What to do if Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts | fix for sending double SMS or MMS

There are many forms of texting issues that affects many Android and non-Android devices. One of such issues is the sometimes annoying problem about a device sending duplicate or multiple texts. In this troubleshooting article, we’ll show you how to fix your Galaxy Note10+ that sends duplicate texts or MMS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-SFhHYE5w

What to do if Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts | fix for sending double SMS or MMS 

If your Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts all the time and you have no idea why it does so or how to fix it, this troubleshooting article may help.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #1: Check for errors

If your Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts, the first step that you want to know is if there’s an error message or code. Errors are usually key to solving problems so be sure to take note if one shows up during or after sending your texts. There’s no universal set of errors that we can point out as texting problems can vary by software version, carrier, phone, among others. What you can do is to take note of the code or message and do a quick Google search about it. If the problem affects other users, there may be an online solution that you can find to fix it. 

If there are no errors at all, continue troubleshooting your device by following our suggestions below.

 Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #2: Restart messaging app

Sometimes, texting problems are caused by a bug within the messaging app itself. Some of these bugs are minor and go away on their own if the app is restarted. So, the next troubleshooting step that you want to do is to ensure that you deal with the app by restarting it. 

There are two ways to force quit an app. 

Method 1: Close an app using Recent Apps key

  1. On your screen, tap the Recent Apps soft key (the one with three vertical lines on the left of the Home button).
  2. Once the Recent Apps screen is shown, swipe left or right to look for the app. It should be here if you managed to run it previously.
  3. Then, swipe up on the app to close it. This should force close it. If it’s not there, simply tap the Close All app to also restart all apps.

Method 2: Close an app using App Info menu

Another way to force close an app is by going within the app’s settings itself. It’s a longer way compared to the first method above but it’s equally effective. You want to use this method if you plan on doing other troubleshooting for the said app like clearing its cache or data. Here’s how it’s done:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Apps.
  3. Tap the More settings icon (three-dot icon, upper right).
  4. Tap Show system apps.
  5. Find and tap the app.
  6. Tap Force Stop.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #3: Reboot device

If restarting of the messaging app won’t work, your next troubleshooting step is reboot the device. Try restarting it normally first by pressing the Power button to access the boot menu. Then, select Restart option and see if that works.

Another way to restart the device is by pressing and holding the Volume Down button and the Bixby/Power key at the same time for 10 seconds or until the device’s screen turns on. This simulates the effect of having disconnected the battery from the device. If this works, this may unlock the device.

If doing the regular restart won’t help, then try this:

  1. Press and hold the Volume Down button first and don’t release it.
  2. While holding it down, press and hold the Power key.
  3. Keep both keys held down for 10 seconds or more. 

The second restart procedure tries to simulate the effects of removing the battery pack. On older devices, disconnecting the battery is often an effective way in fixing unresponsive devices. If nothing changed though, proceed to the next suggestions.

Rebooting your device regularly at least once every week can be beneficial. If you tend to forget things, we suggest that you configure your phone to reboot on its own. You can schedule it to do this task by doing these steps:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap Device Care.
  3. Tap the 3-dot at the top.
  4. Select Auto restart.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #4: Refresh system cache

If your Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts after updating the phone or after installing an app, there may be an issue with the system cache. Make sure that you clear the cache partition to force the device to rebuild the system cache.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Turn off the device.
  2. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  3. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  4. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  5. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  6. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe cache partition.’
  7. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  8. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear the cache.
  9. Wait for a second as the system wipes the cache.
  10. Press the Power button again to reboot the device. This will return the device to the normal interface.
  11. That’s it!

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #5: Clear app cache and data

App problems may sometimes be attributed to bad app cache or data. To check if either one is the cause of the issue, make sure to clear the messaging app cache first. If that won’t help, try to delete the cache.

To clear an app cache:

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Cache button.
  10. Check for the problem.

Should clearing of the app’s cache won’t make a difference, try to also reset its settings to defaults. To clear an app’s data and return it to its defaults:

  1. Go to the Home screen.
  2. Tap Apps icon.
  3. Open Settings app.
  4. Tap Apps.
  5. If you’re looking for a system or default app, tap on More settings at the upper right (three-dot icon).
  6. Select Show system apps.
  7. Find and tap the appropriate app.
  8. Tap Storage.
  9. Tap Clear Data button.

If you’re using a third party messaging app, consider re-installing it instead of wiping its data. This means that you need to delete the app from the phone and reinstall it afterwards. In order not to lose any important texts, be sure to back your texts and MMS first. Some apps like Google’s Android Messages app has a cloud-saving feature that allows you to back up your messages so you can access them anywhere. Be sure to use such feature if you don’t want to lose your texts.

