Does anyone have a workaround to the Google Voice Group MMS Limit?

[SJMaye]

Google Voice limits group mms texts to 7. I have a group I routinely send messages to that is around 20.

I could use my phone's native texting app, but it does not use my GV phone number which everyone knows.

How can I either get around the GV limit or somehow send an group MMS using my GV phone number?

 

[ManiacJoe]

This response is not going to help you any,
but wow, that is lower than the ridiculous ATT limit of 10.

 

[SJMaye]

One of my ridiculous ideas was to see if I could spoof my number for a group text. My guess is it would use my native texting app and service, but allow me to send a group text spoofing my GV number so people would recognize it. I just don't know how to do that.

 

[SJMaye]

I'll leave a Link to register so you can communicate here as a guest account you can only post questions but can't reply

https://forums.androidcentral.com/showthread.php?t=409154

Thanks, I have an account.













Thanks. I have an account. I failed to notice I wasn't signed in when posting.

 

[mustang7757]

Thanks, I have an account.













Thanks. I have an account. I failed to notice I wasn't signed in when posting.

Ok , I changed guest poster to you

 

[SJMaye]

Thanks mustang!

 

[Rukbat]

The only way to defeat that limit is to set the app to break up long texts, or not use MMS for long texts. (MMS stays on Google's server, SMS doesn't get stored on a server.)

 

[B. Diddy]

The only way to defeat that limit is to set the app to break up long texts, or not use MMS for long texts. (MMS stays on Google's server, SMS doesn't get stored on a server.)

That still doesn't solve the problem of how many people you can send a message to in a group, though. SMS would only be to an individual.

 

[Rukbat]

Sent it to user1, user2, user3 ... etc. It should go, unless they're limiting the number of SMS recipients too.

 

[SJMaye]

Anyone here have experience with spoofing apps? Most seem to be SMS related.

 

[ManiacJoe]

Most spoofing apps are related to placing fake messages into your SMS database for the purpose of impressing your friends.

See if changing the caller ID number on your phone to be the Google number helps you any?
Also see if changing the actual phone number in the Settings app helps any.

Short of that, you probably need to move to an instant messaging service like WhatsApp or a grouping app like GroupMe.

 

[VidJunky]

I have a few questions that may or may not lead to an answer/work around...

Are these one off messages? I mean do they lead to discussions and back and forth or are they one and done type messages?

Do you initiate the messages or does someone else from the group initiate them? If someone else initiated the message and you replied as part of the group someone else started, what is the result?

Is this a rolling group? I mean do the group members change to the point it isn't always the same 15 to 20 people or is the group always the same?

Are you using the GV# for anonymity or to keep your number private? I understand that the group recognizes your GV# but there must be a reason why you use this number with them vs your carrier number.


Why I ask;
If you are the source of the messages and don't expect a reply or don't expect replies that require the group to see the replies and respond, setting up 2 or 3 groups with the group limit you could send the message once and copy and paste the same message to each following group. It isn't the prettiest solution but everyone gets the same message and you aren't typing again and again.

If you're included in a group started by someone else, I find it difficult to imagine a response within that group would cause an error. I'm not picturing GV being like, hey wait your limit is 7 so pick your 7 or this reply doesn't go out. Then you would just have to find someway to start the group, like with your normal app and include your GV# and continue the conversation from that number. This plays to why you use the GV# in the first place however. If your goal is not to release your actual number then this wouldn't work unless you could get a group member to start the conversation and replies would work in a pre-existing group.

 

[SJMaye]

I have a few questions that may or may not lead to an answer/work around...

Are these one off messages? I mean do they lead to discussions and back and forth or are they one and done type messages?

Sort of. It is a group of old high school friends I stay in touch with. Someone will send a text and banter will usually follow.

Do you initiate the messages or does someone else from the group initiate them?

Could be either. Normally I start the conversation.

If someone else initiated the message and you replied as part of the group someone else started, what is the result?

No idea.

"Is this a rolling group? I mean do the group members change to the point it isn't always the same 15 to 20 people or is the group always the same?

