Where does my text message go If I leave iMessage and then return shortly after?

[teamsween]

Unfortunately this happened to me in a very important situation. I was involved in a hit and run (luckily not too bad) but I was able to see the guy’s license plate. I grabbed my phone to text it to myself before I forgot. Typed it into the message but didn’t get my name typed into the recipient area before some bystanders came up to see if I was ok. And then my son called to see why I was running late to pick him up. After calming down, I went to see the plate number to call the police and it was gone. Now this guy got away with it because of a technology issue

 

[Mammy C]

This has been Bothering me since I first got an iPhone 6. While I am typing out a long text message a phone call will come or I leave the messaging app to answer an email, etc. The long text message when I go back is completely gone and never to be seen again. My question is where does it go? There is no 'drafts' section in iMessage and most of the time the message in question took an hour or more to write out and it's extremely important.

Occasionally the body of the message will reappear a half hour or so after it was lost- but it doesn't show where it came from or where it was found??

This has been my #1 issue with iPhones and I am surprised I can't find any forums or questions asked after this happens repeatedly to me and I can't be alone on it

To reiterate- the problem is when I am typing out a long text message somehow I get taken away from the message app to answer a phone call, go to emails or another app- when I return to the message it has completely disappeared with no sign of where it went or what happened to it

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[caseywheaton]

Samsung phones even years ago had a draft area that saved every item in a draft area automatically. It was wonderful! I miss that feature soooooooooo much with Iphones!

I may start a short text and then I get to writing more and more and ....if I don't have the recipient's name specified, it's gone.

Just please fix it Apple. It can't be that difficult! Please!

 

[Steph M1]

Why is this even an issue?

Sidenote: You take an hour or more composing one single iMessage?

To your question, there really isn't a drafts area. I'd imagine those messages are simply deleted. I think your case is unique as I'm not sure of many people who spend that much time composing a text. I'd recommend you compose your messages in the Notes app, then copy and paste them into the message. That would prevent the possibility of losing a message you've spent so much time on.

Or use email.

I've had instances where I will compose a message, leave the app and do something else, then come back and it will still be there. Other times it will be removed. I think it depends on what resources your phone requires. If it can do other tasks while keeping your message in tact it will. Otherwise it discards it so you can do whatever it is you're doing uninterrupted.

I would recommend ditching the iPhone for a system that operates better. I’ve found myself searching forums ever since I bought an iPhone almost two years ago, for many answers to frustrations with this operating system. I still mutter “I hate this phone”, on a regular basis. (IMO, the system’s design is boxed-in, “simple” (but NOT in a good way) not user-friendly enough, and NO WHERE near as customizable as I find appealing, in any aspect. I buy phones outright, and keep them until they are lost or inoperable for whatever reason. I formerly owned HTC and Samsung phones, and I certainly enjoyed owning those far more than I have appreciated using my iPhone 7. When it’s time to replace this phone, I will cheerfully bid good riddance to Apple! The screen size (plus), once a noteable feature (but now easy to come by), and the keyboard accuracy, are the only elements of the iPhone 7 ios (no idea, since I have to update it every other day), that I don’t dislike about it. : /

P.S.: I communicate with most of my contacts via cell number, and I don’t think I should have to ask for an email address when I have a long message to send; **** should just function well.

 

[TexasGirl4Ever]

I just found this forum looking for a solution to this problem being discussed.
I know it was mentioned to take this to Apple;
However I wanted to weigh in with my thoughts. My text was just lost that I had been working on whike I was cooking dinner.
As the others mentioned it is VERY FRUSTRATING! I have found a couple of things that have caused my text to go away... The most frustrating is to have a phone call come through..
You have no notice the phone is going to ring... But bam!! Your text is gone!
The other is another text message comes through on my phone while I'm texting.. Once again... My text in progress is gone..

I have had to look up something while texting. I will copy the text just in case it goes away..

But the other items I mentioned you have no control of those.

I have to agree with a couple of the responses.
When you are asking for help you don't need some one being rude with their answers.. The suggestions are appreciated!
It's the other comments that were uncalled for.
You don't know and don't need to know this person's reason for his long text.
He could be hearing impaired, he could be thinking through his message.. He could be slow at typing...All you need to do is say ... Gee great question I don't have an answer for that. Maybe you should contact Apple!!

Just my thought

 

[John Fernandes2]

Ik not too Eire why people feel the need to QUESTION people in their questions and to why they write such long text messages!!!???

We have over a dozen of the same businesses and with multiple managers, text messages are direct and just as easy to write as email, which will soon be a thing of the past!

I’m here today for the same stupid reason!!!

I am a Samsung Note 8 user Andy don’t have this problem ever with Samsung but as I also have an iPhone 6plus, just found out the same issue with loosing long sms’s Whilst taking a call!!!

It was also just a simple question.....”WEHRE ARE MY DRAFT TEXT MESSAGES......if I go to another app”?????

Kind regards

John

 

[John Fernandes2]

Excuse my typos.....Still getting used to the iPhone since smashing my screen on the NOTE!

 

[Rachel Tierney]

Fix. I have the same problem and this fix works for me

My unsent text disappears when I leave, close or sometimes just squint at the texting window. Here is my super easy fix. Basically it's simply going back to the history of texts for that contact.


1. Go back to starting page for Messages, where names of sent texts are listed.

2. Click on the "new icon" (box and pencil) in the top right and then fill in the "to:" box with the name of the person whose text is lost. Select with big bottom button.

3. The text history will come up and the unsent, lost text will be in the new message box, wondering where you were.

(Not sure what to do if the contact is not registered.)

