessage is great, but it’s definitely not perfect. Some of the issues you’re describing have happened to others. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
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Starfyre said:
Later on, recipient sends me a screenshot of the correct text order received... but tells me their phone successfully updated the order after they kept scrolling up and the system updated the text message order and filled in the gaps including the 3:00pm message. Also learned recipient is running iOS 11.4 and I am running iOS 12.
Click to expand...

This is possible for certain due to syncing issues with iCloud. It happens to me from time to time.

But as someone else suggested if you’re having trust issues with the recipient of your messages that’s more important to address than figuring this one out.

Please try to have uncluttered relationships in real world, it makes life so much easier and better.
 
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I find the mistrust thing carried just a bit too far. $**** happens... sometimes intentional, sometimes bad day, etc.

And sometimes people delete things and do not know they did it. I have watched it happen.
 
Starfyre said:
I sent a text/imessage at 3:00pm (just a simple text, no gifs) and later at 3:30pm send the same text.

The recipient says that they never received the 3:00pm text I sent, only the 3:30pm and took screenshots of their screen/iMessage chat thread. All the text message receive times appear to match up.

This is the first time in history I’ve encountered this issue. Is this even possible? I suspect the recipient deleted my message off their iMessage locally... because on my end the iMessage doesn’t say “Not Delivered” for the one sent at 3:00pm.

Is the recipient lying to me about not receiving my message at 3:00pm? Or is it possible for my message to have been sent out successfully, but they happened to be in a dead zone with their phone during 3:00pm so that they couldn’t receive it (even it appears to not show “Not Delivered” on my end?)

Later on, recipient sends me a screenshot of the correct text order received... but tells me their phone successfully updated the order after they kept scrolling up and the system updated the text message order and filled in the gaps including the 3:00pm message. Also learned recipient is running iOS 11.4 and I am running iOS 12.
Click to expand...

Technical hiccups happen. I changed my iCloud password once, and even though all my devices were logged in with the new password and everything should have been in sync, there were a few messages during a brief period that I sent/received on my iPad, which still have not appeared on my iPhone.

But in any case, you know the person, the situation, and the context. The most anyone here can tell you is that it's probably not impossible that they didn't receive or somehow honestly missed the message for some reason, but you no doubt have a better sense of whether it's more likely that they lied about it.
 
I have had issues with imessages not being received by others.
Main reason i use whatsapp 99% of the time.
 
nostresshere said:
And sometimes people delete things and do not know they did it. I have watched it happen.
Click to expand...

It’s impossible to delete a specific message unknowingly. Mistrust creates unwanted tension and problems in life. Either believe them 100% or cut them out of your life. Ain’t nobody got time to waste behind such pointless crap.
 
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Yes, OP. I have had a many situation where the recipient never received the first iMessage but gets subsequent ones. Sometimes neither one.

Don't know how it happens, but I do know it does happen.
 
akash.nu said:
It’s impossible to delete a specific message unknowingly. Mistrust creates unwanted tension and problems in life. Either believe them 100% or cut them out off your life. Ain’t nobody got time to waste behind such pointless crap.
Click to expand...

That’s why I want to know if the technology is designed to not make mistakes. Usually it would say “Not Delivered” if the message didn’t send out.

Makes me wonder if the recipient was in a dead zone at 3pm... that it might not have actually arrived, but iMessage would not show up as “Not Delivered”
 
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Starfyre said:
That’s why I want to know if the technology is designed to not make mistakes. Usually it would say “Not Delivered” if the message didn’t send out.

Makes me wonder if the recipient was in a dead zone at 3pm... that it might not have actually arrived, but iMessage would not show up as “Not Delivered”
Click to expand...
Nothing in the world is 100% perfect ... especially not iMessage. You’re way overthinking this. Is there some reason you have for not trusting this person? All healthy relationships are built on trust. If you don’t have that, it’s very toxic.
 
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Starfyre said:
That’s why I want to know if the technology is designed to not make mistakes. Usually it would say “Not Delivered” if the message didn’t send out.

Makes me wonder if the recipient was in a dead zone at 3pm... that it might not have actually arrived, but iMessage would not show up as “Not Delivered”
Click to expand...

