All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
scarslikemaps
Newbie

The moral of the story is to delete text messages by default unless vitally important :smileywink:

 

I am on an HTC Incredible, stock build, using the stock messenger app.  I'm on Software version 1.12.605.6 (This becomes important later).  So other than not having the most recent update (I refused 1.13.605.7, as that seems to be the one that caused the reboot bug), I'm pretty much an average user.

 

I was in the default 'messages' application, in the 'All messages' view.  I clicked on an individual message, the screen flashed briefly and it returned me to the 'All messages' view without displaying the individual text message.  So, I reboot the phone.  After the reboot... ALL the text/mms messages are gone, including locked messages.  I google this problem a bit, and see it's fairly common and spread out between carriers/devices/applications/etc.  I do not have the 'Delete old messages' option checked (This ALSO becomes important).

 

I called verizon wireless tech support, and spoke to a nice, if underinformed (NOT her fault) representative.  She advised me that yes, they have seen this problem.  It was supposedly fixed in the 1.13.605.7 update, but as that update has been pulled due to it causing random reboots, I would need to wait for HTC to release the next patch, 'by the end of this month'.  I thanked her for the information, and disconnected the call.

 

I then called HTC's customer service, and spoke to a seemingly well informed tech who was incredibly nice (I was honestly surprised I could get to HTC's tech support, being an end user).  This is the information he provided me (note, I'm repeating the information, don't shoot messenger if it's wrong/incomplete).

 

This IS a known issue

HTC is 'aware and working on the problem'.

The actual release notes for OTA updates that detail what does/doesnt get fixed are NOT publiished.  (Even HTC's tech dept doesn't recieve them...?)

He states that he's unsure how the verizon employee recieved the information, but it 'seems' to be correct.  This is apparently an issue with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and is corrected in Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), which 'appears' to be the update that HTC will be sending to Thunderbolt users next.

 

Here is the reason for this, and the workaround(s) he provided

Like most applications, the messaging service has a harder time dealing with data as the size of the data increases.  So, the likelihood of this happening increases with the number of texts you have PER THREAD/CONVERSATION.  If the application crashes due to this (some sort of corruption of the message storage?), the existing data/text messages are deleted in order to allow the application to recover and start 'clean'.

Note how the tech told me this has to do with the amount of messages PER CONVERSATION (not the TOTAL number of messages).  He says one of the workaround options is actually to SELECT the 'delete old messages' setting, and LEAVE the default limits (200sms, 50mms).  If you increase the limits, you still have the original problem of the size of the data being stored.  The application will then delete the oldest message as you hit the limit  (200 messages in a conversation, when 201 is recieved, message 1 is deleted).  However, it will NOT delete locked messages.

 

The second workaround was to 'download a sms backup application from the market'.

 

So, it appears that both companies are aware of, and working towards a solution, but there isn't one yet.  HOWEVER, the HTC tech, at least, encouraged people to call HTC's support if they encounter issues that are HTC device specific, as that is one of the main ways that HTC gets notified of issues.  I also told him that I wished HTC would release detailed (or even dumbed down) versions of the release notes detailing what issues are supposedly resolved with each update.  The tech told me to leave a voicemail to that effect when I recieve a callback for a customer satisfaction survey about the call, as HTC does see/hear all those messages.

 

Uhm, that's what I have.  I just couldnt find this information all in one place, detailed, anywhere else on the internet, so I thought I'd post it here.  Ta-da, and TL;DR

 

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Re: All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
You said you are using a Droid Incredible, but your build numbers are for the Thunderbolt. Exactly which phone do you have?

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
scarslikemaps
Newbie
Erg. Editing message to correct. I do have the thunderbolt, and all info I posted pertains to the thunderbolt.

I should know better than to post while sleepy :smileyhappy:
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Re: All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
Ann154
Community Leader
Community Leader
My Tbolt doesn't seem to delete messages whenever it feels like it. I have in one thread alone over 200 messages. They are all there. I do have a sms backup application installed and actively backing up messages. However it is installed whenever I need to do a factory reset.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

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Re: All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
scarslikemaps
Newbie

Ann154 wrote:
My Tbolt doesn't seem to delete messages whenever it feels like it. I have in one thread alone over 200 messages. They are all there. I do have a sms backup application installed and actively backing up messages. However it is installed whenever I need to do a factory reset.


I mentioned that 200 msgs is not a hard limit.  But in most data management schemes, as the amount of data grows, so does the likelihood of encountering corruption.  In fact, I definately had multiple threads over 200 messages, and one specifically that was over 300 (I looked at it last week and thought that I should clean it up...too late)

 

I''m aware that the droid isn't doing it 'whenever it feels like it'.  I've had my Thunderbolt since April, and this is the first time I've encountered the issue.  But I had pregoogled the issue, and found no resolutions mentioned, which is why I wanted to aggregate the information I did recieve.

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Re: All text messages delete/disappear - possible information.
TamaraH_VZW
Verizon Employee

Thank you so much, scarslikemaps for posting this information!

 

It is greatly appreciated. Keep in mind, when software updates are available you can be notified by signing up for email alerts by going to https://email.vzwshop.com/servlet/formlink/f?NFOQU&SOURCEID=WEB_DGF_VZW_SUPPORTNAV

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