❤ iMessages Out of Order on iPhone? Try This Solution

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Have you ever opened an iMessage conversation on iPhone to discover that the messages are out of order? If so, you’re not alone. While it can be annoying to have the iMessages appear out of order in the Messages app of iOS, it’s usually a simple fix to get them to be in proper sequential order. And yes, this applies to the Messages app on iPad as well, so while our focus is primarily on iPhone the techniques to resolve messages appearing in the wrong order is the same.

Have you ever opened an iMessage conversation on iPhone to discover that the messages are out of order? If so, you’re not alone. While it can be annoying to have the iMessages appear out of order in the Messages app of iOS, it’s usually a simple fix to get them to be in proper sequential order. And yes, this applies to the Messages app on iPad as well, so while our focus is primarily on iPhone the techniques to resolve messages appearing in the wrong order is the same.

How to Fix Messages Out of Order on iPhone and iPad

Here are the primary troubleshooting steps to resolve iMessages appearing out of order on any iPhone or iPad running iOS.

1: Force Quit Messages & Force Reboot iPhone / iPad

The most common resolution for getting Messages to appear sequentially and in order again is to simply forcibly quit the Messages app, then reboot the iPhone or iPad. The process of both force quitting and rebooting varies per device as Apple has changed it several times, but the end effect is the same. If you already know how to force exit apps and force reboot, go ahead and do that with the Messages app and then restart your device, otherwise follow instructions below:

1: Force Quit the Messages App

Using the guides below, target the “Messages” app to force quit it:

2: Force Reboot the iPhone / iPad

After “Messages” has been forcibly closed, go ahead and initiate a forced reboot of the device using the guides below appropriate to your device:

Once the Messages app has been forcibly quit, and the iPhone or iPad rebooted, open the Messages app again. The Messages should be back in order as intended.

2: Check the Date & Time Settings in iOS

Sometimes people may manually set date and time, roll back their iOS device clock to use a particular app or game, or disable automatic time setting, and having the improper date and time set on an iPhone or iPad can lead to messages appearing out of order or non-sequentially. This is easy to check, and to fix:

  1. Open the “Settings” app and then go to “General”
  2. Choose “Date & Time” and make sure “Set Automatically” is ENABLED and your time zone is correct
  3. For good measure, toggle “Set Automatically” off for about 10 seconds, then turn it it back ON – make sure this is enabled ON

Return to the Messages app and check if your iMessages are back in order as intended again.

Do note that if an iPhone or iPad has no internet connection, the automatic time setting may not work precisely, and if the iOS device has never been connected to an internet connection then you may want to use the manual time setting adjustment.

3: Install iOS Software Updates

Some users have reported various issues with Messages appearing out of order after installing a particular software update, or while running an older software version. Back up your iPhone or iPad first, and then install any available software updates.

  1. Back up the iPhone or iPad to iCloud and/or iTunes before beginning, don’t skip a backup
  2. Open the “Settings” app then go to “General” and to “Software Update”
  3. Choose to “Download & Install” any iOS software update that is available

There are some versions of iOS that appear to be more prone to message syncing errors than others, so if at all possible try to run the latest version you can.

Regardless, after you update iOS, go ahead and relaunch Messages app. If they’re back in order as intended, you’re good to go.

4: Turn iMessages Off & Back On

Another trick that can work is to turn iMessages off and back on again.

  1. Open the “Settings” app on the iPhone or iPad
  2. Go to “Messages” and toggle the switch for “iMessage” to the OFF position
  3. Wait a few moments, then turn the “iMessages” switch back to the ON position
  4. Re-open the Messages app to check the message order

Another alternative option is to turn imessage off, then reboot the iOS device, then turn iMessages back on again. That can work sometimes too.