This is a real possibility if the recipient uses multiple Apple devices connected to the same iCloud account. The text may have been delivered to one of the devices but due to iCloud sync issues, did not appear on the other one at the same time. You’d get a “delivered” notification if it gets delivered to at least one of the devices.
 
I am not sure. I don’t ask for people to confirm every single message with me. I am sure it could happen that a message doesn’t arrive but it says delivered.
[doublepost=1547426884][/doublepost]
Starfyre said:
That’s why I want to know if the technology is designed to not make mistakes. Usually it would say “Not Delivered” if the message didn’t send out.

Makes me wonder if the recipient was in a dead zone at 3pm... that it might not have actually arrived, but iMessage would not show up as “Not Delivered”
Click to expand...
I have had messsges show up later if i has my phone off.
 
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Starfyre said:
I sent a text/imessage at 3:00pm (just a simple text, no gifs) and later at 3:30pm send the same text.

The recipient says that they never received the 3:00pm text I sent, only the 3:30pm and took screenshots of their screen/iMessage chat thread. All the text message receive times appear to match up.

This is the first time in history I’ve encountered this issue. Is this even possible? I suspect the recipient deleted my message off their iMessage locally... because on my end the iMessage doesn’t say “Not Delivered” for the one sent at 3:00pm.

Is the recipient lying to me about not receiving my message at 3:00pm? Or is it possible for my message to have been sent out successfully, but they happened to be in a dead zone with their phone during 3:00pm so that they couldn’t receive it (even it appears to not show “Not Delivered” on my end?)

Later on, recipient sends me a screenshot of the correct text order received... but tells me their phone successfully updated the order after they kept scrolling up and the system updated the text message order and filled in the gaps including the 3:00pm message. Also learned recipient is running iOS 11.4 and I am running iOS 12.
Click to expand...
There was an issue with my dad getting iMessage. He was saying it wasn’t received but it says delivered. It’s fixed but it affected us for 2 weeks.
[doublepost=1547430942][/doublepost]
tl01 said:
I am not sure. I don’t ask for people to confirm every single message with me. I am sure it could happen that a message doesn’t arrive but it says delivered.
[doublepost=1547426884][/doublepost]
I have had messsges show up later if i has my phone off.
Click to expand...
That too. A delay.
 
Massive cope. Posts about people “not receiving their iMessage” are always good for a laugh. If someone wants to talk to you they will actively seek you out and get in touch. Communication is a 2-way street and unless you’re *both* into it it’s not worth the mental gymnastics justifying why they don’t want to deal with you.
 
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It's not out of the question for messages to get lost. I would still classify it as rare, given how many thousands of messages people send. I've experienced both people not receiving my messages and me not receiving messages from others. I've also had others receive messages from me days late. I wouldn't worry about it. Again, I think it's infrequent enough to call it rare, but it's definitely an observable thing.
 
Who on Earth under the age of 70 sends iMessages (ie: basically texts) in this day and age??

Is it an American thing?
 
KOTN91 said:
Who on Earth under the age of 70 sends iMessages (ie: basically texts) in this day and age??

Is it an American thing?
Click to expand...

I'm puzzled by this. You don't think people use the built-in instant messenger on the most popular smartphone in the world? I know that in some parts of the world where iPhones aren't quite as ubiquitous because of their price and SMS texting is costly, messaging alternatives like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are the norm, but to answer your question, yes, in the US and Canada, iMessage is pretty common between iPhone users, which is a good portion of the population ranging from pre-teens to the elderly.
 
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KOTN91 said:
Who on Earth under the age of 70 sends iMessages (ie: basically texts) in this day and age??

Is it an American thing?
Click to expand...

From my experience traveling and having friends + family around the globe, it's a Western thing. Things like WhatsApp and Messenger are much more prevalent in eastern countries, Asia and Eastern EU countries. Probably because in 2nd & 3rd world countries, they had SMS limits + mobile providers bundling the use of these apps as free. (Facebook partners with these carriers to aggregate user data.) So it was cheaper to use apps like WhatsApp & FB Messenger.

Joining "groups" also became a thing as more people used these apps which started a sort of cycle. But as we've seen, those groups have been abused an infiltrated causing social issues within some countries.

Incidentally, WhatsApp was started as a response to the dying BBM (Blackberry Message) but as Apple rolled out iMessage, it faded pretty quickly in the Western countries and SMS limits became non-existent.
 
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