Unable to manually move message order in messages

[kathmat]

Subject pretty much says it all. I have just updated to Mojave, and while I know there are always tweaks to get things the way I want, I am having a problem getting my settings to reflect the ability to manually move my messages in "messages" the way I want them. I don't want them in order of most recent, I want them the way I had it set up before where I have put the people that I message and receive messages from most often at the top of the list, and drag the order as I want or need to. Is there still a way to do this, or has Apple taken that away from us with Mojave please? (Referring to my iMac - not ipad or iphone)

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Are you saying that prior to Mojave, you had the ability to move the threads around in Messages? I'm running High Sierra and I cannot move the threads. The newest thread with the latest message is always on top and the list continually changes based on the most recent message. From what I recall, this has always been the way from the time Messages came into existence.

 

[kathmat]

Are you saying that prior to Mojave, you had the ability to move the threads around in Messages? I'm running High Sierra and I cannot move the threads. The newest thread with the latest message is always on top and the list continually changes based on the most recent message. From what I recall, this has always been the way from the time Messages came into existence.

Absolutely. I could drag them anywhere in the list that I wanted. Close family at the top and random messages such as Bed Bath & Beyond at the bottom. When I updated to High Sierra I had to "fix" the setting to do so, but can't remember what I had to do, and I googled the ****ens out of it when I updated this morning, but no luck. But oh yes - drag and place and done.

- - - Updated - - -

Absolutely. I could drag them anywhere in the list that I wanted. Close family at the top and random messages such as Bed Bath & Beyond at the bottom. When I updated to High Sierra I had to "fix" the setting to do so, but can't remember what I had to do, and I googled the ****ens out of it when I updated this morning, but no luck. But oh yes - drag and place and done.

LOL - the asterick that Macforums placed here was not a bad word. d-i-c-k-e-n-s-???

 

[MacInWin]

I've never seen Messages in any order except order received. I just did a search and found nothing about how to sort Messages at all. Are you really sure you could move them? Did you have some third party application that modified Messages? Could you be thinking of Mail instead of Messages?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

This is definitely odd since I've never been able to do that either on the Mac or iOS. There is no ability of marking anything as favorite to keep them on top, the messages have always bounced around for me.

 

[kathmat]

I've never seen Messages in any order except order received. I just did a search and found nothing about how to sort Messages at all. Are you really sure you could move them? Did you have some third party application that modified Messages? Could you be thinking of Mail instead of Messages?

100% sure. I was moving them up to yesterday. And no - no third party apps. Just wish I could remember what it was I had to do, but even so - there seems to be no option anywhere to do that now. If I remember or find it myself, I will be sure to share. Oh - and no messages not mail. I work from home and never got the hang of texting on my phone, so all my messaging is done from my computer - all day.

 

[kathmat]

This is definitely odd since I've never been able to do that either on the Mac or iOS. There is no ability of marking anything as favorite to keep them on top, the messages have always bounced around for me.

You all make me wish I had recorded my screen before updating. lol. Trust me - not crazy yet, not yet... and I was for absolute sure doing this up to yesterday with ease. How? I don't know - but I was. Cross my heart and hope to die.

 

[IWT]

@kathmat

I admire you because you very clearly found a way to do this. I have tried for years to achieve this from way back to El Capitan and before. I currently have macOS High Sierra and still can't do it.

Clearly, I have not helped you one jot, but if you ever rediscover the way to achieve this, please let us know.

I, for one, will be very grateful.

Ian

 

[kathmat]

@kathmat

I admire you because you very clearly found a way to do this. I have tried for years to achieve this from way back to El Capitan and before. I currently have macOS High Sierra and still can't do it.

Clearly, I have not helped you one jot, but if you ever rediscover the way to achieve this, please let us know.

I, for one, will be very grateful.

Ian

I definitely will. Just frustrated now because I am sure all reading this must think I have bats in my belfry, and until I do it again, I have no proof. I won't give up though. Did not expect this, or for sure I would have recorded my screen. Cheers.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Well, frick me. Your persistence actually forced me to dig into every possible setting in Messages and what do you know, you can indeed to this voodoo thing you claim you can.

In Messages, on my High Sierra machine, View->Sort Conversations->Manually (as opposed to the By Time) and now I can drag the conversations around and I imagine they will stick where I put them. I will need to confirm this when someone actually texts me next, but you can try it out and report back.

 

[kathmat]

Well, frick me. Your persistence actually forced me to dig into every possible setting in Messages and what do you know, you can indeed to this voodoo thing you claim you can.

In Messages, on my High Sierra machine, View->Sort Conversations->Manually (as opposed to the By Time) and now I can drag the conversations around and I imagine they will stick where I put them. I will need to confirm this when someone actually texts me next, but you can try it out and report back.

ROFL - and I just wrote my sister-in-law's brother who is an Apple tech in Trinidad, to tell him that I know everyone on MacForums must think I am nuts and please tell me how to do it so I don't look like a total moron. I see it here on Mojave but it is greyed out.

 

[IWT]

Ashwin,

Just confirmed what you posted. Like you, need new message to confirm; but hey, Kathmat was right.

Ian

 

[IWT]

@Kathmat,

I see it here on Mojave but it is greyed out.

With your track record, you'll figure a way out to do this in macOS Mojave.

Ian

 

[kathmat]

Ashwin,

Just confirmed what you posted. Like you, need new message to confirm; but hey, Kathmat was right.

Ian

Oh thank God... at least now I won't be afraid to ask for help here again and worry about folk saying - "There she is again - it's Looney Tunes!" Just to find out now why it's greyed out in Mojave?

 

[MacInWin]

Greyed out here, too. And nothing in Preferences to change that that I can find.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

ROFL - and I just wrote my sister-in-law's brother who is an Apple tech in Trinidad, to tell him that I know everyone on MacForums must think I am nuts and please tell me how to do it so I don't look like a total moron. I see it here on Mojave but it is greyed out.

Well obviously Apple doesn't feel like you deserve that much control. Unfortunately my machine isn't allowed to get Mojave on it, so this is about all I can help you with. Hopefully other members running Mojave will confirm the same greyed out setting or something else that needs to be tweaked to give you the power.

 

[kathmat]

Greyed out here, too. And nothing in Preferences to change that that I can find.

Well now we wait to see if anyone, maybe one of the moderators or minds far superior to my own, can at least tell us why? Logically I would think there has to be a way, or the option greyed out or not, would not be there in the first place?

 

[Raz0rEdge]

A quick search seems to indicate that this was identified in the Mojave beta, so likely it's a bug and was reported but not fixed before the release version came out. Perhaps it will be fixed in one of the updates.

 

[usagora]

Grayed out for me too, and you're not alone:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8599672

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8559566

https://twitter.com/rgriff/status/1044319961957552128

etc.

 

[kathmat]

Well I do hope they fix it, or should I say allow us to use the feature once more as I find it invaluable. Thanks gentlemen.