Has group texting been improved since Gingerbread...?

[Quackington]

Hi everyone,

I owned the first Galaxy Note, which came with Gingerbread, if I recall correctly. One thing I really disliked about Android at the time was how group messaging was done. Despite having a group of 12 people set up in my contacts, I couldn't send as text message to them all via one message. The Google stock messaging app only let me add a maximum number of 10 people to it.

I used an app called Handcent to do the job, which worked great, except instead of showing one thread in my message list, it repeated the message 12 times for each person I sent it to. I understand that any responses I received would show up in each user's individual message thread, but I just couldn't understand why Android couldn't show my outgoing message as one thread (works like this on my iPhones). It would show one thread if I was sending out a message via the stock messaging app to less than 10 people.

But...this was ages ago now. I'm hoping Google has fixed this, because someone who has a S4 recently told me that they can send a text message via the stock app to more than 10 people. Can someone confirm if this is the case? Is it possible to select a group of more than 10 people, or do you have to do a manual entry?

Sorry if it sounds like a really silly/pedantic question, but group texting is one of my most-used features...and will need it to work how I want it to if I'm to switch back to Android. I'd be especially keen to know if this is the case on stock Android (Nexus 4) as well as stuff like Samsung's devices.

Thanks.

 

[rawness]

Yes, but it's still not where it needs to be...at least on my VZW Galaxy Nexus.

You can send and receive messages as a group. I use GOSMS, I know handcent can do it as well and I think the stock app can do it now, as well. (No recipient limit to my knowledge...largest group I've been a part of was around 20 people)

Android still struggles with MMS messaging (which is how group texts are sent). My main issues are:

1. Sending/receiving messages can be painful as android struggles to send them. Sometimes when on WiFi they won't send at all until I shut Wi-Fi off...other times it works just fine.
2. Receiving and sending them drags down my phone's performance something serious. If I have a flurry of group texts from two separate groups, my phone becomes practically unusable.


Now, I don't know if my issues are phone and carrier specific or if all Android users are experiencing this, but I'd love to hear other experiences. I was just about to make a thread asking if Android has fixed or ever plans on fixing its MMS issues until I saw this thread.

 

[fdbryant3]

My advice is use GroupME, it can work through an app or SMS

 

[dan330]

I have a Samsung galaxy s3..
and I do not see group texting. they send out.. but conversations are in individual threads.

I understand there are apps/services that can get you full group texting. but everyone most be a member of that services! so not an option for me.

my guess is that.. apple has some patent that stops android from doing this.
of course.. apple sure does not feel any fear in copying others!

 

[chanchan05]

I have a Samsung galaxy s3..
and I do not see group texting. they send out.. but conversations are in individual threads.

I understand there are apps/services that can get you full group texting. but everyone most be a member of that services! so not an option for me.

my guess is that.. apple has some patent that stops android from doing this.
of course.. apple sure does not feel any fear in copying others!

Apple does not have any patent regarding it. The only difference is that all iPhone owners are part of the iMessaging service since it uses their Apple account. It kind of works the same way as Facebook Messenger. You can use the app to handle SMS, but if you are connected to the internet, you can make a group message with anyone who has an account.

 

[rawness]

I have a Samsung galaxy s3..
and I do not see group texting. they send out.. but conversations are in individual threads.

You have to turn that option on.

Go to settings in the messaging app, MMS settings, and check the box that says "group messaging"

I think you have to do this in the stock app even if you use another app for messaging.

 

[rawness]

My advice is use GroupME, it can work through an app or SMS

I could never get a clear answer on this: if I send a message to folks who don't have the app, will they receive a group text or just an individual sms?

Also, how do I get the app to recognize incoming group messages? I have the app, but incoming messages still come to my messaging app (and not groupme at all)

 

[dan330]

You have to turn that option on.

Go to settings in the messaging app, MMS settings, and check the box that says "group messaging"

I think you have to do this in the stock app even if you use another app for messaging.

ok.. I see.. I will have to try it.

I wonder how that affects.. Google Voice??

 

[Quackington]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just to be clear though, I'm not interested in my recipients receiving the text as a 'group' text. I don't need them to see all of the people I sent it to - I have What's App for that. What I'm concerned about is that I send a text message to a number of people via one thread (not everyone has a smartphone with What's App) and being able to see one thread in my messaging app so that I can use that thread to send a text to all of those people again when I need to. No wifi / MMS etc. needed, just standard text. Is this possible? When I was on Gingerbread, I'd use Handcent to send out a message to say 10 people, but then I'd see an individual thread per person in my message list.

 

[fdbryant3]

I understand there are apps/services that can get you full group texting. but everyone most be a member of that services! so not an option for me.

This is one of the reasons I love GroupME. No one else has to set up an account except the person who sets up/manages the group. Long as they have SMS they can participate in a group conversation.

 

[fdbryant3]

I could never get a clear answer on this: if I send a message to folks who don't have the app, will they receive a group text or just an individual sms?

The way that I understand that GroupME works is that when someone sets up a group, the group is assigned a phone number. So, when a SMS user receives a text it comes from that number. Long as they reply to that number the reply goes out to the group. The text messages are formatted to indicated who in the group is speaking.

Also, how do I get the app to recognize incoming group messages? I have the app, but incoming messages still come to my messaging app (and not groupme at all)

In the GroupME app click MENU > MESSAGING AND SYNC SETTINGS > SELECT PUSH UNDER MESSAGE DELIVERY. Beyond that I can't help you.

 

[fdbryant3]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just to be clear though, I'm not interested in my recipients receiving the text as a 'group' text. I don't need them to see all of the people I sent it to - I have What's App for that. What I'm concerned about is that I send a text message to a number of people via one thread (not everyone has a smartphone with What's App) and being able to see one thread in my messaging app so that I can use that thread to send a text to all of those people again when I need to. No wifi / MMS etc. needed, just standard text. Is this possible? When I was on Gingerbread, I'd use Handcent to send out a message to say 10 people, but then I'd see an individual thread per person in my message list.

I think this is the way the S3 app operates.

 

[chanchan05]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.

Just to be clear though, I'm not interested in my recipients receiving the text as a 'group' text. I don't need them to see all of the people I sent it to - I have What's App for that. What I'm concerned about is that I send a text message to a number of people via one thread (not everyone has a smartphone with What's App) and being able to see one thread in my messaging app so that I can use that thread to send a text to all of those people again when I need to. No wifi / MMS etc. needed, just standard text. Is this possible? When I was on Gingerbread, I'd use Handcent to send out a message to say 10 people, but then I'd see an individual thread per person in my message list.

That's the way the stock messaging app works for Samsung phones. Anyway, on Handcent and Go SMS, your issue is easily rectified. Simply go into Send/Receive settings, then turn off the option for sending group messages as split threads.

 

[Quackington]

That's the way the stock messaging app works for Samsung phones. Anyway, on Handcent and Go SMS, your issue is easily rectified. Simply go into Send/Receive settings, then turn off the option for sending group messages as split threads.

Thanks. Does the stock messaging app work the same on stock Android (e.g. Nexus 4)?

 

[rawness]

The way that I understand that GroupME works is that when someone sets up a group, the group is assigned a phone number. So, when a SMS user receives a text it comes from that number. Long as they reply to that number the reply goes out to the group. The text messages are formatted to indicated who in the group is speaking.



In the GroupME app click MENU > MESSAGING AND SYNC SETTINGS > SELECT PUSH UNDER MESSAGE DELIVERY. Beyond that I can't help you.

Ya it's on push...but when I get a new group message it's typically from someone not using groupme, so it just comes as an MMS as they're not sending it to that random groupme number.