Messages app "Start Chat" search/autoreduction no longer working

[Rooster998]

Just updated Messages to 7.0.038. When I go to start a new chat, search sometimes doesn't find my Contacts. For instance, I have a couple of friends with the first name Nikki. When I click Start Chat then type in those characters, it used to return those with N, then Ni, then Nik, etc.

Now, I can type in the entire name but nothing is returned. When I click the check mark to indicate I'm finished, it says Invalid Contact. Yet there are two in there with Nikki as part of their names.

Yet that works for other contacts. And when I use the full Search function within the Messages app, it finds my Nikki's ok. And if I scroll down to that record and select it, I can send a message no problem. And the autoreduction/search worked before I ran the update/

I've tried clearing cache and storage, Force Stopping the app, and restarting it. I've tried using the Contacts app to make a change to that record in case that forced a reindex. Nothing worked. I've done some Googling and the only solution some people find works is to remove my Google account and re-add it. For me that is absolutely a last resort.

Any ideas on what it could be or how to fix it? I'm running a Pixel 2 with Android 11.

TIA - R.

 

[B. Diddy]

I moved this from the Android Apps forum to the Pixel 2 forum since the former is intended for developers to promote their apps.

I'm sure you've checked this already, but just to be sure -- for those specific contact entries, "Nikki" is in the Name field, and not one of the other fields (like Company), right?

 

[Rooster998]

Hi B. - thank you for the fast response.

I appreciate the redirection and will keep that in mind for future posts.

To answer your question, yes, Nikki is in the name field. As a very weird addition, if I use that contact's last name from the Start Chat search, everything works. I've tested to see if it's just the "Nikki" characters that are the problem, but I've searched for other character strings and it's returned contact records where those character strings aren't anywhere in the contact record that I can see. So perhaps it's an index that needs to be rebuilt somehow?

Thanks for your help.

- Rob.

 

[B. Diddy]

Which apps did you try clearing the cache from? Do it for Contacts, Contacts Storage, Messages, and your keyboard app. (Only clear the cache, not the data.)

 

[Rooster998]

Hi B. - thanks for the suggestions, but no joy.

I cleared cache for Contacts, storage for Contacts, Cache for Messages, and I don't have a keyboard app. No change. I then restarted, did the same clearing, then restarted again. No change.

Other suggestions?

- R.

 

[B. Diddy]

What if you completely delete that contact, and then reenter it into Google Contacts?

 

[Rooster998]

Hi B - I thought of deleting and re-entering but I'd have to test each one. I just found another where the first name is "Nela" and it's the same behaviour as for "Nikki". And no, it's not for those starting with N - others work fine.

I am syncing my Contacts with an external app on my desktop. I think I'm going to tray purging all of my contacts from my phone then sync them one-way from my desktop and see if that works.

- R.

 

[mustang7757]

Hi B - I thought of deleting and re-entering but I'd have to test each one. I just found another where the first name is "Nela" and it's the same behaviour as for "Nikki". And no, it's not for those starting with N - others work fine.

I am syncing my Contacts with an external app on my desktop. I think I'm going to tray purging all of my contacts from my phone then sync them one-way from my desktop and see if that works.

- R.

Hi, welcome to AC!

You dont sync with google ? It's easier and can access them phone or computer.