As you all know, Android lacks the ability to receive group text from iPhone users under one single thread. iPhone users can text a multiple users using MMS, and all the replies from all recipients will appear under one "group MMS" thread. For Android users, each individual message in the conversation appears under the contact that sends it, not under a group thread. As a result, my SGS2 can't "reply all" to everybody who is on the original list of recipients.
This is a problem for me as I group text a lot and most of my friends are iPhone users.
I was a dumbphone user right until I got my SGS2 a month ago. I manage to tackle this problem with my dumbphone because it can "reply-all" to MMS messages.
I can't seem to find this option on the SGS2. Anyone got any pointers? Is it possible to send a text only MMS message to multiple contacts?
Reply All to iPhone group texts
I use GO SMS so this may not work in the stock Messaging app.
When I receive an iPhone group text (=Group MMS), I do the following:
(1) Create a new text-only message
(2) Manually key in all the contacts from the group text
(3) Add a subject (e.g. "X") to convert the text-only message into a Group MMS
iPhone users will receive your Group MMS in the same group text thread that everyone else is on, plus the additional "X" subject line. As you already know, without the subject, your text-only message will be sent out as SMS messages to each individual and the iPhone users will not see it in the group text thread.
Until Android Issue 24468 (google it) is resolved, this manual method is the only way I know of how to Reply All to iPhone group texts from an Android phone.
Hope that helps.
p.s. SGS2 is amazing.
I have searched many forums and the market to no avail so I was hoping someone here could help.
Is there any way we, android users, can get a function similar to iOS4 users with their "group mms" option. To those of you not familiar, its basically a chat room like feature that uses your text messages. For example, if I were to create a new text on the iphone, I could add more people to it. Once it's sent out, if anyone replies, that reply will go to all of those in the group and so forth. In essence, a chat room is created where everyone receives a copy of everyone else's text.
At any rate, a few of my friends have iphones and I was hoping to be able to communicate with them in such a manner but neither the stock messaging application or handcent has this function. The few options that might work would involve having all of my friends download some new app along with myself and even that doesn't work all the time.
ANY help would be much appreciated.
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This post was originally in a phone specific forum but I feel that it needs more exposure since it is a pretty significant issue for android. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=774990
Basically it comes down to not being able to be part of a group MMS if you are not the sender.
iOS attaches all users in a group message to the header of an MMS message, and when this message is received on an android device the receiver can only see the sender, not the other people in the conversation. So, when the android user tries to reply to this message it only gets sent to the originator of the group message instead of all of the users in the group.
Currently, there is an application that handles this functionality and it is the Verzion Messages application. However, this application is out-dated and is missing other messaging features.
AT&T also has an application that addresses this issue, however, not many people have had success with it. At least for me, using my Galaxy Nexus on AT&T (4.0.2), the application opens and only shows a blank screen.
Can we get a developer to modify a current texting application, or create a new one that handles group MMS that recognizes all users of the group and will send a reply to everyone, not just the originator?
NOTE: Some other 3rd party texting applications allow group texting, but will only work if you are the originator.
How many other people have run into this issue?
I have run into the exact same issue. I have spent hours researching various workarounds, but a lot of people, forum topics, and companies think this issue isn't an issue at all. Handcent, Chomp, and Go SMS all say they have "group" messaging, but what they describe is more like a batch send out, not a threaded sms like the iphone and even now Verizon phones through the Verizon Messages Application.
I know there is an open ticket with google that is mentioned in the forum you linked to. I'm a new user so I can't link to it, but it is mentioned and linked to in post #92 on that forum you linked.
Hopefully someone or one of the bigger companies will get a handle on this.
I also would like to see this addressed. With many friends/family with iPhones it is crippling my texting abilities when I get so many group sms chats. Basically from an OS perspective it is making users of Android phones appear inferior to iPhone users.
I was looking into this today after becoming annoyed that i couldn't join a group mms thread w/ some iOS friends. It seems Verizon's VZMessages app works with the threaded group mms's. I did some tests w/ both iphone and android friends and it seems to work the same as for iphones. Since it's a vzw app, i have no idea what usability is for other carriers, and i've had some issues on my rooted dinc (display artifacts). Also, the design is terrible and looks like their target user is about 5 years old w/ all the bright primary colors and bubbly icons.
try it out and let me know how it works for you guys.
since i'm a new user, i can't post the market link to it, but you can find it in the google play app market.
Not sure if you guys saw this yet, but in the development section trikotret updated the handcent app to handle the iphone like group texts. I just installed it to try it out. I can't post links yet either but it the thread title is "Handscent Android group chat like iPhone"
Here is the flow on how to get there:
Android Development and Hacking | Android Software Development |Handscent Android group chat like iPhone
same issue
we had a text clan, or a group of people in a texting community, kinda popular here in the philippines. i've been looking for an app like those but nothing suits what we need. i tried groupme, but it crashes and needed to be online, also a force close issue in handcent which claims to have this feature. we used to do a traditional GMs or Group Messages in a send to many or batch mode only to send all GMs (equivalent to tweets in online world) to all our members. but as an android user i want to take advantage of it. here's the thing to address:
1. an app for sms/mms like gosms or equivalent.
