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SMS: Different conversations with a single contact possible?

A

arubinst

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 26, 2008
329
191
Lausanne - Switzerland
Hi there!

I've had my 3G for 6 days and I have a question regarding the (interesting, but so unconventional) SMS system. I've been reading here and googling quite a bit, but haven't been able to find the answer to this (probably silly) question.

I understand (and hate) that a single message cannot be deleted. Instead, the whole conversation must go away. My question is:

Is there any way to "end" a conversation and to start a new one with one contact so that I can, at least, get rid of some messages without having to delete everything related to that particular contact?

Or is a conversation bound to a contact name (or number) and will grow endlessly with time until I decide to delete it (or hit some max number of messages)?

I just can't believe that I am supposed to delete every single message received-from / sent-to a particular contact whenever I want just some pieces of information gone.

Thanks for your help

arubinst
 
You make a really good point, but unfortunately, just as you can't delete a single message, you can't create multiple threads with a single person. :(
 
why would you need to delete text messages ?

sounds like you're up to something sneaky
 
shenaniganz08 said:
why would you need to delete text messages ?

sounds like you're up to something sneaky
Click to expand...

The desire for privacy doesn't necessarily mean that someone is doing something devious or deceptive. Perhaps someone wants to keep some older part of the SMS conversation but delete some newer parts because they are no longer needed or relevant.
 
PoitNarf said:
The desire for privacy doesn't necessarily mean that someone is doing something devious or deceptive. Perhaps someone wants to keep some older part of the SMS conversation but delete some newer parts because they are no longer needed or relevant.
Click to expand...

still sound shady ( girl related) to me :p
 
PoitNarf said:
I'd imagine some sort of error message appears advising that a limit has been reached and some messages need to be deleted.
Click to expand...

That's when not being able to delete selected one's could be a problem. Sounds like now if you have to delete the entire thread with a contact.

I don't use texting too much, but this application does seem to be very basic. They really need to add some editing features.
 
shenaniganz08 said:
why would you need to delete text messages ?

sounds like you're up to something sneaky
Click to expand...
I text all the time with my best friend, and some others. I like to keep some texts, but delete the ones that say "k" or "call me" or "meeting, can't talk" or the like. Those are useless, but I don't want to delete the entire conversation.
 
I think a good way to implement it would be to incorporate some of the features from the email application. Add an edit button to the top of a conversation. Once this is pressed, every message slightly enlarges and has a dot next to it that you can select and delete that individual message. Not only would this work for exactly the function you want, but it would be fun to try to delete texts from a conversation in order to make it look as if the conversation was about something completely different.
 
StingerT125 said:
I'll never reach that amount, but does anyone know what happens when it is reached?
Click to expand...

I sadly, might just have reached the limit.

The oldest SMS messages in a conversation are automatically deleted. IE- I've never deleted my conversation with one of my friends, and it only shows texts from August 15 and forward with them. It doesn't delete individual conversations though, as I have texts from December 2007 on my phone, so just the larger convos get moderated.
 
shenaniganz08 said:
why would you need to delete text messages ?
Click to expand...
To me, the question is "why can't I do it?"

shenaniganz08 said:
sounds like you're up to something sneaky
Click to expand...
Wow... you really have a dirty mind there... :)

So, you really can't think of a not sneaky reason to delete some messages selectively?

You see... Some messages have important information that I like to keep. And some (many) are just garbage like "ok", "yes", "no", "please", "tomorrow", "now", "later", "good night", "good morning", "I can't go", "I'll be late", "never", "I can't right now", ... etc, etc, etc....

I would like to be able to keep the relevant or meaningful messages and get rid of the others that:

- Will grow the SMS inbox to a point where IMPORTANT information will have to be deleted
- Will not allow me to locate quickly and easily the IMPORTANT information that I'm looking for

And then, the other reason is that this information is MY information, and I would like to do whatever I want with it. If I want to delete a part, and keep another, just because I feel like it, I want to be able to do it.

At least, having a way to start new conversations would make a lot of sense. This whole idea of organizing SMS in conversations is very clever, but creating different conversations with the same contact or deleting individual texts seems very important in my context.

Arubinst
 
And if we can't delete selected sms messages leaving the important ones, at least let us copy and paste that information somewhere else ;)
 
I agree it's totally stupid.

Another problem is that the contact info and call contact buttons are only shown at the top of an SMS thread and we all know how long it can take to navigate long lists on the iPhone... (another flaw in the OS which urgently needs fixing I might add).

I think it should be possible to click on each individual SMS bubble to zoom to its own page, which would display all the precise information about the text (i.e. the exact time it was sent and by who) plus options to forward the text, delete it, email its contents or reply to it (the latter would send you back to the previous page i.e. the conversation).

Furthermore, there could be an edit button at the top of each conversation that allows to bulk delete messages, as someone mentioned above. And, while we're at it, allow numbers given in texts to be added/appended to contacts (in the absence of copy/paste) rather than simply allow you to call it.

Now that would bring it more in line with other phones!

Right, now we just need Apple to make that damn MMS app... :D
 
yeah, im hitting on some sister of a friend, i want to delete the more flirty ones so in case my friend reads them... (yet i did promise to look and not touch(jailbait till feb.....)):D
 
johnnyjibbs said:
I agree it's totally stupid.

Another problem is that the contact info and call contact buttons are only shown at the top of an SMS thread and we all know how long it can take to navigate long lists on the iPhone... (another flaw in the OS which urgently needs fixing I might add.
Click to expand...

Just in case you diddnt know. Double tap the status bar at the top of the screen (basically the time) to instantly get to the top of any page in any native iPhone app. Too get back to the bottom start typing another text.

But everything else you brought up holds true.
 
johnnyjibbs said:
Another problem is that the contact info and call contact buttons are only shown at the top of an SMS thread and we all know how long it can take to navigate long lists on the iPhone... (another flaw in the OS which urgently needs fixing I might add).

I think it should be possible to click on each individual SMS bubble to zoom to its own page, which would display all the precise information about the text (i.e. the exact time it was sent and by who) plus options to forward the text, delete it, email its contents or reply to it (the latter would send you back to the previous page i.e. the conversation).

Furthermore, there could be an edit button at the top of each conversation that allows to bulk delete messages, as someone mentioned above. And, while we're at it, allow numbers given in texts to be added/appended to contacts (in the absence of copy/paste) rather than simply allow you to call it.
Click to expand...

Well said. Isn't there some way of putting these sensible suggestions to Apple so that they might be implemented?
 
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