How to Group Text?

[StuartV]

Can anybody tell me how to do Group Texting (aka Group Conversations) from my Thunderbolt?

I used to think that that was something only the iPhone can do, but I learned this week that a friend with a stock Rezound can do it, too.

To be clear on what I mean and don't mean:

I want to send a message to a group of people and, when any of them replies, it goes to everybody in the group.

In TB Messages, I can put multiple recipients on a message, but when I send it, it sends separate individual copies of the message to each recipient. So, if anybody replies, it only comes to me.

The TB Messages app has an option to send to a Group, but it's not the same thing. It just lets me pick a Group that's defined in my People app and then it sends my message to each individual in the group. So, if anybody replies, it only comes to me.

When somebody with an iPhone or a Rezound sends to a group that I'm part of, I can do Menu/More/Reply All to reply to everybody that was in the group, but my message still gets sent as individual messages to each person in the group. So, if anybody replies to my message, it only comes to me.

My friend with the Rezound sent a message to me and another friend with an iPhone. When he sent it, his phone prompted him asking whether to send it as a group message or individual. He chose Group and it stored that as his default. Then iPhone guy replied to the message and I got a copy of his reply. But, when I did Menu/More/Reply All, my message went as 2 separate messages, one to each of the other two guys. No option for me to send it as a group message.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[dragonsamus]

Try sending a text message as an MMS. It'll allow all parties to respond to all people involved.

 

[StuartV]

I tried that. I don't see how to specify a message to be sent as MMS instead of SMS.

 

[dragonsamus]

I just checked and it seems the only way to send an MMS is to attach a picture. Hmm... Maybe someone else has a better idea?

 

[JerseyDubbin]

If you add a subject to the text it converts it to mms as well..

 

[StuartV]

Thanks for that tip. I have now determined that I can successfully have a group conversation as long as I, one, send to the group as an MMS, instead of an SMS, and, two, always hit Menu/More/Reply All when I'm responding to a group text.

Further, the key to sending as MMS is to either attach a picture or do Menu/Add Subject. The subject can even just be a space. Otherwise, my phone automatically sends the message as SMS, instead of MMS. And that results in individual messages going to each recipient separately.

So, now the question is, is there a better SMS/MMS client for doing this? The stock client keeps my outgoing group message in a thread that has all the recipients shown. But, the replies from people get put under that individual person's thread. So, I have to jump back and forth between different people to see all the replies and it could be really hard to keep straight what order they came in.

Also, of course, it would be nice if the client let me specify to send as MMS without having to attach a pic or add a subject.

 

[dragonsamus]

If you add a subject to the text it converts it to mms as well..

Thanks for the tip!

 

[ak2j]

is there a way to group text more than 10 contacts at a time?

 

[JerseyDubbin]

Have you tried Go SMS? I have not used this exact capability with it but I seem to remember something about group messaging when i was using it..

Goes off to install go sms again....

 

[StuartV]

I tried Go SMS last night. It was no better than stock. No way to send a message as MMS other than the workarounds described above.

 

[quarter2five]

Have u tried Handcents batch mode

 

[StuartV]

A while back. I *think* that just allows you to send out a text message to a bunch of different people at once, but, again, it doesn't do it as an MMS message with all the recipients copied on one message.

 

[quarter2five]

Ok, I just found this within the Handcent settings..... auto convert to MMS when length exceeds 3 messages.... does this help

 

[StuartV]

When length exceeds 3 messages? I think that just refers to how it will chop up a long text message into 160-byte chunks for you (because SMS limits to 160). And if it's more than 3 messages long (i.e. more than 480 characters), it will convert to MMS instead.

Assuming I'm correct, no, that doesn't help. But thanks, though!

 

[quarter2five]

Ok, I understand what ur saying but that's not what I'm reading here.... Handcent sms HomePage --sms plus software for android.....

 

[StuartV]

It's all moot. I just found the Verizon finally released Verizon Messages in the Android Market. It does EXACTLY what I was looking for. And it even also includes the ability to sync your SMS/MMS with a tablet.

https://market.android.com/details?...DEsImNvbS52ZXJpem9uLm1lc3NhZ2luZy52em1zZ3MiXQ..

 

[StuartV]

I just did a short group conversation with a couple of my iPhone friends and this new Messages app works great!

 

[quarter2five]

ok great....

 

[StuartV]

quarter2five, thanks for the attempts to help. I looked at the Handcent link you posted and I don't see anything there about the setting you mentioned. I did see where it talks about group send to SMS and MMS, but I'd bet that's exactly what the stock client and Go SMS both support - which is that it allows you to go into Batch Mode and select multiple recipients from your Contacts or whatever to send it to. But that doesn't mean (in my mind) that it will preserve a conversation thread - or even that it will send to all those recipients as one group versus sending separate messages to each individual.

Anyway, like I said, it's moot for me now.

 

[SputnikArt]

Is there any similar app for AT&T users? I have the same exact complaints as you, StuartV, but on my Galaxy S2 Skyrocket. I can't believe this issue still hasn't been resolved... So disappointed with Android right now