The number in the group does not change

Are you using the GV# for anonymity or to keep your number private?

I use the GV# mainly for the features GV offers. Wifi and data calling allows me to use a very inexpensive cell plan. Texting is free. I also use the texting from PC feature a lot. Aside from that I never have to port my number as I change cell service. GV# stays the same.

I understand that the group recognizes your GV# but there must be a reason why you use this number with them vs your carrier number.

I may just inform them of my carrier and use the native texting app for larger group messages like that. I was trying to avoid the confusion having two cell numbers for me.

 

[VidJunky]

I wondered if they were one and done messages, like in a business type scenario, where directions or other information is passed along with limited or no reply expected. That would be the best situation as creating smaller groups where it wouldn't be important for others to see the reply might allow you to simply send the same message 3 times to 3 groups. Since there is banter this would not be ideal.

If you normally initiate then the afore mentioned scenario again would not apply as you are initiating conversation and would like input from whomever.

If you reply to a message started by someone else then I would have to imagine that everyone is getting the message or there would be follow up comments with recipients being lost as to what the replies were to. Since that doesn't appear to be the case I guess that everyone receives your replies once the group has started.

This brings up another point, why do you constantly rebuild the group? If you are basically contacting the same people in established conversations, given the issues you're facing, reusing an established group that you've already successfully replied to would seem to be your work around. As the issue only appears to be an issue if you attempt to start a group.

I have several contacts with multiple numbers. Your contacts app will allow you to add multiple numbers naturally. I wouldn't think it would be overwhelming if your friends had more than one number for you. Since you brought up the WiFi calling and limited plan, it wouldn't be unreasonable for you to request calls go to your GV# and texts or messages could go to either. You would just be limited to using the plan number when initiating messages but if they add both numbers to your contact information they've likely already saved you would still appear as you in any conversation.

 

[SJMaye]

I thought you had the obvious solution that I missed. I just tried. There is no way I can see to use contact groups in GV. Google contacts has something similar with Labels. You can use labels to send group emails, however, when you try to use a label to send a text in GV it does not recognize the name of the label.

 

[VidJunky]

No no no… Sorry I may have worded that deceivingly. My apologies. I meant to use the conversation thread. I meant instead of using the pen or pencil in the circle to start a conversation, then adding the recipients in the To: field, I meant open an existing thread and resume the conversation.

I'm guilty of starting new threads for groups I've already created simply because I don't want to scroll looking for them. Prefect example, I have a thread I created with my kids and their mom but I use it so infrequently that it gets pushed down by all of the other conversations I've had. Instead of scrolling trying to find it I just start a new conversation by adding them all to a group again. Of course the new message gets added to old ones as a continuation of that conversation but for a brief moment it's a new conversation. I was simply saying, do the scrolling and open the conversation that already exists, and message from there.

It stinks about labels. I hadn't thought of it until you mentioned it so I went looking and found a Google Forum question about just that. Yeah it's a no go. Here's that thread if you want to see what they had to say... https://support.google.com/voice/thread/901547?hl=en

That lead me to asking some questions directly on the Google forum and you may be surprised to hear that what your attempting to do may lead to your account being suspended by Google. You may want to look at this thread about messaging limits... https://support.google.com/voice/thread/1481168?hl=en

And here they posted a recent pro bono article saying that they don't care and will suspend accounts as they see fit for anything that even remotely, and it flat out says even remotely, could be conceived as spam. https://support.google.com/voice/thread/35121331?hl=en

I have to say that I was totally surprised by the dark turn that last link took. I thought they might be making an exception or offering some latitude but that is not the case.

 

[VidJunky]

Talk about some dark stuff... The more I read the search results for this the darker it gets. And the more, we just don't care, the answers get.

Yeah you should peruse other avenues if you value your GV# and account. I'm not even sure if this is limited to GV or entire Google accounts??? The more I read the more it feels like the latter.

 

[SJMaye]

Thanks for the links. I actually read the last one a few days ago. That, in part, led me to thinking using my actual cell phone number and native texting app may be the best route. It totally leaves Google out of it.