Sending Group SMS with Nexus 4

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 05:56 AM

Greetings, new member here. I have a question which I haven't seen posted anywhere else and would be grateful for help with.

I run a youth football team and often need to send the same text message to a large group of people about fixtures, training, postponements etc. With my old HTC Desire this was simple - just select the group recipients, write the text and fire away. With my new Nexus 4 (which I am happy with otherwise), I cannot find a way to do this simple task. It can do many amazing things but this is an everyday, easy function which appears to be missing from this handset.

I have tried using GroupText but I often get errors and generic failures - it won't tell me which numbers have failed so I end up having to contact everyone individually to check they got the message. This is time-consuming and annoying but it's important people get the messages I send so they don't turn up early on a wet and cold Sunday morning for a football match which has been called off!

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to send group texts using the stock app or is there another reliable app I can use to perform this function?

All help gratefully received, thank you.

**trunks527** · 01-26-2013, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by DarthEagle

Greetings, new member here. I have a question which I haven't seen posted anywhere else and would be grateful for help with.

I run a youth football team and often need to send the same text message to a large group of people about fixtures, training, postponements etc. With my old HTC Desire this was simple - just select the group recipients, write the text and fire away. With my new Nexus 4 (which I am happy with otherwise), I cannot find a way to do this simple task. It can do many amazing things but this is an everyday, easy function which appears to be missing from this handset.

I have tried using GroupText but I often get errors and generic failures - it won't tell me which numbers have failed so I end up having to contact everyone individually to check they got the message. This is time-consuming and annoying but it's important people get the messages I send so they don't turn up early on a wet and cold Sunday morning for a football match which has been called off!

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to send group texts using the stock app or is there another reliable app I can use to perform this function?

All help gratefully received, thank you.

You should just be able to add all the contacts to the text you wish to send out. Works that way on my Galaxy nexus I'd imagine it's the same on the nexus 4

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 06:56 AM

Originally Posted by trunks527

You should just be able to add all the contacts to the text you wish to send out. Works that way on my Galaxy nexus I'd imagine it's the same on the nexus 4

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for the reply, but I don't want to have to add all the contacts individually, I want to be able to send to an already-created group. I can't find a way to link to the group I have set up in my contacts, or even get a list of names to send to. I have to start writing the name, then it will come up with matches for me to select instead of me being able to check names from a list. This is not how it was with my HTC Desire and it's very frustrating!

**Miss_AllSunday** · 01-26-2013, 07:40 AM

Yeah I'm trying to do this too (youth group also). I also noticed if you add more than one person it changes to a MMS which costs extra money and doesn't come out of my text bundle.

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 07:44 AM

Originally Posted by Miss_AllSunday

Yeah I'm trying to do this too (youth group also). I also noticed if you add more than one person it changes to a MMS which costs extra money and doesn't come out of my text bundle.

How are you adding multiple recipients? I'm even having trouble doing that! I was thinking of trying Handcent but would rather be able to use the stock app as I used to do on my HTC Desire with no problems.

**Miss_AllSunday** · 01-26-2013, 07:52 AM

You just press the recipients field again and it lets you put in a second...but I'm worried about cost as it immediately changed to a MMS as soon as I added the other person.

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 08:25 AM

Ok I have downloaded Hancent and am trying it out. Will let you know how it goes.

**vietalogy** · 01-26-2013, 08:49 AM

In contacts (people) on the left tab where you can create groups. Just add or delete names there. When you start a new SMS just select the group type message and send.

Sent from my Nexus 4

**Miss_AllSunday** · 01-26-2013, 08:58 AM

Originally Posted by vietalogy

In contacts (people) on the left tab where you can create groups. Just add or delete names there. When you start a new SMS just select the group type message and send.

Sent from my Nexus 4

I have a group set up now but where and how do you select "group type message". Thanks

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:19 AM

I can't find an option for this, when I tap "to" on the compose sms screen nothing happens. It only brings up names when I begin typing one, I can't get it to display a list of contacts or groups for me to select.

**Citizen Coyote** · 01-26-2013, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Miss_AllSunday

You just press the recipients field again and it lets you put in a second...but I'm worried about cost as it immediately changed to a MMS as soon as I added the other person.

Do you not have a data plan? MMS does use data, but it's such a small amount that it should be inconsequential to whatever cap you have unless you send hundreds of MMS texts a day or have to pay per megabyte.

