Read iMessages handling

[IvanX]

What cheeses me off with current iteration of iMessage service, and what I hope they wil fix with the next one (preferably iOS 6), is how read iMessages are handled.

Case in point: during the day I tend to use my iPhone. I get a bunch of iMessages and I respond to them. However, when I use my iPad in the evening (it's offline during the day), those same iMessages flood back in as push notifications as if I've never seen them before. iMessage server knows what iMessages I have read and which ones I have not because, when both devices are connected and a new message arrives, reading it on one marks it as read on the other. Same treatment does not seem to be administered when refreshing iM conversation threads.

Whereas I am supposed to be able to pick up where I left off, akin to moving between 2 rooms while watching the same movie, I have to bear through equivalent of fast forwarding from where I was when I left this room last time and where I paused in the room I just came from. Personally, I would expect iMessage to silently update my conversations, reflecting unread message count as applicable.

 

[Luddicus]

Yes, my friend, this has finally come to an end in iOS 6. A big relief, isn't it?

 

[rabbitjetta]

I am running iOS 6 beta on my ipad and it still does this... i dont think that they are going to fix it.

 

[Vell843]

Have y'all tried (on iPhone) setting, messages, receicve at phone number only? And then on your iPad receicve at your apple ID only? I don't have an iPad, just an iPhone so not 100% sure if this will work?

 

[VTECaddict]

Have y'all tried (on iPhone) setting, messages, receicve at phone number only? And then on your iPad receicve at your apple ID only? I don't have an iPad, just an iPhone so not 100% sure if this will work?

That is not fixing the problem. Then you have to go through the trouble of using, and telling other people to use, different ways to reach you. It's confusing, annoying, and it breaks the continuity of the conversation. The major appeal of iMessage is to have your conversations sync between every device. Only receiving at your number on your phone and at your Apple ID on your iPad/Mac defeats the purpose. Might as well turn off iMessage and use just an IM program on your iPad then.

They had better be fixing this in iOS 6. Otherwise once they link phone numbers to Apple IDs for iMessage, iPads and Macs everywhere will be exploding with notifications when people iMessage with their phone numbers.

 

[Gav2k]

My messages are in perfect sync between my 4s, iPad 3, mini and mb

Obviously I'm on iOS 6 and mlion

 

[IvanX]

My messages are in perfect sync between my 4s, iPad 3, mini and mb

Obviously I'm on iOS 6 and mlion

Are you devices connected to the Internet at all times?

 

[Gav2k]

Are you devices connected to the Internet at all times?

4s, mini and iPad are the mb isn't

 

[IvanX]

4s, mini and iPad are the mb isn't

That's the thing: your iOS devices are online and Apple probably added something to Mountain Lion to cater for such situations. In my scenario, iPhone is connected and iPad is not.

 

[swordfish5736]

when my mba is connected to wifi and asleep powernap receives all the messages as they come and everything is current when i open it up.

my ipad and mba when regaining a connection will go thru a process of downloading all messages and during that process will show some as unread but by the time its downloaded everything the notifications are gone.

It seems that imessage downloads all new messages from the server and then checks to see which ones are unread.

 

[jasonmac21]

Very annoying problem. Happens when my MB connects to the internet.