Why Messages Says, ‘More Results Will Be Shown Once Messages Finish Indexing’ (Android & iOS) — Causes, Fixes & Pro Tips

If you have ever opened your phone’s Messages app and tried searching for a text, only to see the message “More results will be shown once messages finish indexing”, you have stumbled across one of the most common, yet confusing background processes in modern smartphones. 

Whether you’re using Google Messages on Android or Apple’s Messages app on iPhone, the alert essentially means your device is still working to organize your stored messages in order to make them searchable.  

While it may sound harmless, it can lead to search delays, missing conversations, and even confusion about whether messages were lost. 

In this comprehensive 2025 guide, we will show you why this happens and how to fix it step-by-step on both Android and iOS, with what to do if indexing seems to never finish. 

Quick Fixes That Usually Work 

Let’s start with the most effective and fastest fixes. These often solve the problem in just a few minutes — no need for a factory reset. 

Quick Steps: 

1. Restart your phone. Resets background indexing and refreshes cached tasks. 

2. Plug your phone into power and connect to Wi-Fi. iOS and Android both favor background indexing when charging and idle. 

3. Launch the Messages app and keep it open for 10–20 minutes. Don’t minimize or switch apps — indexing completes faster when the app is foregrounded. 

4. Update your operating system and Messages app. Outdated builds usually contain unresolved indexing bugs. 

5. Free up at least 15% of the internal storage. Indexing requires some disk space for search database creation. 

6. Turn off battery saver / low power mode. Power-saving features pause the background processes like indexing. 

7. Turn the message syncing off and on for iCloud on iPhone or Google backup on Android. 

If the alert remains longer than a few hours, proceed with deeper troubleshooting below. 

What “Messages Is Indexing” Actually Means? 

When your phone says “Messages are indexing,” it is doing a background operation by scanning your text messages, attachments, timestamps, and contact data so that these will be searchable and categorized. 

Think of it like your phone is creating an indexable library; every message has to be “tagged” so that you can find it instantly via search. 

The Messages app uses a local SQLite database for indexing text, MMS, and RCS chat data for fast search retrieval. 

On iPhone: 

The indexing is carried out by Spotlight Search and Siri Suggestions, which provide searchable metadata for each message and attachment stored locally or in iCloud. 

The message appears when: 

• You have recently restored your device from backup. 

• You’ve updated to a new iOS/Android version. 

• You’ve cleared cache or data. 

• You’ve re-enabled iCloud or Google backup sync. 

Indexing time depends on how many messages you have. For heavy users (tens of thousands of texts), it could take several hours. 

Common Causes For Messages Finish Indexing 

Understanding what causes this can help in ensuring that it does not happen again. Here is a breakdown of the most common culprits: 

1. Insufficient Storage or Low Memory 

Both Android and iOS use free disk space to maintain index databases. If storage is full, indexing either slows down or fails. 

Solution: Remove unused apps, clean up the cache, or transfer media onto cloud storage. Leave 10–15% free storage at any moment. 

2. Background Tasks Paused (Battery Saver, Doze) 

On Android, Doze Mode pauses background processes when the device is inactive or running low on battery. Similarly, iOS Low Power Mode reduces background indexing. 

Solution: Disable power-saving temporarily to allow full indexing. 

3. Cloud Sync Issues iCloud/iMessage / Google Backup 

If you are restoring messages from the cloud, incomplete or slow syncs delay indexing. 

Solution: Keep your device connected to stable Wi-Fi and plugged in. Allow iCloud/Google to fully sync before searching. 

4. Corrupted Local Index or App Cache 

Sometimes, the index database itself gets corrupted. In that case, Messages isn’t able to read or update it correctly. 

Solution: Clear cache (Android) or reset indexing data (iOS through reboot and sync reset). 

5. OS or App bug after an update 

New Android and iOS builds sometimes reset indexing. After a major update, for example, your phone might rebuild all the indexes from scratch. 

Solution: Be patient or manually trigger the reindex by restarting and keeping the Messages app open. 

6. Massive Number of Messages/Attachments 

Especially in devices that are mid-range, threads with years of texts, images, and videos can significantly slow down indexing. 

Solution: Periodically delete or archive older threads. 

Full Android Troubleshooting (Step-by-Step) 

Androids may behave differently depending on the manufacturer and/or version, with perhaps even differences in their default messaging applications. Let’s walk through the fixes systematically. 

Which Android Messaging App Are You Using? You may be using? 

• Google Messages (RCS-enabled, most common) 

• Samsung Messages 

• MIUI / ColorOS / OnePlus / Motorola stock apps: 

The indexing issue is most frequent in Google Messages because it handles both SMS and RCS chat syncs. 

Immediate Steps you need to follow 

1. Restart your phone. Simple but effective. 

2. Ensure updates: Go to Play Store → My Apps → Update Google Messages and Google Play Services. 

3. Cleanup: Clear out old images, videos, or downloads. 

4. Turn off battery optimization: 

• Go to Settings → Apps → Messages → Battery → Don’t optimize. 

