Help Best way to group message Iphone'ers with my s3?

[FirstGen]

I have this circle of friends that group message a lot. They all have iphones and I am the only droid user in the group.

The stock app won't allow group messages. If I remember correctly, I get everybody's text individually and therefore cannot participate in the group.

I have been using handcent for a couple months now. It does the job but still not that great. I get everbody's text individually and it shows a download button, I click it and then it DL's the text and then throws it into the group message. I have to do that for every single text in the group (get it individually and then DL it into the group thread) every once in a while when I respond in the group thread, not everyone will get my response.

Also, a couple weeks ago, our group exchanged about 250 messages in a few hour span. I had to go to each text in each individual person's thread and DL it into the group thread. One thing I noticed is that If I get behind on this, like if I was away from my phone for a bit, and if I don't DL the texts in the right order, everything will be scrambled and not in order. I have to DL each one right when it comes in so it stays in order.

Is there an app where I don't have to do this? Is there an app where it just sends it to the group thread like what iphones do?

 

[TadeoNYC]

Try GoSMS. Does the trick for me.

 

[FirstGen]

Try GoSMS. Does the trick for me.

what do you do? how does the message come in?

 

[TadeoNYC]

It comes in as a group message. You send group messages by adding multiple recipients, nothing more than that. It's not perfect, there are quirks where messages occasionally show up as a download link. There is an active thread about universal text mms problems with the phone.

 

[pappcam]

Get everyone to start using WhatsApp.

WhatsApp :: Home

 

[DFIDDZ]

Agreed. What's App works great for all smartphones. I have a group with friends on Android, iphone and BlackBerry.

 

[bigsmokefarmer]

Whatsapp is the way forward, works better than most other messaging systems to the point I don't use SMS anymore

 

[SUroot]

Best way to group message Iphone'ers

Billboards and TV adverts

 

[Yatezy]

It's because they are using imessage which allows that but only between ios users.

As stated get WhatsApp.

 

[Roadie1015]

Go SMS works for me. Seems like it's easier than trying to get everyone involved in a group text to switch apps.

 

[aeiou2]

There is no way to convince a large group of friends to download an app (they have an advantage because group messaging work perfectly fine on their iphones) so suggesting whatsapp is useless. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of Android. You would think they wouldve figured this out already, but apparently not.

I also hate having to download group text on handcent, but there really is no better way on android other than downloading an instant messenger app like whatsapp, groupme, kik, etc...

 

[pappcam]

There is no way to convince a large group of friends to download an app (they have an advantage because group messaging work perfectly fine on their iphones) so suggesting whatsapp is useless. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of Android. You would think they wouldve figured this out already, but apparently not.

I also hate having to download group text on handcent, but there really is no better way on android other than downloading an instant messenger app like whatsapp, groupme, kik, etc...

I have a large group of friends and we all had BlackBerry and we used BBM all the time. I moved to the S3 was able to get all my friends to install and use WhatsApp so the suggestion is far from meaningless.

I'm sure the OP appreciates you speaking for him.

 

[davidmanvell]

There is no way to convince a large group of friends to download an app (they have an advantage because group messaging work perfectly fine on their iphones) so suggesting whatsapp is useless. This is one of the biggest weaknesses of Android. You would think they wouldve figured this out already, but apparently not.

I also hate having to download group text on handcent, but there really is no better way on android other than downloading an instant messenger app like whatsapp, groupme, kik, etc...

Ummm 75% of the smartphone market belongs to Android. 14% to Apple. you'd think Apple would get on board and start using standard messaging not the other way around...


The stock Verizon / Samsung messaging app supports group messages.

 

[aeiou2]

I have a large group of friends and we all had BlackBerry and we used BBM all the time. I moved to the S3 was able to get all my friends to install and use WhatsApp so the suggestion is far from meaningless.

I'm sure the OP appreciates you speaking for him.

