Android member of group thread “left the conversation” but she didn’t do anything! RCS connection, maybe?

Question

Android member of group thread “left the conversation” but she didn’t do anything! RCS connection, maybe?

I’m on an iPhone 11 Pro and update to iOS 18.0.1 yesterday. Today I was texting my sisters, one of whom is an iPhone user, the other an Android user, in a group thread. We had exchanged a few texts this morning. Then it indicated in the thread that the sister using Android had left the conversation. Her bubble (with initials) was no longer at the top of the thread. Shortly after, a message came from her in this thread. So I asked her how she could still post in the thread she was no longer in. She said she hadn’t left the thread, and said that she was still listed in the thread on her end. My iPhone-using sister posted in the thread later, which I could see, but to which I was unable to respond, as there was no space available to write a response. So the thread is essentially dead for me, but my iPhone-using sister says she can still see my Android-using sister on her end. I ended up starting a new thread on my iPhone with my sisters, as there was no way to add her back to the other thread, and I couldn’t respond there anyway.

On my iPad Pro (also updated to iOS 18.0.1), I can see both threads, and can respond on my iPad from the old thread. That response shows up in the dead thread on my iPhone.

Does anyone have any ideas what might be going on? It's kinda weirding me out that someone (not my sister) initiated the “left the conversation” in that thread. Is it related to RCS, possibly? Should I call Apple support?

Attaching a screencap of the “left the conversation” indication I got.

iPhone 11 Pro

Posted on Oct 6, 2024 7:54 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 19, 2024 12:53 PM in response to Anne Stickley Michel

Here's an update: after a few more incidents that occurred which booted the Android user off the thread, both iPhone users contacted Apple support. One of them was told that it has to do with responding to messages via the iPad. Both iPhone users have wireless-only iPads (not cellular), and it seems that without cellular service, messages to Android users from the iPad will result in the Android being bumped off the thread. Both iPhone users have been diligent about sending messages only from their phones, and no disruptions have occurred in the past week.

I would have expected seamless integration with both types of iPads. There's still the possibility that the Android user’s Samsung phone/messaging app may be involved.

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