Really bad SMS+Hangouts behavior - HELP

[theduder]

Today while attempting to start a new SMS in Hangouts, the app attached the contact to another SMS instead of creating a new SMS.

It was tied to my carrier number, so this conversation doesn't exist anywhere other than my mobile. I don't know how to access it in a desktop browser or manipulate it in any other way.

I deleted it, and then created an SMS to the single contact in Messenger. It shows as just one person in that conversation in Messenger, but in Hangouts it shows the messages going to two recipients, and both people are getting the messages. I can't delete them and for some reason now both contacts are inextricably linked and I can't send messages privately to either of them anymore. Google nonsense.

This could actually drive me to iOS. It's absolutely a major hair on fire issue as one of these is a customer.

 

[B. Diddy]

I think the confusion that can occur between SMS and Hangouts IMs in the Hangouts app is one of the main reasons they're trying to transition to Allo (and make Hangouts more of a business-oriented app). Remember that SMS on Hangouts can't be viewed on anything besides the phone where you originated the conversation, while Hangouts IMs can be viewed on any device where you're logged into Hangouts. Google Messenger is only for SMS.

On Hangouts, if you tap the big plus sign at the bottom right to start a new conversation, you get options for New Video Call, New SMS, and New Conversation. New Conversation is for Hangouts IMs, while New SMS is for SMS. If you want to create a conversation that you can view on the desktop, and if the other party also uses Hangouts regularly, then use the New Conversation option.

To delete a conversation (whether it's SMS or Hangouts IM), open the thread, tap the overflow menu at the upper right, then Options, then Delete Conversation. Does that help?

 

[theduder]

I think the confusion that can occur between SMS and Hangouts IMs in the Hangouts app is one of the main reasons they're trying to transition to Allo (and make Hangouts more of a business-oriented app). Remember that SMS on Hangouts can't be viewed on anything besides the phone where you originated the conversation, while Hangouts IMs can be viewed on any device where you're logged into Hangouts. Google Messenger is only for SMS.

On Hangouts, if you tap the big plus sign at the bottom right to start a new conversation, you get options for New Video Call, New SMS, and New Conversation. New Conversation is for Hangouts IMs, while New SMS is for SMS. If you want to create a conversation that you can view on the desktop, and if the other party also uses Hangouts regularly, then use the New Conversation option.

To delete a conversation (whether it's SMS or Hangouts IM), open the thread, tap the overflow menu at the upper right, then Options, then Delete Conversation. Does that help?

Doesn't actually but thanks for trying.

I used the plus sign to start a new SMS but somehow it added it to the SMS conversation at the top of the list.

Now I can't unpair the two contacts.

I removed Hangouts completely and I only have one SMS with one of the contacts listed in Messenger. If I try to create a new single recipient SMS in Messenger with the one who I don't have a conversation with, it brings up the other single recipient SMS. Somewhere in the background, the group mapping from Hangouts is governing the behavior.

Doing the same thing in Allo. Nothing will let me individually SMS these people now.

This is seriously jacked.

 

[B. Diddy]

Open your Contacts app, and look for that contact. Is there an option to Unjoin, in case two contacts were merged?

 

[theduder]

I figured it out. When I clicked to save the phone number to a contact, somehow it used the phone number of an existing contact.

Hangouts inexplicably saw this as a chat with both parties when it was only really going to the old contact via SMS. Once I saw that they both had the same phone number I changed the new contact to the correct number and everything is fine. Odd behavior from Hangouts nonetheless...