As for multiple recipients, once you create the list and send a message in the stock messaging app, it should remain as a thread you can click on again later to send to the same people. So yes, you'll have to type them in one at a time the first time, but after that it should save the group in the list. As long as you send out messages periodically, it should not fall off the list.

**vietalogy** · 01-26-2013, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by Miss_AllSunday

I have a group set up now but where and how do you select "group type message". Thanks

With stock message app I can't find a way to add group. I use gosms and I can choose the group.

Sent from my Nexus 4

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:34 AM

I've downloaded Handcent it allows group sms easily. Can't understand why the stock app doesn't have this basic function but I'd recommend Handcent as an alternative. GroupSMS didn't work for me but Handcent seems okay so far.

**ShockG911** · 01-26-2013, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Miss_AllSunday

I have a group set up now but where and how do you select "group type message". Thanks

Go to your Messages<Settings<MultiMedia Messages(MMS)<Group Messaging

Make sure Group Messaging is checked

**ShockG911** · 01-26-2013, 10:37 AM

Originally Posted by DarthEagle

Greetings, new member here. I have a question which I haven't seen posted anywhere else and would be grateful for help with.

I run a youth football team and often need to send the same text message to a large group of people about fixtures, training, postponements etc. With my old HTC Desire this was simple - just select the group recipients, write the text and fire away. With my new Nexus 4 (which I am happy with otherwise), I cannot find a way to do this simple task. It can do many amazing things but this is an everyday, easy function which appears to be missing from this handset.

I have tried using GroupText but I often get errors and generic failures - it won't tell me which numbers have failed so I end up having to contact everyone individually to check they got the message. This is time-consuming and annoying but it's important people get the messages I send so they don't turn up early on a wet and cold Sunday morning for a football match which has been called off!

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to send group texts using the stock app or is there another reliable app I can use to perform this function?

All help gratefully received, thank you.

I had the same issue. Mine works now. Check out my thread and see if it helps

Need help with Handcent and Go SMS Pro!!

**Go Ogle** · 01-26-2013, 10:39 AM

I don't understand why you guys are having trouble

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**still1** · 01-26-2013, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by DarthEagle

I've downloaded Handcent it allows group sms easily. Can't understand why the stock app doesn't have this basic function but I'd recommend Handcent as an alternative. GroupSMS didn't work for me but Handcent seems okay so far.

yeah google has been lazy with the sms app. they included group SMS but they didnt include adding group contacts

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Citizen Coyote

As for multiple recipients, once you create the list and send a message in the stock messaging app, it should remain as a thread you can click on again later to send to the same people. So yes, you'll have to type them in one at a time the first time, but after that it should save the group in the list. As long as you send out messages periodically, it should not fall off the list.

Thanks for that solution, I will remember it as an option but Handcent has some nice features such as quick replies so I'll continue with it for now. Nice to know there is a workaround on the stock app anyway, I was getting very frustrated with it!

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by ShockG911

Go to your Messages<Settings<MultiMedia Messages(MMS)<Group Messaging

Make sure Group Messaging is checked

I don't have that option in my message settings for SMS or MMS.

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by ShockG911

I had the same issue. Mine works now. Check out my thread and see if it helps

Need help with Handcent and Go SMS Pro!!

Thanks, I had already read your thread and it didn't have an answer to my particular issue, but with Citizen Coyote's solution or the Handcent app it seems I've found a way round it.

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by Go Ogle

I don't understand why you guys are having trouble

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

That picture doesn't show how to add group recipients to SMS. What are the icons in the message field?

**still1** · 01-26-2013, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by DarthEagle

I don't have that option in my message settings for SMS or MMS.

open messages app-->menu[3 dots]-->settings-->Group messaging is checked

MultiMedia Messages(MMS) mentioned my that poster is just a header

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by still1

open messages app-->menu[3 dots]-->settings-->Group messaging is checked

MultiMedia Messages(MMS) mentioned my that poster is just a header

There is no Group Messaging option in my message settings. That was the first thing I checked when I got the phone but nothing there!

I don't understand your second sentence.

**Go Ogle** · 01-26-2013, 11:07 AM

Oh sorry. The icons are emoji. Enable them in the language and input settings.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

**DarthEagle** · 01-26-2013, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by Go Ogle

Oh sorry. The icons are emoji. Enable them in the language and input settings.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Android Central Forums

No problem. I don't know what emoji are anyway, but I still don't see from your pic how it shows how to send sms to groups without adding recipients individually, or am I missing something?