Help Sending texts to multiple people

[enjikari]

Hello all!

Galaxy S4
Model Number SCH-R970X
C-Spire carrier
Android ver 4.3

I'm noticing a troubling issue with texts. If I send a text to one person, no problem. But if I create a text and make more than one recipient, it says "Converting to multimedia message for group messaging..."

So, does this mean it turns the message to a different type that goes out? That the recipients must be able to accept this type of message in order to read it? Des it not just send out plain texts to those recipients? And, is there a way to make the group messaging simply send out single, plain texts to the recipients? Thanks in advance!!

 

[Rukbat]

Look in the settings for the particular texting app you're using - there should be somehing about group messaging. (In the default "Messages" app, it's in the SMS/MMS tab.) Turn off "Send a single message to multiple recipients" if that's what you want.

The "format" that's being used for texting is the same format that was used for pocket pagers years ago - one sender, one recipient, 160 characters or less. So to accommodate things like multiple recipients and sending pictures, MMS was created. What happens is that an internet link is sent in the text. When you press that link you get the file the link is to - which can be a picture, or it can be a text file with the original text. The only thing the recipients need to do is press on the link, but you can force the texting app to send out a separate text to each recipient. The only problem with that is that if you don't have unlimited data, or you pay by the text, it costs more.

The problem you'll find is with people who use iPhones sending you things. If they don't know to use SMS (the default "messaging app" in an iPhone is iMessage, which uses a different protocol - it has to be told to use SMS) you get empty messages, empty pictures, notices that you got a message and there's no message, things like that.

 

[enjikari]

Look in the settings for the particular texting app you're using - there should be something about group messaging. (In the default "Messages" app, it's in the SMS/MMS tab.) Turn off "Send a single message to multiple recipients" if that's what you want.

Thanks Rukbat! Yes indeed, found this by touching the phone's lower-left 'menu' button then choosing 'Settings' while in the phone's default Messaging app (which I mainly use). Under the 'MMS settings' section there was a box labeled "Group Messaging - Send a single text to multiple recipients" with a check mark. I've un-checked that box. That should do the trick!

 

[BigRedGonzo]

Just to throw this out there. I send Group Texts frequently and my S4 converts them to MMS in order to send them as a group. I have people that I text that have iPhones, Android Phones and Dumb Phones (PC/Feature Phones) and all of them say that the message shows up just like any other message. Don't know if that helps you at all, but I thought it was at least worth saying.

 

[enjikari]

Just to throw this out there. I send Group Texts frequently and my S4 converts them to MMS in order to send them as a group. I have people that I text that have iPhones, Android Phones and Dumb Phones (PC/Feature Phones) and all of them say that the message shows up just like any other message. Don't know if that helps you at all, but I thought it was at least worth saying.

Hmm, well my issue has been resolved BRG, but for me personally all my recipients have reported to me that my group messages are coming to them as packets that need to be downloaded. And many don't have mobile web on their phone. So, standard texts are preferable to me.

 

[speedlever]

Look in the settings for the particular texting app you're using - there should be somehing about group messaging. (In the default "Messages" app, it's in the SMS/MMS tab.) Turn off "Send a single message to multiple recipients" if that's what you want.

What is the end result in turning this off? There are times that I need to send group texts... and I find the carrier imposed limit of 10 in the group to be rather limiting.

 

[1slowhonduh]

Does anyone know how to name a group that you text frequently so that you don't have to put all their names on the "to" line every time they want to send a text to those people? I just want to be able to click on "to" and type in group and all the people in the group would be there so I can text them. Its more for convenient than anything else but I get frustrated when I have to type in all their names when I want to send them a text. BTW, I have a Droid Ultra. 4.4 Kit Kat. Thanks in advance.