How to permanently correct Phone Numbers in Group Messages?

[Android Central Question]

Samsung Galaxy 7S Edge (G935A)
Samsung Experience Version 9.0
Android Version 8.0.0
Kernel Version 3.18.71-15151201
Build Number R16NW.G935AUCUBCTB1
Patch Level - 1 December, 2019

On 5 July, 2020 I backed up my phone using the Samsung Coolmuster Android Assistant 4.8.7 so that I could reset my phone back to its factory defaults. It had started running very slow and something was sucking my battery nearly dry each day.

After completing the backup and resetting to factory defaults, I restored my phone using the same software. However, when it restored my text messages, it did something I have never seen it do before. On some of the group texts, it combined all the people on the group text phone numbers into a single number. For example:

Original Text Message members:
Bob 2145559876
Jane 9725551234
**** 4695558765
Spot 2145556548
Jim 9725554698

After phone restore:
Bob 2145559876
Jane 9725551234
**** 4695558765
Spot 2145556548
Jim 9725554698
+12145559876 +19725551234 +14695558765 +12145556548 +19725554698

Obviously, this last phone number isn't valid so every time I send a reply to the group, the message fails. I am using Samsung Messages so I have the ability to 'Add or Remove Recipients' and that works until someone in the group other than myself replies and then I have remove the crazy number from the recipient list. And not only do I have to remove the crazy number each time, I have to also add each person back even though they are already there and correct. It is like I am having to 'confirm' the contact in the recipient in order to send a reply.

I know this sounds crazy but this wasn't an issue until I backed up and restored. Somewhere in the restoration of the text messages, the group message phone numbers got combined on ALL my group texts.

I have stumbled and found a work around but it isn't a pretty one and it is a pain in the a$$ to be blunt. With the phone numbers all combined into a single one, I can't even figure out who all the people are on some of the group texts since I can only see the first 30 or so number in the crazy number.

I am hoping someone has run across this before and has a solution. Or maybe something that might point me in a direction where I can hopefully find a fix.

Sorry for the long post but it is hard to explain what is happening.

Thank you in advance for any help you might provide.

Have a great evening and stay safe...

Regards,
Gilley aka ECHL_Hockey_Girl

 

[mustang7757]

How did you do the backup ? Smart switch or Samsung cloud ?

Pretty cool your into hockey im a big hockey fan


I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply.https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

 

[VidJunky]

I have a theory but I need you to confirm some things.

I'm assuming that you didn't realize this had happened until after sending a message, correct?

When you say the message failed or fails, everyone is getting the message except for obviously the number that cannot exist, is this correct?

My theory is simple, after you sent out the message, received the failure notice, for just the one number, that number then got added to the conversation thread for everyone. So even though you are removing it from the conversation on your device it still exists as part of the conversation on other individuals devices. Thus every time they message you from the conversation thread the number is added back to your device. I believe the only way to break the cycle is to get everyone to delete the number before anymore messages are sent. My theory goes on to believe that when you delete this number you are actually deleting or removing everyone from the conversation because this hybrid number contains all of the numbers of the group members. I believe this will solve itself once everyone has removed the impossible number from the conversation and the first message is sent but it has to happen simultaneously. Everyone must remove the number before sending a message to the group or like a virus the number will re-infect the conversation.

No one else in the group is reported getting this non-delivery report or is everyone getting it?

 

[gilleyestes]

The backup was done using the Samsung Coolmuster Android Assistant 4.8.7 as I stated in the original post.

 

[VidJunky]

So what about asking everyone to delete the number as I suggested in my comment?

 

[mustang7757]

The backup was done using the Samsung Coolmuster Android Assistant 4.8.7 as I stated in the original post.

I think that's where the problem coming from how it saves the back up , never heard of it until now . I use smart switch and Samsung cloud for back ups without issues through the years

 

[gilleyestes]

Your question about whether or not everyone else on the text string receives the message even though I see a failure on my end is a good question. I am asking my friends if they are receiving multiple messages from me. I don't think they are since none of them have mentioned getting the same message over and over.

The strange thing is is that the failure is on the complete text and doesn't tell me which number it is. I am just assuming it is the crazy number. But even though I remove the crazy number from the list of recipients, I still have to 're-add' each of the other recipients or the text will fail again.

When I remove the crazy number, the other recipients are still there and still have their phone number attached to them like always.

I am having lunch with some of the folks in the group text where I first discovered this issue. I will ask to look at their fruit phones and see what it shows in their recipient list for our group text message. Here is a screen grab of the recipient list from one of the group texts.

As far as I know, no one else is having delivery issues but I will confirm tomorrow at lunch.

 

[gilleyestes]

So I had lunch with three of the folks who are in a group text that is experiencing this issue. I looked at their fruit phones and all three of their phones displayed the group message information as it should be. No crazy number.

However, we did a bit of experimenting while all together. It seems that the issue is connected to just one of the contacts in the group message. This is what we did hoping to resolve the issue along with the weirdness that happened.

1. I deleted Jane from my contact list.
2. Jane sent me a text message from a previous NON-GROUP text message string that was just between her and I.
Results:
I received the text but it appended itself to one of the group texts of which she is part of but it was not sent to or from the group text. And not only that but it came through with the crazy number. Remember, I had deleted her from my contact list. When I look at the details of just the individual text message (press and hold the message and select Details), it displays her correct number, not the crazy number.

I added the crazy number as a contact using Jane Bad. But somewhere along the line, my phone has connected Jane and the crazy number.

My theory...somewhere along the way, her number has become corrupted on my phone. I have no clue how it happened or how to fix it...

You also asked if everyone on the group message sees my failed texts and they do not. It is failing before it sends anything.

Any suggestions as to how to fix the corrupt contact???

 

[mustang7757]

Try different message app if your using stock , like Google Android message app and see if it's same results?

 

[VidJunky]

I hate to perpetuate the Android vs Apple conflict but in your experiment, if I'm reading your comment correctly, you've found the source of the issue. Jane, Jane is the problem and I think it may be her messaging app that is causing the "corruption" for lack of a better term.

I'm about blow up some terminology so if any Apple users can correct me that would be great.

I think somewhere along the way she has started sending messages as an iMessage instead of an SMS. If Jane is the cause and only Jane's messages create the issue, I think this is a Jane problem. We all know how much fruit people like seeing those, what are they "blue?", those certain color bubbles vs whatever they get when it isn't an iMessage. I think this can be changed through the message details on her end, or maybe she has to change something about your contact, help me Apple users, so that messages to Android will work. I would hate to tell you to turn your phone upside down and change apps even if there are some that may work better across platform. I mean everything has been fine up to this point so I think it's worth asking.

So as I was typing I figured I'd go ahead and look it up to see what if anything can be changed...
I found this but it doesn't seem to answer the situation... https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...hones-2014-5&usg=AOvVaw3fAQZ5bIMjgDxIk2FsB9B3

This one seems to address the exact item that I posed... https://sihuwa.wordpress.com/2013/01/14/how-to-stop-sending-imessage-texts-to-a-contact/