To delete or uninstall an app:

  1. From a Home screen, swipe up or down from the center of the display to access the apps screen.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Tap Apps.
  4. Ensure All is selected (upper-left).  If necessary, tap the Dropdown icon (upper-left) then select All.
  5. Locate then select the appropriate app. If system apps aren’t visible, tap the Menu icon (upper-right) then select Show system apps.
  6. Tap Uninstall to delete an app.
  7. Tap OK to confirm.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #6: Clear network settings

One of the basic troubleshooting steps in this situation is to clear the current network configuration. This is because sometimes, system-wide changes may affect network settings such as cellular configuration. Fortunately, the solution is easy when this occurs. One simply needs to reset the network settings of the device to everything network-related are returned to their last known working configuration. If you haven’t tried this one yet, be sure to do so. Here’s how:

  1. Open Settings app.
  2. Tap General management.
  3. Tap Reset.
  4. Tap Reset network settings.
  5. Tap Reset settings to confirm.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #7: Try another messaging app

At other times, certain apps may encounter coding issues that may affect their primary function. If your Galaxy Note10+ still sends duplicate texts at this time, consider checking if there’s an on-going issue with the app by using a different application. For example, if the problem occurs when using the default Samsung Messages app, you can install a third party messaging app from the Play Store. There are many texting apps that you can use for this purpose so it’s up to you on what to pick.  The aim is to know whether or not the problem you’re having right now is isolated to the app, or if there’s another reason for it.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #8: Check on Safe Mode

One of the possible reasons for your texting issue may be a bad third party app. To check if one of your third party apps is to blame, restart your Note10+ to safe mode. Afterwards, launch check for the problem again. If the texting works normally on safe mode, that means that another app is causing it to act erratically. 

When on safe mode, all third party apps are blocked. To restart to safe mode here’s how to do that:

  1. Press and hold the Power button until the Power off window appears then release.
  2. Touch and hold Power off until the Safe mode prompt appears then release.
  3. To confirm, tap Safe mode.
  4. The process may take up to 30 seconds to complete.
  5. Upon reboot, “Safe mode” appears in the lower-left of the home screen.
  6. Check for the problem.

Don’t forget: safe mode blocks third party apps but it won’t tell you which of them is the real cause. If you think that there’s a rogue third party app in the system, you must identify it. Here’s what you need to do exactly:

  1. Boot to safe mode.
  2. Check for the problem.
  3. Once you’ve confirmed that a third party app is to blame, you can start uninstalling apps individually. We suggest that you begin with the most recent ones you added.
  4. After you uninstall an app, restart the phone to normal mode and check for the problem.
  5. If your Galaxy Note10+ is still problematic, repeat steps 1-4.

NOTE: If you’re only having a problem when using a third party messaging app, skip safe mode procedure. This only applies if you have an issue with an app that comes originally with the software.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #9: Return software to defaults (factory reset)

Factory reset may be necessary if nothing has changed at this point. To avoid losing personal data such as photos, videos, documents, and text messages, be sure to back them up ahead of time. 

Below are the two ways to factory reset your Note10+:

Method 1: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ via Settings Menu

This is the easiest way to wipe your Galaxy Note10+. all you have to do is to go under Settings menu and follow the steps below. We recommend this method if you have no trouble going under Settings.

  1. Create a backup of your personal data and remove your Google account.
  2. Open Settings app.
  3. Scroll to and tap General management.
  4. Tap Reset.
  5. Select Factory data reset from the given options.
  6. Read the information then tap Reset to continue.
  7. Tap Delete All to confirm action.

Method 2: How to hard reset on Samsung Galaxy Note10+ using hardware buttons

If your case is that the phone is not booting up, or it boots but Settings menu is inaccessible, this method can be helpful. First, you need to boot the device to Recovery Mode. Once you successfully access Recovery, that’s the time that you begin proper master reset procedure. It may take some tries for you before you can access Recovery so be patient and simply try again.

  1. If possible, create a backup of your personal data ahead of time. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  2. Also, you want to make sure that you remove your Google account. If your problem prevents you from doing that, then simply skip this step.
  3. Turn off the device. This is important. If you can’t turn it off, you’ll never be able to boot to Recovery Mode. If you are not able to shut the device off regularly via the Power button, wait until the phone’s battery is drained. Then, charge the phone for 30 minutes before booting to Recovery Mode.
  4. Press and hold the Volume Up key and the Bixby / Power key.
  5. When the green Android logo displays, release both keys (‘Installing system update’ will show for about 30 – 60 seconds before showing the Android system recovery menu options).
  6. The Recovery screen menu will now appear. When you see this, release the buttons.
  7. Use the Volume Down button until you are highlighting ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  8. Press the Power button to select ‘Wipe data/factory reset.’
  9. Use Volume Down to highlight Yes.
  10. Press the Power button to confirm the action to clear your phone data.

Galaxy Note10+ sends duplicate texts fix #10: Get help from carrier

Some texting problems are beyond an end user to deal with. If the issue stays after a factory reset, be sure to let your network operator know about it. 

 


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