2. this app can have a unified inbox. something like ChatOn or Socialhub of samsung but still integrated offline sms/text to local contacts.
2. options to offline only or if online.
3. group local/offline chat (threaded style, not just a batch send
4. whenever someone replied that is included in the group, it is in the same thread. or for short, sms with 2 or more person in a single thread locally.
5. even non android or typical mobile phone can receive it as a text message. so even nokia 5110 user can reply, ofcourse he will only receive what is sent to him. not always the entire thread content.
got my point?
by the way, sorry for my english.
Verizon Messaging works for me
GoSMSpro has a setting for this. Under send settings enable MMS grop chat.
handcent works ok for this but i'm in disbelief that it hasn't been addressed by google yet. did apple patent this feature or something?
i encourage everyone to star the issue at google's android project page:
http://code.google.com/p/android/is...rs&colspec=ID Type Status Owner Summary Stars
1Speed said:
This post was originally in a phone specific forum but I feel that it needs more exposure since it is a pretty significant issue for android. http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=774990
Basically it comes down to not being able to be part of a group MMS if you are not the sender.
iOS attaches all users in a group message to the header of an MMS message, and when this message is received on an android device the receiver can only see the sender, not the other people in the conversation. So, when the android user tries to reply to this message it only gets sent to the originator of the group message instead of all of the users in the group.
Currently, there is an application that handles this functionality and it is the Verzion Messages application. However, this application is out-dated and is missing other messaging features.
AT&T also has an application that addresses this issue, however, not many people have had success with it. At least for me, using my Galaxy Nexus on AT&T (4.0.2), the application opens and only shows a blank screen.
Can we get a developer to modify a current texting application, or create a new one that handles group MMS that recognizes all users of the group and will send a reply to everyone, not just the originator?
NOTE: Some other 3rd party texting applications allow group texting, but will only work if you are the originator.
How many other people have run into this issue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has been addressed. This function is now standard in Jelly Bean 4.2 see link: http://forums.androidcentral.com/verizon-galaxy-nexus-rooting-roms-hacks/207431-group-text-messaging-jb-achieved.html
Hi,
I am hoping someone can help me as I have searched quite a bit and not ever had my question answered.
I grabbed a Lumia 800 to test WP7.5 (& 7.8 when it is released) as I have an eye on the Lumia 920 and want to test the waters before committing. I understand that 7.8 is not going to be the same as 8 but I can only assume it is going to be better so if I like the 7.8 OS I should in theory like WP8.
I currently am using an iPhone 5 as my main phone but I also have a GS3 too that I use from time to time. My issue is that when I swap sims from the 5 to the Lumia 800 I cannot get group messaging to work and I think it is due to iMessage on the iPhone 5. Even though I turn off iMessage before swapping sim cards it will not allow me to do a group message. iPhone users who text me have it show up as an iMessage at first before it going as a normal text.
Group texting is one feature I extensively use on IOS and would not want to forgo it so I was hoping someone had gone through the same issues but had it work for them.
I have turned on group messaging in the settings on the Lumia but that makes no difference as all responses do not go to the thread but individually.
One last question as well, if I can get it to work are all recipients able to reply to all like the iPhone version of group messaging or will they only see the message from me?
Thanks and sorry for the long post.
iMessage is one of the may ways which Apple uses to lock users in. It is not a normal or 'standard' group text function but a propriety system. So you can't communicate using iMessage with other devices but iPhone, in those case you will see normal SMS messages.
Group text will require MMS to be set up and available. Also you must enable the group text option in settings for the messaging hub. When enabled you will send one MMS to all recipients and responses and responses will remain in a single conversation. For the recipients to have a reply to all option they too will have to have MMS enabled.
I know understand the issue is not on the WP7 end it is down to the way that iMessage interprets text messages as almost like emails.
I have found a program that will allow you to use Group Messaging on Android, IOS & WP7 so will tell people I know to grab it to be able to do group messaging when required.
i get group messages all the time from android and iphone users that come in as pic messages, i guess mms....they come in as individual mms/texts...is there any app that would make it a group text incoming?...same with sending/creating a group message
does GroupMe do this? i cant tell yet, it seems like it will do the group text on my end sending wise but need something that will do it incoming...thanks
disregard this thread...cant delete sorry
going with gosms
Let me first state that I am a Android fan boy. I have no desire to get an iPhone, however a bunch of my friends have iPhones and are all in group messages with eachother. They would add me to the group, but if that were to happen, it would get rid of all of the iPhone messaging features such as sending through internet instead of sms.
So, my question is this: Is there an app (or any possible way) which will allow me to enter these groups using the iPhone messaging system?
Thanks!