SMS messages fail - address book problem

[winelight]

I have a problem that I cannot send text (SMS) messages to some contacts (at least, not always). Reading around the forums and experimentation have led to the conclusion that this is an address book (People app) problem. Maybe there is something wrong with one of the entries, the phone number does/doesn't have a +44 in front of it, or something like that. Doesn't really matter what the problem is, because if I can clean up the address book it will go away.

So I've merged, de-duped, unlinked, unsycned, deleted contacts like crazy. Now I have one single clean address book. (It happens to be my outlook.com address book synced via Exchange what-not, if that's relevant at all.)

Now it works fine for almost everybody. However, for one contact, when I send them an SMS, Android somehow mysteriously links them with their Google+ entry, and for whatever reason, the text messages don't arrive. (I know this because I have delivery receipt turned on.)

I have gone to Settings / Accounts and sync / Google / and unchecked Contacts, and I have gone into Google+ on the web and removed absolutely everyone from every circle, so I have no friends (!). But it still does this.

If I go into the People app, I only see their clean outlook.com/Exchange address book entry. But if I go into Messages, it automagically populates stuff from their Google+ account (I know it does this, because I see the photo they use on that account).

What more can I unlink / unsync / remove / uncheck / delete to stop this happening, please?

Actually I think I have just figured it out. Even though I have removed all my Google+ contacts, I did this after unchecking the sync for Google contacts. So, the old Google+ contacts are still hiding in the phone, somewhere. It appears that if you go to the People app / click on the Phonebook dropdown and deselect Google+ contacts, this doesn't actually get rid of them, it merely stops you seeing them in the People app.

So what I need to do is:

1. Re-check Google+ contacts sync
2. Sync
3. Check all Google+ contacts have gone
4. Uncheck Google+ contacts sync

Fine in theory, but of course I get the "Sync is currently experiencing problems..." message.

Still, at least I have something to try if/when sync ever comes back.

 

[Frisco]

Welcome, and quite a first post, winelight.

You mention Google + several times. I'm wondering if some contacts remain in the Google/Gmail contacts section of Gmail online (via pc).

That is a rather persistent utility, and I've had to refresh it several times over the years just to either keep things out of contact lists on my device, or have some contacts provided as "google" rather than "phone" contacts, an important difference.

Anyway, again, welcome and thank you for providing some info that could well help others with similar issues.

 

[winelight]

Ok thanks. I've checked gmail contacts and there aren't any, and an attempt to sync Google+ contacts still fails. I'm wondering if it's because I've deleted all the contacts, and a zero count is causing the phone to think the sync has failed. I will try adding one contact and see if that fixes it...

 

[winelight]

OK I think I have the answer to how to purge the phone of phantom / unwanted Google+ contacts. At least it worked for me, but it could have just been coincidence or the passage of time.

Settings / Accounts and sync / select your Google account
Touch Menu icon> Remove account.
Confirm

The phone will bleat about needing a backup account.

Give the phone a while to sync (or unsync, or whatever it needs to do).

Go back to the phone and pull down the notifications panel. Where it's complaining about needing a backup account, put back in the details of your original Google account. (Or you can get there somehow via Settings.)

But this time, do not select "Contacts" in the list of things you want to sync.

If I remember correctly, this is what I did, anyway.