Apple details potential fix for mis-ordered iPhone SMS messages
Apple Inc. has responded to complaints from customers who say the recent iPhone 1.1.3 software update has caused their handsets to display text messages out of the order in which they were sent or received.
A lengthy Apple Support discussion thread with over 11,000 views and 200 replies has been active on the matter since the firmware update was first made available to iPhone owners following Steve Jobs's Macworld keynote on January 15th.
"Ever since the 1.1.3 update for the iPhone the SMS application seems to be disordering text messages if you exit and then return to the [SMS] application," one AppleInsider reader explained in an email.
Although the vast majority of affected users appear to be using iPhones on O2's wireless network in the UK, the ongoing discussion thread suggests the problem is not limited to a specific carrier.
For its part, Apple last week posted a support article on the matter, explaining that the issue can occur if an iPhone is not displaying the same date and time setting as its carrier network.
The company advises users to make sure their iPhones are setup to receive the network time automatically from their wireless carriers. To do this, users must choose General > Date & Time and turn Set Automatically to ON.
Apple notes, however, that in some locations, network time may not be available and in some cases, users may not see this option. It also admits that the issue may persist for some users even after turning on time synching.
"The issue may be occurring because messages are being sent in quick succession (more common if the messages consist of only a few short words)," the company said.
At least one customer contacting Apple Care support over the matter was told that a definitive fix -- presumably through a successive software update -- was in the works.
A lengthy Apple Support discussion thread with over 11,000 views and 200 replies has been active on the matter since the firmware update was first made available to iPhone owners following Steve Jobs's Macworld keynote on January 15th.
"Ever since the 1.1.3 update for the iPhone the SMS application seems to be disordering text messages if you exit and then return to the [SMS] application," one AppleInsider reader explained in an email.
Although the vast majority of affected users appear to be using iPhones on O2's wireless network in the UK, the ongoing discussion thread suggests the problem is not limited to a specific carrier.
For its part, Apple last week posted a support article on the matter, explaining that the issue can occur if an iPhone is not displaying the same date and time setting as its carrier network.
The company advises users to make sure their iPhones are setup to receive the network time automatically from their wireless carriers. To do this, users must choose General > Date & Time and turn Set Automatically to ON.
Apple notes, however, that in some locations, network time may not be available and in some cases, users may not see this option. It also admits that the issue may persist for some users even after turning on time synching.
"The issue may be occurring because messages are being sent in quick succession (more common if the messages consist of only a few short words)," the company said.
At least one customer contacting Apple Care support over the matter was told that a definitive fix -- presumably through a successive software update -- was in the works.
Comments
General > Date & Time and turn Set Automatically to ON.
this does not fix the issue
Length of the message doesn't seem to matter as long as its within the same minute.
However, when I try and use the Google Maps locate feature from home, all I get is a pale blue screen. Several pinch zoom outs later, I discover that I'm not actually located in the south of England where I assumed I am, but am in fact in the Arctic Ocean, somewhere north west of Canada.
Who knew
Well myself and my wife both have iPhones on O2's UK network, and we've not seen this SMS issue at all so far.
However, when I try and use the Google Maps locate feature from home, all I get is a pale blue screen. Several pinch zoom outs later, I discover that I'm not actually located in the south of England where I assumed I am, but am in fact in the Arctic Ocean, somewhere north west of Canada.
Who knew
Same difference. Both locations are the middle of nowhere.
"The issue may be occurring because messages are being sent in quick succession (more common if the messages consist of only a few short words)," the company said.
So we become Star Wars "Yoda"?
...and 'How r u, my old friend'
becomes... "u r how, my friend old"
this does not fix the issue
I don't know how O2 is, but Orange doesn't even have this feature on their mobiles. you have to manually set the time.
good luck to all you iPhone users.
Seriously, do they think we're f'ing retarded?
Well myself and my wife both have iPhones on O2's UK network, and we've not seen this SMS issue at all so far.
However, when I try and use the Google Maps locate feature from home, all I get is a pale blue screen. Several pinch zoom outs later, I discover that I'm not actually located in the south of England where I assumed I am, but am in fact in the Arctic Ocean, somewhere north west of Canada.
Who knew
I'm impressed - nobody mentioned that the iPhone can beam you from place to place. Is it a tricorder too?
So, Apple says that, despite upgrading my firmware, my phone will coincidentally behave differently because I'm suddenly "sending messages in quick succession"? And, yeah, Date & Time have always been Set Automatically to On.
Seriously, do they think we're f'ing retarded?
FWIW their explanation can certainly make sense if they changed the sorting of the messages from something like message ID to time sent especially if they're using Core data or some version of sqllite
Old case (possible);
Each message carried an successive id number 1,2,3. Sorting by id number works just fine.
New case (possible)
Each message carries a time, down to the minute. Sorting by time works fine unless two are within the same minute, then some other criteria must be used to complete the sort. If they choose, or the default is, alphabetic then the resulting display could be inverted, but maybe not depending on message content.