Help How do you text to a group?

[apologetickid]

Anyone figure out how to send a text to a group? I can't figure it out. Hoping it's possible, because I need to do it multiple times a week for my job.

 

[Wolfedude88]

Like setup to text to a specific group or just text to multiple people at once?

If multiple people you just click the new message icon, type the number and then comma, and space, then the next number. Or if they are saved contacts it is the same thing, you type their name, and then you type another one and so forth.

Not sure if you are talking about a group though.

 

[apologetickid]

Like setup to text to a specific group or just text to multiple people at once?

If multiple people you just click the new message icon, type the number and then comma, and space, then the next number. Or if they are saved contacts it is the same thing, you type their name, and then you type another one and so forth.

Not sure if you are talking about a group though.

On my Fascinate, I could just go to contacts, then group, then hit the menu button and select "send message," and I would be able to text up to 20 people at a time. I don't see any option here on ICS to send a text to a group, unless I type in the recipients one at a time (which would sort of defeat the purpose of having groups). In fact, I can't really find any good use for the groups, other than to see which contacts you have labeled this way or that. There's no option to send an e-mail to a group or anything. What gives?

 

[Wolfedude88]

On my Fascinate, I could just go to contacts, then group, then hit the menu button and select "send message," and I would be able to text up to 20 people at a time. I don't see any option here on ICS to send a text to a group, unless I type in the recipients one at a time (which would sort of defeat the purpose of having groups). In fact, I can't really find any good use for the groups, other than to see which contacts you have labeled this way or that. There's no option to send an e-mail to a group or anything. What gives?

OIC, strange, I see if you use the people app, you can make groups but it doesn't seem to let me text or message them. Kind of pointless to make a group there if it wont let you do that though.

I'll keep looking into it and see if I can find something out for you.

 

[apologetickid]

OIC, strange, I see if you use the people app, you can make groups but it doesn't seem to let me text or message them. Kind of pointless to make a group there if it wont let you do that though.

I'll keep looking into it and see if I can find something out for you.

I would appreciate that. I work with teenagers, and since they communicate primarily by texting...

 

[Wolfedude88]

I would appreciate that. I work with teenagers, and since they communicate primarily by texting...

Understandable, in the mean time you could download handcent sms from the marketplace, it is free. I just downloaded it and can confirm you can send text to groups in it,

In the app you go to a new message -> then the + at the top -> group-> then depending if you already have this setup in gmail it will have this already done on the phone tab. If not click the handcent tab-> then the menu button on the bottom -> great group and from there you can great a group.

You can keep doing this until you get all the groups you need.

You think that would work for you? Also gosms might have this feature too, but I haven't tried it on that one yet. Wanted to see if this would work for you first.

 

[apologetickid]

Understandable, in the mean time you could download handcent sms from the marketplace, it is free. I just downloaded it and can confirm you can send text to groups in it,

In the app you go to a new message -> then the + at the top -> group-> then depending if you already have this setup in gmail it will have this already done on the phone tab. If not click the handcent tab-> then the menu button on the bottom -> great group and from there you can great a group.

You can keep doing this until you get all the groups you need.

You think that would work for you? Also gosms might have this feature too, but I haven't tried it on that one yet. Wanted to see if this would work for you first.

Thank you for your investigating!!! I'll give Handcent a try, although I'd really love a workaround in the stock SMS program if possible. Let me know if you hear/discover anything. Thanks again!
Blessings!

 

[Wolfedude88]

Thank you for your investigating!!! I'll give Handcent a try, although I'd really love a workaround in the stock SMS program if possible. Let me know if you hear/discover anything. Thanks again!
Blessings!

np, I will keep looking into for sure and let you know if I find anything out. I too like to use the stock messanger, so I will let you know if I find anything out.

 

[jeff0r3]

definitely deserves a bump.. Big miss from ICS IMO.. I got spoiled with this feature while using MIUI...

 

[apologetickid]

definitely deserves a bump.. Big miss from ICS IMO.. I got spoiled with this feature while using MIUI...

Ya. I'm using Go SMS Pro for group messaging, for the time being. But seriously, what good is the "group" tab if you can't SMS or Email them as a group? Not sure what the devs were thinking there. Anyhow, Go SMS Pro works perfectly for group texting right now, but I really hope that 4.0.3 has a fix for this.

 

[Crudes]

Also find it incredibly odd that I can't email a group of contacts either. That's just a ridiculous oversight.

 

[BoogieNYC]

I'm sure they'll find a fix for this -- and for the stock dialer not offering basic speed-dial functionality -- but in the meantime, I think Handcent is amazing. I used it on my Droid X and never looked back, and it was one of the first apps I installed on the Nexus. So so so much better than the stock apps.

And while I understand wanting to solve the problem, I'm really jazzed about having a platform like Android that solves these little issues for me so I don't have to

 

[Steffanie2121]

I got on here to look for an answer to this exact question! Thanks, thought I was the only one!!!

 

[brhermon]

For those of you who are content with the stock SMS app and just want the group texting feature you could also try Contacts GroupU
The app's UI isn't anything to brag about but it gets the job done. You can text or email an entire group and... the feature I actually used it most for... set a ringtone for an entire group (like your clients at work)

On my OG it was a little laggy... but that might have been my phone and not the app... I'm still considering installing it on my GNEX.

 

[KidWonder101]

That's Strange?

 

[wysts43]

Same question for the gmail app.... Any thoughts?

 

[Tim K]

GroupMe is a nice free app for group texting that allows the recipients to text back to the whole group.

 

[bcrules82]

Gmail groups allows you to categorize your contacts, duh.
Also, it allows you to email an entire group.
Also, if a contact has multiple emails and is in multiple groups, you can specify a unique email to use for each 'group' email.
Also, you can filter what contacts display in your custom view by group.
Shall I continue?

Another group messaging thread
http://androidforums.com/verizon-galaxy-nexus/467707-group-mms.html

My opinion, if you need to download an app to access a niche feature, use a free solution (group IM, email). Not group MMS. Waste of money.

Google Talk already supports group chat. As does Google+ Messenger (take advantage of your circles/groups).

 

[Tim K]

GroupMe doesn't use SMS service if you have the app installed. It all comes through the app. There is an android and iphone app so if all your friends have smartphones they can all run the app and avoid sms usage. For anyone who has a dumbphone or is dumb enough to have a windows phone (ha!) they will get individual SMS messages.

If everyone has a smartphone you might as well use email instead of a bunch of people all using a 3rd party service. Or at least google talk since I know that's available on iphone. I guess the only reason to go with an SMS service is if you have friends with dumb phones (or if they refuse to keep google talk open - which my iOS friends do - err, don't)

 

[racinglawyer]

Thanks I downloaded Handcent sms and it worked like magic..Thanks a million...sent out over 1,000 Easter messages all at once...some were sent a second time but they all went out.

 

[rigbym99]

After you have your contacts entered into a group - simply choose one person to send the text to. Then, click on that message and select forward, select group, and select the individuals in the group you want to text to.

I wish I knew a simpler way - but this will get the job done.

 

[robinc2345]

I understand how to create a group with my LG Mytouch in GMail , on my phone and using Handcent SMS. My problem is that I have to keep handselecting the phone number for the group with each text, as opposed to just picking the group and pressing send. Please help! I text groups all the time, but do not have the time to keep selecting phone numbers. Many of my contacts have multiple phone numbers, and this is crazy!

 

[yinger]

from contacts select a group and select menu button, click select all and press done at top, compose message and send it.