You are correct and I should not have said there is no way. I should have said its difficult to convince a large number of people who already have the capability to do group messenging to download an app so that you can do it with them. My iphone friends would laugh their @$$es off if they found out that android could not do that simple function.

 

[aeiou2]

Ummm 75% of the smartphone market belongs to Android. 14% to Apple. you'd think Apple would get on board and start using standard messaging not the other way around...


The stock Verizon / Samsung messaging app supports group messages.

Really????? Well why are we the only ones complaining about this?

 

[fdbryant3]

I use GroupMe for group chat. It's free, works across platform, and doesn't require anyone but the person setting up the group to sign up for an account. Basically long as folks can send and receive text messages they can participate in GroupME chat.

 

[eighteesix]

Go SMS Pro (free) works perfectly for iPhone group sms. works just like iPhone does.

 

[fdbryant3]

It comes in as a group message. You send group messages by adding multiple recipients, nothing more than that. It's not perfect, there are quirks where messages occasionally show up as a download link. There is an active thread about universal text mms problems with the phone.

I must be missing something with GoSMS. Whenever I send a message to multiple recipients it will broadcast out, but the replies are to me as an individual (unless I guess your friends know who is in the group and then reply by setting up a multiple recipient message, which seems tedious).

 

[eighteesix]

you need to go into settings and turn on group messaging (it will specifically say for iphones and other devices)

 

[fdbryant3]

Ah, works using MMS. Think I'll stick with GroupME which only requires SMS to work.

 

[mackpbj]

Download Handcent and go to the app's settings, scroll down to where you can disable stock messaging(meaning handcent becomes your default), then scroll down to group messaging option and check that box. Works exactly like the iPhone Group messaging by keeping everything organized in one thread.

Its not perfect though. Although it works most of the time there are some bugs. for example: when you type out a message and hit send every once in a while you will your message text will be blank. Meaning a message was sent but there is no text. It does however work great about 85% of the time.

 

[FirstGen]

Download Handcent and go to the app's settings, scroll down to where you can disable stock messaging(meaning handcent becomes your default), then scroll down to group messaging option and check that box. Works exactly like the iPhone Group messaging by keeping everything organized in one thread.

Its not perfect though. Although it works most of the time there are some bugs. for example: when you type out a message and hit send every once in a while you will your message text will be blank. Meaning a message was sent but there is no text. It does however work great about 85% of the time.

handcent doesn't work the way I wan't it. You have to DL each text individually, then it will get grouped into the group thread. been using it for a few months. It was better than nothing and did the job but I hated have to DL each text that came in as a group. If I was away from my phone for an hour and saw that there was 30 text messages from a group, I would have to go to each person individual thread, DL each message they sent, and then it would put it into the group message. So I would have to know exactly when each came in (sometimes it doesn't show the exact time) and then DL each in the proper order, or else the whole group thread would be scrambled and wouldn't make sense. So ive been trying to find an app that by passes all that stuff. I did make handcent my default and checked the group message box in settings. That allowed me to actually receive group messages, and would put the messages in a group thread...AFTER...me having to go to each person individual text (it comes in individually like a normal text from one person) and DL each one they sent.

So i disabled handcent and gave gosms a try that a few people said to try and it is AMAZING and does the job. I don't have to do anything. The text doesn't come in as an individual text into that person individual thread like handcent did. It went directly into the group the second it was sent. I appreciate the help.

 

[Parkerland]

Just got my S3 yesterday...ALL friends have iPhones...tried both GoSMS and Handcent last night. No issues with replies showing up in one text box but my issue is that with both apps my texts are being sent back to me as a reply also. Went in and made sure that I only had one contact for myself in contacts so I'm not sure what's going on. Help....

 

[abevuk]

Guys am I doing something wrong??? I can only have group mms... No way I'm paying for that!!!

 

[FirstGen]

I give up.

gosmspro was amazing on my end. It was exactly what I was looking for and did things that handcent couldnt.

But now during group messages, my friends are telling me that they are getting my response several hours later and not immediately like everyone else's.

why is that?