What is the difference between group messages and mass messages?

[AC Question]

When I respond to a message received as a group message, the message seems to get through to recipients. When I respond to a message received as a mass message, some recipients don't get it and others receive it in a different message thread.

 

[ManiacJoe]

Mass message:
a copy of the message is sent to all recipients
none of the recipients know who else received it
all responses go only to the sender


Group message:
a copy of the message is sent to all recipients
all the recipients see who else received the message
all responses go to all the recipients and the original sender
Many carriers have a low limit on the number of recipients allowed.

 

[DroidLiker]

Why do some group messages come in as MMS and others as Mass message? Can I control that?

 

[ManiacJoe]

You have no control over the incoming messages. That control belongs only to the sender. There is the possibility that the sender is using a really basic SMS app that only does bulk and not MMS.

That said, if you wanted to add extra people to the response of a bulk text, any good SMS app should allow it to be converted into an MMS message.