5. Keep phone plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi for at least 15 minutes. 

6. Avoid multitasking while indexing — leave the app open. 

Advanced Steps in Android 

If indexing still doesn’t finish: 

1. Clear Messages app cache and data 

• Settings → Apps → Messages → Storage → Clear Cache → Clear Data. 

• Reopen the app.  

• Messages will reload and reindex. 

2. Re-enable Chat Features (if using RCS) 

• Messages → Settings → Chat Features → Disable → Re-enable. 

3. Clear system cache (for Samsung/Pixel): 

• Boot into Recovery → Wipe Cache Partition. 

4. Re-sync Google Backup Messages 

• Settings → Google → Backup → Manage → Toggle off/on “Messages.” 

5. Test in Safe Mode to check if any third-party app interferes. 

6. Run Device Health Check 

• Settings → Storage → Optimize now → Restart. 

When to Factory Reset / Contact OEM Support? 

If your messages are permanently “stuck indexing”: 

• Backup your data using Google One or SMS Backup & Restore. 

• Factory reset of the phone. 

• Clean message restoration. 

• If still broken, contact OEM support — Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus can run diagnostic checks. 

Full iPhone Troubleshooting (Step-by-Step) 

1. Restart iPhone — Forcing Spotlight to re-index. 

2. Disable Low Power Mode (Settings → Battery → Off). 

3. Update iOS to the latest available version. 

4. Clear Storage: Eliminate extra media or apps. 

5. Leave it overnight to charge; indexing usually completes during idle hours. 

Advanced iOS Steps 

If still stuck: 

1. Sign out and back into iCloud. 

2. Reset All Settings: Settings → General → Reset → Reset All Settings. 

3. Force Spotlight to reindex: 

• Settings → Siri & Search → Turn off “Show in Search” for Messages → Restart → Turn it back on. 

4. Erase and Restore: 

If none of the above works, backup and restore your iPhone from iCloud or Finder. 

When to Contact Apple Support? 

If Messages indexing continues for days: 

• Go to the Apple Support website at https://support.apple.com. 

• Provide logs via the Feedback app (search for “messaged” or “SMSIndexAgent”). 

Advanced Diagnostics & How to Gather Useful Logs 

For technical users or system administrators: 

• Android: Use adb logcat | grep Messages to trace indexing progress or database errors. 

• iOS:Go to Settings → Privacy → Analytics → Analytics Data and search for logs containing: “SMSIndexAgent” or “com.apple.Messages.” 

Collecting the logs might help an Apple or Google engineer pinpoint the root cause. 

Prevention: Best Practices & Expert Tips 

Expert Suggestions: 

• Always maintain 20–30% of storage free for indexing and background operations. 

• Regularly clear your message cache (Android), or archive old threads. 

• Keep the battery saver off when restoring from backups. 

• After OS updates, leave your device plugged in and idle overnight, because indexing completes much faster that way. 

When Nothing Works: Escalation Check List? 

If indexing never completes: 

1. Ensure OS and Messages app are updated to the latest. 

2. Verify the storage and background process permissions. 

3. Reboot and re-enable sync. 

4. Try another messaging app temporarily (Android only). 

5. Bug report submission 

• Android: Settings → Help & Feedback → Send feedback. 

• iOS: Feedback Assistant or Apple Support.  

FAQs  

Here are a few questions and queries on the topic of messages finish indexing that others have asked that might be helpful for you as well. 

1. How long does “Messages is indexing” usually take?  

Between a few minutes and several hours, depending on the device speed and the volume of messages.  

2. Will toggling iCloud/Google backup delete my messages?  

Nope, just make sure that it finishes syncing first.  

3. Can I force a reindex on Android?  

Yes — Clear app data or reinstall Google Messages.  

4. Why does the search work for recent messages but not older ones?  

Older threads haven’t finished indexing yet.  

5. Is it safe to clear app data to fix indexing?  

Yes, provided your messages have been backed up to the cloud.  

6. Do settings for saving battery affect indexing?  

Yes — background indexing is paused under power-saving modes.  

7. Are message indexing issues common after OS updates?  

Yes, especially during major iOS or Android version jumps.  

8. How do I collect logs to send to support?  

The message “More results will be shown once messages finish indexing” is not an error — it’s a background notification that your device is rebuilding its searchable message database.  

What Happens When Messages Finish Indexing? 

While it can be frustrating, especially when you’re trying to locate an important message, it’s almost always temporary.  

Keep your phone charged, Give it a few hours. For persistent cases, clearing cache, toggling sync, and updating your OS usually fix the bug.  

Pro Tip: If search results seem a bit limited after every major OS update or restore of the phone, don’t panic. It is just indexing, and your messages will reappear once this process completes.  

Follow this guide’s Android and iOS troubleshooting sections to keep your Messages app functional, searchable, and time-effective.