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message app gone bad, AGAIN

bbxrider

bbxrider

Newbie
for the 2nd time now my message app suddenly does not allow deletion of individual texts within a text stream,
I would have to delete the entire stream which I don't want to do

I think last time I was able to restore a prev version of messages but don't have that option now

this is a moto g5+ running 8.1.0 version opss28.85-176, messages version 7.1.080 (hickory_rc06.phone.openbeta_dynamic)

does this name "phone.openbeta_dynamic" mean I got updated to some beta version?

can I somehow restore back to a stable version I was using before?

frustated as hell here
 
It does look like a beta, though you shouldn't be updated to a beta without signing up to the beta programme. And assuming this is a pre-installed app you should have the option to uninstall updates from it (either from the Play Store or the system Apps settings). So there is something a little odd going on here. Have you tried looking at its Play Store entry to see whether there is an option to leave the beta programme?

Do you use the RCS features (aka "chat" if I remember correctly)? If not then a simple alternative is to give up on the Google app and install a different SMS app (which will give you the ability to remove individual texts and won't prevent you from uninstalling it if you don't like it).
 
thanks for the in depth reply!

I did do the option to remove updates, but I'm thinking that somehow this got installed not as an update
and since then there is no updates to uninstall? there was no message after the unistall pause that updates were
removed
do you have any alternate sms apps that you have used and recommend?
if I install a new sms app will I lose the history of the google sms?
I don't remember signing up for any beta participation, I haven't looked for it but don't see any play store option
to be removed from a beta but will look again.
 
The only way an app can be updated "not as an update" is if it's part of a system update, and as you are running Android 8 I assume you haven't had one of those recently. The fact that you have the option to "uninstall updates" rather than just uninstall the app confirms it is a system app, but it would be odd for a beta to be installed to the system. So it does all sound slightly weird.

SMS are not owned by any particular SMS app. SMS apps are just front ends to a system service, so any SMS app you install will see the same message. You can install as many as you like, though only one can access the messages at a time (you have to change the default to the one you want to use: the app will prompt you when you open it and take you to the setting). Textra is very popular, and works well. I've used its cousin Chomp as well (more customisation but a bit heavier), am currently using the open source app QKSMS (slightly fewer options, but has the ones I use).

The one exception is if you use Messages' "chat" features, technically known as RCS messaging. Those won't be accessible by other apps as far as I know (I know nobody who uses RCS so have never bothered with it myself, hence can't confirm for sure).
 
ok thanks for the follow up
just to clarify when say any app can see the same message, that means any app will see my complete history sms messages?
sort of like the provider has a db of all messages and any app you designate as the sms app will then get access to the db?

I did get one message source to select a single message, it seemed to depend on where I positioned the message
on the screen and then where on the message I did the long touch, seems bizarre but at this point I'm not too surprised
on how wacko my moto g5+ performs, it is hard to describe how bad this phone is, coupled with google fi it even has
trouble answering calls!, can't hardly wait to get a new phone hopefully in 3 weeks or so
 
ok thanks again, that now makes sense how a backup app, like super backup that I use, can restore all the
sms to a new phone with new provider.
 
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