Help Group Text Messaging - Trying to respond to sender only

[knightt]

I am trying to help my sister solve a problem which I could not find a solution for. I tried to search everywhere on google as well as the forums here. Does anyone know if there is a solution to being able to respond to just the sender who sent a group text? Excluding the stock messaging app which allows you to pick who to respond, how do you disable the reply-all feature?

We tried 3rd party messaging apps and none of them will fix the problem. It appears to be phone related. I find this to be silly and pointless, why would the recipient (my sister) needs to see all the numbers that received the text and vice-versa? So much for privacy, she had to apologize to many for sending a response to a text that she thought was going to the original sender. Talk about awkward moments.

Does anyone know if there is a solution or do we have to accept this flaw as it is and do a workaround by observing the fact that it's a group message and use the stock app to respond? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I honestly cannot find anything online.

Thanks!

 

[Lucidot]

I am trying to help my sister solve a problem which I could not find a solution for. I tried to search everywhere on google as well as the forums here. Does anyone know if there is a solution to being able to respond to just the sender who sent a group text? Excluding the stock messaging app which allows you to pick who to respond, how do you disable the reply-all feature?

We tried 3rd party messaging apps and none of them will fix the problem. It appears to be phone related. I find this to be silly and pointless, why would the recipient (my sister) needs to see all the numbers that received the text and vice-versa? So much for privacy, she had to apologize to many for sending a response to a text that she thought was going to the original sender. Talk about awkward moments.

Does anyone know if there is a solution or do we have to accept this flaw as it is and do a workaround by observing the fact that it's a group message and use the stock app to respond? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I honestly cannot find anything online.

Thanks!

This exact problem happened to me at New Years. My sister sent me a text saying, "Happy New Year!"

I had no idea that she had sent it to a multitude of people until I responded saying, "Happy New Year! Love You All!" And then I saw the message start going out to a lot of people. I mean a lot of people. Hahahaha!

I started getting messages back saying they loved me too followed by "Who is this?" Too funny.

So to not answer your question. I have no idea how to do it either.

 

[zalex]

at least you have more love in your life now

 

[doogald]

I am trying to help my sister solve a problem which I could not find a solution for. I tried to search everywhere on google as well as the forums here. Does anyone know if there is a solution to being able to respond to just the sender who sent a group text? Excluding the stock messaging app which allows you to pick who to respond, how do you disable the reply-all feature?

We tried 3rd party messaging apps and none of them will fix the problem. It appears to be phone related. I find this to be silly and pointless, why would the recipient (my sister) needs to see all the numbers that received the text and vice-versa? So much for privacy, she had to apologize to many for sending a response to a text that she thought was going to the original sender. Talk about awkward moments.

Does anyone know if there is a solution or do we have to accept this flaw as it is and do a workaround by observing the fact that it's a group message and use the stock app to respond? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated. I honestly cannot find anything online.

Long-press on the message that you received and choose from the pop-up menu "reply to sender".

 

[elcameano]

Our trap on pic in the upper left hand corner with multiple pics in it. Select the party you wish to reply to. And easy way to tell if there are multiple party is the send button will say reply all out send to all (cant remrmber) instead of send.

 

[Lucidot]

Apparently Handcent forgot to add that feature. I see it in the stock SMS app though.

 

[knightt]

I don't believe the 3rd party apps (Handcent, GO, Chomp) support the feature, only the stock messaging app. I was wondering if we can get rid of the reply-all option all together and just have everything respond to the sender. There's really no reason for her to respond to everyone in the group ever, so the extra awareness to realize you received a group text and taking the necessary steps to avoid sending responses to others is inconvenient for her. I wonder why the Bionic does this and not other phones like my HTC Hero, LG Optimus, Droid 2 or Samsung Galaxy S2 E4GT that I have.

Bottom line: My sister would like to avoid using the stock messaging app but it sounds like she can't unless she pays real close attention if it's a group text. So that means she would go back to the stock app to respond.

 

[doogald]

I know that there is a setting in the stock app: menu->messaging settings->Thread group conversations. If you turn that off, does that unthread new received group messages in Handcent and/or Chomp/Go SMS as well? (Those apps use the stock messaging database to display messages, so I think that they might.)

 

[knightt]

I know that there is a setting in the stock app: menu->messaging settings->Thread group conversations. If you turn that off, does that unthread new received group messages in Handcent and/or Chomp/Go SMS as well? (Those apps use the stock messaging database to display messages, so I think that they might.)

We've already tried that and left it unchecked. Uninstall/Install the apps, rebooted and etc. It doesn't appear to do anything with the apps but it does apply to the stock app. Unless there's someone who received a group text using one of the other apps and was able to avoid reply-all, I would definitely like to hear how they got it to happen. No luck so far after searching around.

 

[sustained]

Long-press on the message that you received and choose from the pop-up menu "reply to sender".

I didn't know that. Thank you! That was helpful!

