Group SMS forked into duplicate conversation

[mildmojo]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended
• I have read https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/wiki/Submitting-useful-bug-reports
• This isn't a feature request or a discussion topic

---

Bug description

After an update, my group SMS chats split in two. For each of the two group SMS conversations that have been active since I updated to 4.49.18 (maybe 2-4 weeks since the previous update), I now have an additional two conversations with the same participants. Here are examples; I've renamed the participants, but the renaming is consistent and preserves alphabetical order:

• "Me, Ben, James" (old)
• "James, Ben, Me" (new)

and

• "Me, Ben, James, Bernie" (old)
• "James, Ben, Me, Bernie" (new)

No participants have changed, no contacts have been updated. Each contact has only one phone number attached. I can send messages from either conversation and I think they go to all recipients, but when I receive messages, they only go to the new conversation. So now my chat history for these groups is spread across two conversations; several years' worth in the "old" convo and the last few days in the "new" convo.

Steps to reproduce

• Start a group SMS conversation with friends
• Update to 4.49.18
• Have a friend send a group SMS to the group
• Observe that Signal creates a new conversation with the participants in a different order and delivers new messages there instead of the old group

Actual result: I have two conversations for the same group SMS with the same participants.
Expected result: All conversations with the same participants should be merged into a single conversation.

Device info

Device: Blackberry Priv
Android version: 6.0.1
Signal version: 4.49.18

Link to debug log

Not applicable, the new conversations were created a few days ago.

[Kage1]

Could this be related to #9173, ATT MMS bug?

[legaresmith]

Same issue here on Pixel 2 on Verizon. Multiple groups with the same people but the order is different and it treats them as separate!?

[bxm156]

This is happening to me too. I sent a group text to 2 people without Signal, and their replies went to a new Group. In the new group, it specifically lists me in the name of the group. When I look at each Groups Settings. It's the same. "You, Dad, Mom"

Image attached. Blurred the convo for privacy.

Verizon, Galaxy note 10+, Signal 5.1.8.

[akgrown]

Same issue. Create new MMS group, send a message, rename the group before any replies come in, and then the replies get placed in a separate/new group, orphaning your original message. This is on Signal 5.1.9, AT&T, Galaxy Note 10+, Android 10.

[benmayne]

I've got some debug logs for this as well and it happened to me back in 2018: #7683. The main difference from back then is that now I appear in both groups instead of just the one I created.

I have some screenshots if it helps, but the reproduction is consistent with the OP and pretty straight forward:

1. start a MMS group from signal
2. get a reply from either participant in a new thread

I can send to either thread, but all responses go to the new one.

debug log right after sending the first message (which creates group 1): https://debuglogs.org/546008a19bf6bbf76c5115a97452f233c77142f0744aa58b89e7ad835ccab55c

debug log right after getting a reply to the new group: https://debuglogs.org/4daccb05878e90949c89db255d88c00cc468d81a30ee29af6371c65cd0b2a890

Device: Pixel 5
Android: 11
Signal 5.10.2
Google Fi on wifi (though I'm pretty sure this behavior is consistent across networks)

[fleapower]

I thought I had reported this issue awhile back, but I can't find it. It is also happening to me and has been since the beginning of '21.

[stale]

Is this still relevant? If so, what is blocking it? Is there anything you can do to help move it forward?

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs.

[benmayne]

I'm pretty confident this has happened within the last couple months. I can grab another debug log when it next happens if that will help

[legaresmith]

I got a new phone (Pixel 5a, old was a Pixel 2) - transferred my Signal messages to the new phone and still experienced this bug. I resorted to deleting all of my conversations and now I have yet to experience it. But I would have preferred to be able to keep my conversations :-/

[fleapower]

As recently as yesterday, this is still happening every time I create a group and someone responds. Has anyone tried reinstalling and restoring conversations from a backup to see if this fixes it?

[legaresmith]

Yes - see my post just above yours 🙃

[fleapower]

Yes - see my post just above yours 🙃

Sorry...missed that.

OK...so it sounds like a database error.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[benmayne]

Still happening I think

[fleapower]

Confirmed still happening as of today.

[thenextmans]

I've also been experiencing this same vexing issue for years across multiple android devices. Is anyone aware of a fix short of wiping my entire message history?

[legaresmith]

Unfortunately no, not that I am aware of :-( FYI, I got a new phone and opted to not transfer my signal messages in the hope I would be done with this issue but it still happens.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[legaresmith]

Still people with issues AFAIK - me being one of them. At this point, I've grown to expect it :-/

[greyson-signal]

Hi there, given our future plans to remove SMS support, I'm gonna close this. Thanks!

[fleapower]

What?! This is very disappointing. It is impossible to remember which contacts are on Signal and which aren't...this just means I have to use multiple messaging apps...one for SMS and one for encrypted messages. This was the one thing which set Signal apart (why use Signal when WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram and others offer similar/same encryption with better UI and more options?). Frankly, with Google now offering E2E with group RCS messages, I'll have better luck having encrypted conversations with more users than using a separate Signal app. Additionally, there are other messengers with the potential to outstrip Signal regarding security and privacy (Session, Briar, Berty, Jami, etc.)

I understand that SMS is inherently not secure, but users don't have to choose it in your app, and, if they do, they are choosing to accept that risk. Additionally, Signal could highlight insecure messages other than with a little unlocked icon (perhaps have an option to allow users to highlight all insecure SMS in orange) to avoid the overhyped problem of confusion about a message being secure or insecure.

I am sure many of your users use Signal solely for encrypted messages. I am equally sure many use it for the convenience of SMS/MMS (which makes for an easy transition when coaxing people to switch to Signal) and would be disappointed with this development (at least, those who know - I was unaware until your post). Please reconsider this course of action.

[legaresmith]

Yup. Much prefer to only have 1 app for messaging, a big draw of using Signal for me too. Very disappointed upon reading the above message and clicking the link to discover it's being discontinued. It provides a better messaging experience than the default android app regardless if the other user was on Signal or not :(