[Updated] iMessage 'out of order messages' bug plaguing devices running iOS 11.2.x

Update (June 27):

We are getting reports that even iOS 11.4 did not cure the issue form root.

Update (May 30):

iOS 11.4 fixes the iMessage ‘out of order messages’ bug. More information here.

Update (March 31): Bad news. A lot of users in the following Reddit thread are confirming the iMessage out of order problem isn’t resolved for them in iOS 11.3.

Update (March 30): iOS 11.3 is out, and several users are reporting the iMessage out of order issue is fixed.

https://twitter.com/hoops78910/status/979442229319274496

https://twitter.com/rickscully/status/979478250371022853

Confusingly, at-least one user said the problem still persists for them:

Developing…..

Update (March 28): At-least a couple of users have confirmed on Reddit that the problem has been resolved in iOS 11.3 beta 6.

Update (February 20): Apple has started pushing out iOS 11.2.6, and several users are confirming their iMessages are still out of order – see here and here.

https://twitter.com/jordanborth/status/966059046343081984
https://twitter.com/bgaskill3/status/965961225728417792

Update (January 30): Finally, the mainstream tech media has also highlighted the problem. In a story published last week, TNW covered the issue in detail, and later updated the story to reflect that Apple has included a fix for the problem in the macOS High Sierra 10.13.3 update – see Apple’s support page here.

Meanwhile, users of Apple’s mobile OS continue to report the problem, even on the latest iOS 11.2.5.

Update (January 16):

A complainant shared that the problem got resolved after an Apple tech support person asked them to perform the following steps:

1. Settings > General > Date&Time.
2. Disable “Set Automatically, choose a random time zone.
3. Open Messages app and then force quit the messages app. (Double click home button, swipe up on app)
4. Go back to Settings > General > Date&Time.
5. Enable Set automatically.

Not sure if this would work for everyone, but you can still give the solution a try.

Update (January 10):

A Community Specialist at Apple forums called the issue fixed with iOS 11.2.1. Here’s what the expert said:

The good news is, this issue has been resolved with the recent iOS release 11.2.1

But a lot of users are still complaining about the problem, and many of them are on 11.2.2. So we are not sure whether or not the issue has been actually fixed.

Let us know in the comments section below, if the issue is fixed for you.

Original Story below:

Latest iOS versions – especially iOS 11.2.1 – have a lot of problems. While many have already been highlighted, a new issue has now come to light. Basically, text messages in iMessage (Apple’s default messaging app) are messing up – not being displayed in the correct order.

There are hundreds of complaints spread across the official Apple help forum and Reddit, noting that conversations in the iMessage app aren’t arriving/showing in the correct chronological order. Specifically, the response from the other person (recipient) is somehow listed above the message that was responded to. As a result, sender usually overlooks (or misses out on) replies.

To get a better understanding of the issue, take a look at the following user shared screenshot of some texts exchanged through the iMessage app. If you observe closely, you’ll find that the last reply – “Sure” – is being displayed before the message to which it was replied.

Here’s how the user who shared the picture explained the issue:

Not only help forums, even Twitter is flooded with complaints. Take a look at some of the latest tweets pointing out the aforementioned glitch:

https://twitter.com/bmr620/status/945732261416132608
https://twitter.com/FridaySoiree/status/945910429506785281
https://twitter.com/Bre_Hollings/status/945803291665096704
https://twitter.com/jared_harlan/status/945770164829806592
https://twitter.com/dblev3773/status/945803217677553664
https://twitter.com/jmeaspls/status/945728021926998016
https://twitter.com/GommiOfficial/status/945426149206831104
https://twitter.com/Meilss_Crosta/status/944999245928652801
https://twitter.com/PhilTBH/status/944328890864021505
https://twitter.com/rachelleecraig/status/942475345667723265
https://twitter.com/_inside/status/941795358576955392
https://twitter.com/Crypto_Monkeyo/status/944310377810186247

It’s worth mentioning that the problem is not triggered by the 11.2.1 update, but was originally reported after the arrival of 11.2 (which rolled out in the first week of December). Turns out, it wasn’t fixed then, and crawled in to 11.2.1. Here are some of the tweets complaining about the same issue on iOS 11.2.

https://twitter.com/psylum/status/940757953933709312
https://twitter.com/jonelf/status/940628795375144961
https://twitter.com/MRougemont/status/939904270840811520

Officially, the Cupertino based company hasn’t said anything on the matter yet. But we hope that’ll happen soon, and a fix should be arriving in near future. Meanwhile, we are keeping a close watch on related developments, and will keep you posted.

Apple Community 1 2 3 4 5 | Reddit 1 2 3 4

PiunikaWeb is a unique initiative that focuses on investigative journalism. This means we do a lot of hard work to come up with news stories that are either ‘exclusive’ or ‘breaking’ in nature. Perhaps that’s the reason our work has been picked by the likes of Forbes, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and more. Do take a tour of our website to get a feel of our work. And if you like what we do, stay connected with us on Twitter (@PiunikaWeb) and other social media channels to receive timely updates on stories we publish.