 

[droidosis]

It actually creates an MMS message if you send to more then one person at once.

Did you notice that Handcent does not work with group messaging the same way as the stock app does?

Yes, the stock messenger allows for group text messages. When you "reply all" -- it will send your text message to every one of the people in the original list that was sent to you, and ALSO forward the original list of people/recipients (along with your message) to each person on the list.

So in essence you can have a "group-chat" text conversation. This is how it works on the Iphone. It's a nifty thing if a group of people are babbling back and forth. I would not want to lose this functionality. It can be disabled, by breaking the messages into threads, or you can choose to only reply to the original sender, which is a nice option.

If you "reply all" in Handcent to a group MMS, it WILL reply to every person on the original list, but it does NOT forward the original list of people to each person ... breaking the "group-chat" functionality.

It would be nice if Handcent could do this like the stock app. I am not sure they are even aware it is not functioning the way it should. 'by design?'

-droidosis-

 

[knightt]

It's great in theory if everyone knew they were part of a group chat. I can receive a group text and respond to it to the individual sender without knowing I was part of a mass text, but if another person beside my sister responds to it and has this "feature", I would receive their text response. If I respond, it would just go to her since I don't have this "feature" to begin with.

Oh well, she just needs to pay attention to her texts.

 

[jreh7]

So when I get a group message..
example- I get a message from my brother..saying have a good day love u guys..he sends that to like 5 of is..anytime anyone replies to it I also get it..its so damn annoying cuz they have convos and my phone is blowing up..how do I stop that??? Please help its pissing me off I use handcent!

 

[knightt]

So when I get a group message..
example- I get a message from my brother..saying have a good day love u guys..he sends that to like 5 of is..anytime anyone replies to it I also get it..its so damn annoying cuz they have convos and my phone is blowing up..how do I stop that??? Please help its pissing me off I use handcent!

Unfortunately, you can't avoid it seems. Everyone else who is replying needs to do their due diligence to only respond to the sender, otherwise you'll continue to be a victim. It really sucks and I still have yet to find a solution to prevent it for my sister. I feel your pain, sorry I didn't have anything useful to say besides agreeing with you.

 

[jreh7]

haha its cool bro thanks..yeah it does suck..only flaw about handcent..i dont like using the default text..cuz im a dork and i like the emoji faces haha..damn i hope handcent can fix this problem asap!

 

[Duckster]

This is a known bug and a ticket has already been opened to solve it. As to when it will get fixed...who knows, but Motorola is aware of it now.

 

[Junior Colon]

Ok, i was having same problem and after hours of frying my brains, i found the solution to the reply to sender only. I am using Verizon Wireless, and have a Droid3. So not sure if this will work for everyone. First, you have to open your message with the app already in your android, not chomp, or go sms pro or handcent. open your message, then press screen on message area. A menu will pop up. if you scroll down, you will see where it says REPLY TO SENDER ONLY. give a try see if it works for you. Sure hope it does. Any questions you can also email me at puertoricanflavor69@gmail.com or even call 563 299 0353. Be glad to help as much as i can.

 

[Sammygirl7119]

I have a samsung infuse 4g and I.don't know how to turn off group messaging. Whenever I send a picture to a bunch of people they all get each others responses. Also I get other peoples responses when someone sends me a picture they sent others.

 

[doogald]

I have a samsung infuse 4g and I.don't know how to turn off group messaging. Whenever I send a picture to a bunch of people they all get each others responses. Also I get other peoples responses when someone sends me a picture they sent others.

Sammygirl7119, this is the forum for the Verizon Motorola Bionic. I'm sorry to say that I do not know all that much about the Samsung Infuse 4G, but I'm sure that if you ask this question in the Samsung Infuse 4G forum that you'll have better luck finding an answer to that question. Good luck and welcome to Android Forums!

 

[jj8811]

Hi,

I'm bumping this because I seem to have the opposite problem. I have the galaxy 3s and most of my friends have the iPhone.

Let's say my friend sends a group text between me and my friends.

Firstly, that group message gets threaded under any previous correspondence between me and the original sender, ie. a new text thread is not created. And when another friend replies all, his reply gets recorded under an existing 1-1 thread between us as well.

Secondly, I'm only able to read group texts if I turn on "mobile data" (even if I'm connected to WiFi), although I don't mind that.

Thirdly, and what I care about the most, when I reply, it sends it to only the original sender (and none of the other people included in the original text). There isn't an option to select "reply all" like there is in the stock app.

Under app settings, I have message grouping checked, i have MMS group chat checked, and I have send as split conversations unchecked.

Any help?

Thanks

 

[Thom]

This is the Motorola Droid Bionic forum. I think you will have better luck if you post your question in the ... Samsung Galaxy S3 ... forum.

... Thom

 

[jj8811]

haha whoops. sorry about that. did a quick google search and forgot to look at the forum name.
thanks.