Issues with Hangouts/Messenger "unmerge"

[AC Question]

The list of issues I'm having is extremely long. Most annoying is that my contacts can have 2 or message strings captioned by their names, phone number, and sometimes even random phone numbers. I never know which string to message to or can't figure out which string a message may be in.

Really I just want to know is there one single app that can eliminate all these others?

I use a Google phone number, send both SMS and MMS files, and occasionally a face chat!

I don't use this for business, it's purely for keeping in touch and chatting.

I'd like to be able to merge messages that are from the same person but not coming in correctly identified.

I do send the occasional video, emoji, or sticker, as well.

Please hel! I am so frustrated and am tired of installing and uninstalling apps to see if they do what they say they do.

Another big issue for me... I want to try it before I buy it!

Thank you for any possible help/advice you can offer.

 

[anon(5600632)]

Hangouts was supposed to be that app. It's clumsy (for example, when you started a new message, you have to choose among SMS, MMS, Hangouts & Video). But it worked - I liked how it even merged voice messages into the same threads.

Now that it has unmerged hangouts from SMS, I agree with your complaint. with Hangouts now splitting messages from the same person across multiple threads, I see no reason to put up with its clumsy interface and I have disabled it. I'm using Google Messenger with Google Voice while phasing out my Google Voice number. I have not found a single app to merge everything, and now Google is dumping Allo and Duo into the mix. Very confusing - I am even thinking about an iPhone, only because of iMessage.