Tricks to Fix iPhone Messages Out of Order Problem

Though iMessage has been added some new features in iOS 11, many people complain that they have a new problem: iPhone Messages are out of order. Hence in this post, I will share some tricks to fix this iMessage bug.
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A. Force close Message app

If you find your messages display out of order, first try to quit the Messages app. 

On iPhone model before iPhone X:

Just double tap on Home button, and swipe up to remove Messages app from the Fast App Switcher.

On iPhone X:

Step 1: Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone, hold for seconds and then release to get the App Switcher.

Step 2: Swipe up the Messages app, or long press on it then click the Red X to close it.

Wait for a second, and then re-open it. If the messages are still out of order, there are other methods for you.

B. Reset Date & Time

Perhaps it's the date and time of your iPhone that misleads the Messages app, so try to reset the time settings!

For all iPhone models:

Go to Settings > General > Date & Time, turn off Set Automatically, and then wait for a few second to re-activate it. Then check on the Messages app.

If you haven’t turn on Set Automatically and don’t even want to turn it on, then you can reset your time zone manually.

Reset Date and Time

C. Force Reboot iPhone

Sometimes you need to force restart iPhone to fix some problems.

iPhone Models before 7:

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button along with the Home button until you see the Apple logo. Then check the Messages app.

iPhone 7/7 Plus:

Press and hold the Side button and Volume Down button together till you see the Apple logo. Then open the Messages app and check.

iPhone X/8/8 Plus:

Step 1: Quickly press and release the Volume Up button then do the same on the Volume Down button.

Step 2: Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears. Then try the Messages app.

D. Disable and re-enable iMessage

If messages still be on the wrong track, maybe you need to reactivate iMessage. It’s known that iMessage need to be activated when you first set iPhone, or you will only receive SMS even though the senders have iMessage.

Step: Go to Settings > Messages, and turn off iMessage on the first row. Afterwards, wait 10-30 seconds, and then re-enable it.

iPhone Settings > Messages > Activate iMessage

E. Update iOS

Apple always fixes its bug in the next iOS update. If none of the methods above helps you, maybe it’s time to update your iPhone.

Updating iOS requires time. Make sure you have enough battery and network connection. After iOS upgraded, see if Messages app acts normal.

F. Reset All Settings

If you’ve already updated to the latest iOS version, but iMessages still be out of order, you could reset all settings of your iPhone. However, reset all settings means to reset all your saved settings of Wifi passwords, Apple Pay, Bluetooth connection, etc. 

Just go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset All Settings, and enter passcode to confirm, then tap on Reset All Settings once again. After iPhone restarting, you would see everything back on order, including messages, though you will need to rebuild the connection with Wifi and so on.

Reset All Settings on iPhone

More:

If you accidentally deleted or lost iMessages from iPhone, go to How to Recover Deleted iMessages easily.