At&T Samsung Galaxy S4 Group Messaging Issue - Looking for a Solution

[Swens221]

I have Verizon and finally got this to work for me and my wife (both just got S4s). We group text with some friends that have iPhones. I had to turn off iMessage on both of our old iPhones and the iPad. The only thing I don't like is with Go SMS Pro I have to send group texts with Wi-Fi off, otherwise they don't send.

 

[Jaidek]

I am in the same boat as most...disabled iMessage on all iOS devices, unregistered devices from account, changed iTunes password....nothing. I can send group messages in both stock S4 chat, Textra, GO SMS Pro, Handcent, etc....but I never receive them. I wonder what else all of the non-workers are missing?

 

[marsey]

Hey all
Same issue as well - iphone user new to galaxy 4 - stuffed if i can get to message settings to choose group messages!!
i choose settings - accounts - but no messages icon there, only email - where do i go? - i know i know i'm a nuff nuff - thank you

 

[lizkroll]

I've read this entire thread backwards and forwards and tried all suggestions and I still can't receive group messages. After I kicked my iphone 4s to the curb yesterday with the galaxy S4 and excitedly posted on FB how this phone leaves Apple in the dust - my die hard iphone friends are now laughing at my "fancy new phone" BOO!

 

[beeftek]

Solution: download BBM for android when it comes out in early July. BBMis the Mac daddy and with the features they have upcoming - voice, screen share, collaboration tools etc, having group texts will just be icing on the cake.

 

[lizkroll]

So apparently it just took a little time because now I am able to group text with iphone users with no problem. Here is what I did: 1. disabled imessage on my iphone (i kept it to use for music at the gym) 2. changed my password on my itunes via the computer. And that's it. I had previously downloaded Handcent and Go SMS but that didn't solve the problem until I did the above 2 steps. Now I can group text with the stock messaging as well. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!!!

 

[ethan_976]

My new GS4 had the same problem where I can send out group text but cannot receive any. My wife then turned off iMessage on her iPhone and I started receiving group text. Even after she turned iMessage back on, I was still able to receive group text. But I still could not receive texts from other recipients of that group unless I ask them all to turn off their iMessage. This is the same for the stock messages and GoSMS app.

Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Luis Montes Mena]

If u still have your old iphone go to setting texts and disable Imessage and chage password on itunes

 

[SlamJam004]

Also after trying all the other suggestions in this thread.... try this also, it might help...

Tell your friends in the group chat, to go into their iphone contact and under your name click "EDIT" and next to your number make sure "mobile" is selected and NOT "iphone". This will make iphone send messages as Text Messages and not iMessage. Let me know this works...

 

[Col S]

I honestly think it doesn't matter if you had an iPhone previously or not. If someone in the group has an iPhone and others have droids and blackberrys, there will be a conflict if the settings aren't right. My iPhone was hacked in April thanks to an Apple rep giving someone he thought was me the ability to log into my account after the caller gave variations of 2 of my 3 security question answers along with my birthdate (didn't know the third answer at all mind you) so two weeks later when my messages were being tampered with, along with my calls and bank account and my laptop was nailed because of the icloud syncing to it, I broke my verizon contract, said goodbye to my most favorite phone ever, dropped my phone number of 16 years and lost EVERYTHING (pics, videos, etc.) and started fresh with AT&T and a droid. I used the stock app though, and I STILL had the issues all of you are having. Thanks to reading this, I am actually thinking we have troubleshooted the issue. Now I just have to figure out how to send video and I may have a new favorite phone LOL Any suggestions? My galaxy won't let me send a video via text OR email unless it's 3 seconds long or less LOL

 

[mrgreen8]

I had the same problem, but was not sharing an acct with another device. My other problem was that I had already sold my iPhone before finding out that iMessage was the culprit. Luckily, my wife still has an iPhone.

I spent 2 hours Saturday morning making a backup of her phone and resetting it to original. I then put my S4 SIM card in it and loaded the latest backup from my old iPhone, went in and turned iMessage off. Then had to restore it and load her backup in to get her back going.

Different approach that OP, same end result. Between the two of us, hopefully it will help others out.

I recently switched from iphone to S4 and had the same problem! I did not receive group messages when the other users in the group were using iphones. I did not receive these messages whatsoever - and I understand why it makes sense that individual messages sent to me convert to text, but when in a group using imessage it can't convert for my droid. What i'm not understanding is where are these messages going? I had to return the droid because i was not receiving messages. Did putting the sim card back in the iphone nad turning off imessage really work? Where were you able to do that/was it settings specifically for the CIM card?

I truly loved the droid but missed an emergency message from a friend in the hospital and had to draw the line, the messages never came through! Any advice would helpful because i want to go back to the droid. Thank you!

 

[its_emm_aye]

How long did it take to finally start working?

 

[its_emm_aye]

So apparently it just took a little time because now I am able to group text with iphone users with no problem. Here is what I did: 1. disabled imessage on my iphone (i kept it to use for music at the gym) 2. changed my password on my itunes via the computer. And that's it. I had previously downloaded Handcent and Go SMS but that didn't solve the problem until I did the above 2 steps. Now I can group text with the stock messaging as well. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this thread!!!

How much time did it take for it to start working?

 

[Mitch Ingman]

Same issue here, and sounds like very similar background info. when you're not getting responses from a group message, are any of the recipients members of your family who have their iphone related to your account? The reason i ask this is because i can get messages from other iPhone users in a group, but not when one of the group is my wife or my kids. In that scenario, I don't get any responses, but tehy all see each other's responses. When none of the group is part of my family (all iphone users), I can get their iPhone responses.

 

[queensunrae]

ME TOO!!

 

[queensunrae]

too bad I have verizon and having this issue...ironically mainly with other verizon users...