Why is Google Messages Creating Group Chats for MMS?

[BlackBullJutsu]

Hey y'all,

So I've just activated and transferred over everything from my S22 and for some terrible reason, Google Messages has split every single text thread I had into separate strings. One will be the original thread, but they ripped out every text from non-RCS numbers AND images and put them into a separate group chat with yourself and that number they'd come from.

How can this be fixed? It's extremely frustrating.

[Pallas_159]

I had tried everything else before (clearing cache, reinstalling, etc) with no change in the split messages. Adding my phone number is what cleared up this issue for me. Thank you so much!

[userkCOJvkSh1n]

Adding my phone number worked for me. I didn't have to do anything else. Thanks for this!

[SantiagoJoe]

This issue has been frustrating me for a long time. After reading through previous responses, I tried to uninstall the Google Messages app, but it's now deemed essential by Samsung and can't be uninstalled.

What appears to have resolved the issue for the time being is as follows:

1) Open the Google Messages app.

2) Assuming you're signed into your Google account, click on the first letter of your name in the colored circle. For example, I clicked on "J" for Jason.

3) Select "Messages settings".

4) Scroll down and select "Advanced."

5) Locate the "Phone Number" setting, which was empty for me.

6) Enter your phone number.

After doing this, messages with photos began to arrive in the same chat as text-only messages, meaning a separate group with the MMS sender and myself was not formed.

I hope this solution is permanent and proves helpful for you too.

[cwinkler]

I went in to try this, and mine keeps resetting itself to unknown after I put in my phone number. Maybe it's a carrier thing. I'm with US Cellular. I have NOT done the whole cache & data delete, uninstall / reinstall as suggested by another post.

[J-s20]

This was SO helpful!! Thank you for the step by step too.

[Pallas_159]

Thanks so much, this has been an issue for me for so long. Adding the phone number is what fixed it for me.

[userSPMKVl8CrN]

Well it's Sept. 2024 and this just happened to me, so I guess they didn't fix the issue yet and I also noticed that the phase out of the Samsung Messages is getting closer they are now prompting me to install google messages.

[userx6dLkCuf23]

It won't allow me to add my phone in the app? What do I do?

[userkm4ZUhWupV]

Same, phone number is grayed out under advanced settings.

Edit: Had to clear data via app settings. Then was able to enter phone number, which made some of this better. I was not able to see messages I sent in group chats but now I can at least see those. However, incoming messages are still split.