 

[MSPMSP]

I just signed up to be able to reply on this. Same issue here. "Workaround" ( go back to the recipient and hit "Send Message") does NOT work for me.
I have a brandnew iPhone X Max with IOS12.
I just composed a rather lengthy message to 4 recipients. My land line phone rang, when I was about to send my TXT message. After my call, when I picked up my iPhone again to send it, the whole text was gone.
I tried the workaround by selecting all 4 recipients again, and select "Compose new message". Nothing of the old text came up. Tried again with each individual recipient to no avail.

I am new to IOS, used to Windows and Android phones which both have a simple Draft folder. Amazing to find out that it doesnt exist for iPhone!
I found this forum searching for the Draft folder.

BTW, also agree with some posters about those that question why someone sends something important as a TXT. That is NOT helpful, that is not what the original questions is about, and NOT of your business either :not-interested::not-interested: The original poster, is like me, looking for the existence of a Draft folder.

I hope is does actually exists somewhere, and that someone can share that, so we all know for the future when this happens again...

 

[sadlerkramer]

As a general user; I don't check my emails as soon as they come in unless I'm waiting for something specific. Texting is a more efficient means of communicating more quickly. Keep in mind that that's going to vary depending on who you're texting, because some do not read their text messages as they come in. If it's really important I'll call.

It's going to vary from person to person. You just have to know if the person your texting typically checks their texts as they come in.

 

[sadlerkramer]

As a general user; I don't check my emails as soon as they come in unless I'm waiting for something specific. Texting is a more efficient means of communicating more quickly. Keep in mind that that's going to vary depending on who you're texting, because some do not read their text messages as they come in. If it's really important I'll call.


It's going to vary from person to person. You just have to know if the person your texting typically checks their texts as they come in.

Exactly! This person asked a serious question and was given no useful response, simply chastised for using iMessages instead of e-mails by a bunch of know-it-alls that apparently have nothing better to do than to tell everyone else how they should be communicating. Well how about this, what if you don’t feel like running around searching for a bunch of people’s e-mail addresses, or maybe you don’t even know their e-mail addresses, but you have an important message you need to send them? Who cares if people want to use I-messaging/texting to communicate rather than e-mail?? The fact is, the original poster brings up a valid point, why do those messages disappear? This has happened to me and it’s super frustrating

 

[bakron1]

I have discovered the same issue and for myself, this is a serious issue Apple should be addressing in a future update to IOS.

As others have stated, SMS text has become the primary forum of communication in the business world. I have noticed more and more of my clients prefer it over email for short communications.

We should have a feature to save an text message and also have a buffer that stores the message before you send it so it doesn’t get wiped out when you get a phone call or are interrupted in the middle of composing a text and when you come back to finish it, you’ve discovered it’s gone and have to start over.

This is 2018 and your competitors OS has these functions already integrated into their SMS features, no excuse why Apple shouldn’t be at least on par with their competitors SMS text functionality. Just my two sense.

 

[Annie_M]

It might be worthwhile to submit feedback to Apple: https://www.apple.com/feedback/#mn_p

 

[bakron1]

It might be worthwhile to submit feedback to Apple: https://www.apple.com/feedback/#mn_p

Just submitted my request, see how far is goes.

 

[Trees]

Experienced this problem yesterday for the first time. The text was short enough that I could remember what I had recently composed. Tried to find it via the workaround above, but did not see the original content.

 

[Lee_Bo]

I know this is a two year old thread, but I tried something yesterday while at work.

I started composing a text message to myself with the idea of stopping and coming back to it later on. So I got my message started and took a screen shot:



No sooner did I take that screen shot than I got a phone call from a coworker. After the call I searched for some information on the web that my coworker was asking about. Went back to messages and composed a new message to him and send him a text. Played on Facebook and Instagram a while, sent a few other text messages, several dozen emails, some Youtube TV during lunch, etc.

Went back to my message about 2 1/2 hours later to see this:



My message was right where I left it.

Now I don't normally send a text message of any great length, so I don't know if I can ever duplicate the issue the OP is having. But in my very unofficial test, the message I was composing was still there when I went back.

 

[Gubke]

Re: Fix. I have the same problem and this fix works for me

This doesn't always work unfortunately.

 

[Ledsteplin]

When I was still on iOS 10.1.1, my text messages were always there when I returned. Lately, I've noticed they vanish when I leave and come back. Not every time, but most times.

 

[justForThisOneIssue]

A clue maybe solution?ere does my text message go If I leave iMessage and then return shortly after?

I’ve had this Exact issue for 3 years on my 6+ (disappearing drafted newly originated texts) and adapted my behaviors to minimize it. I had hoped my new XS Max would resolve it. Nope. So I began reading and reading - no help. But I started noticing a possible pattern in complaints so I tried a few things and BAM - on my second tinker, IT STOPPED! I’m only 30 mins into the issue being resolved for the first time ever, so it may come back - but if it does, maybe this will give someone smarter than I a clue to the source of the issue?

Go to Settings/Messages and turn ‘Show Contact photos off’. It now worked for me. Ever a gluten for punishment, I then turned it back on - And it still worked for me!! I’m Sooo happy right now.

 

[justForThisOneIssue]

I’ve had this Exact issue for 3 years on my 6+ (disappearing drafted newly originated texts) and adapted my behaviors to minimize it. I had hoped my new XS Max would resolve it. Nope. So I began reading and reading - no help. But I started noticing a possible pattern in complaints so I tried a few things and BAM - on my second tinker, IT STOPPED! I’m only 30 mins into the issue being resolved for the first time ever, so it may come back - but if it does, maybe this will give someone smarter than I a clue to the source of the issue?

Go to Settings/Messages and turn ‘Show Contact photos off’. It now worked for me. Ever a gluten for punishment, I then turned it back on - And it still worked for me!! I’m Sooo happy right now.