SMS read/unread status not syncing across apple devices. Using latest operating system 26 on all devices. Correlated with OS 26.1 and also correlated with using quick start to new iPhone. Is this a bug? Tried all the usual steps to fix the problem - manual syncing, disabling/enabling iMessage, restarts, etc.
iPhone 17, iOS 26
I'm curious if the folks experiencing this do or do not have Messages turned on in iCloud. I do not and until recently, synchronization always worked but in everything I'm surfing up when this started happening, all the articles *start* with making sure that Messages are on in iCloud. This was never a requirement before in as much as it *has* worked for years without iCloud synchronization. I have no desire to rent as much iCloud storage as I'd need to handle my Message history.
For me, it seems that if I view the message on my iPhone first, eventually, it will appear on my iMac and iPad but not necessarily on my iWatch. If I view the message first on iWatch or iPad, it is my experience that the message will appear only after the person who sent the original message, sends me another message. Hope that this is not confusing. All devices are operating on Apple's most current versions. And now, even when I use "Sync Now", the issue continues.
Yea getting irriatating knowing when you sign into the Mac or iPad that you will have to go and clear the messages from yesterday . I just upgraded to a iPhone 17 pro from a 14+ just seems like this started after the update to IOS 26.1 and on the latest updates on my series 8 watch, iPad Pro M1 , Mac mini M4 .
Interesting. Thank you for letting me know. So the synchronization of message read state would then seem to have no relationship to iCloud synchronization or not. I recently used iMazing (https://imazing.com/) to archive old message threads off my iPhone so I could free up storage space but I still have all those messages in the Message client on my Mac. That ya'll are having issues with message read status even with iCloud message sync on allows me to avoid the problem of re-populating my phone with all the stuff I archived.
I have messages turned on in iCloud. So far, I have been using the minimum storage for several years.
I do have messages turned on in iCloud . And have had it since it was available . I do have messages I wish to keep. I did sign out of all my devices but it still happens after I sign back in.
Yes, messages are turned on in iCloud.
I have this issue as well. In the last 2 weeks my messages between my iPhone and Mac no longer sync read/unread status.
iOS 26.1 - SMS read/unread status not syncing across apple devices
