Please help an ole Iphone Gal Out!!

[Amberly Thompson]

Hello,
The only smart phone I've ever known is the IPhone. Just a few days ago, I embarked on the adventure of the Android world. I purchased a Galaxy Note 5. I think I like it, but there's one thing that is bothering me: GROUP TEXTS!!!!

I do quite a bit of group texts, and I love the feature. I can send and receive text (and multimedia messages) from my still-iphone friends. I can also send a group text to my still-iphone friends and they can receive it. When they respond, it comes back as in individual text from that person, not in the same thread as the group conversation. It makes group texting difficult to follow.

Apparently, I was still stuck in the IMessage stratosphere but I have since confirmed with Apple that my phone number is no longer associate with the server. I have called AT&T about this but they say there is no answer. They say this is a glitch with Apple and once you have been associated with an iMessage group text, you can no longer receive treads from those people. I don't particularly like that answer.

Here are some things that I've tried:

~The AT&T messaging app (BLAH and still doesn't work)
~Having my friends completely delete our group texts from their phone and starting new conversations (this worked as long as they kept iMessage off. As soon as they turned IMessage on again, the messages came in individually again. However, they want to use this feature, and I can't say I don't blame em).
~Restarting my Note 5 (several times)
~Resetting my password with Apple
~Screaming at my phone

Anyone else have this problem? Anyone shed some light on this?

I appreciate any help!!

 

[Golfdriver97]

Welcome to Android Central. The downside with iMessage is this: Not many people steer away from it, because it works quite well. I do have an option, but it will take some work from you and your friends. Try a different app. Hangouts from Google should work fine. Otherwise, I think WhatsApp or even Skype should be fine for a replacement.

Yes, those apps depend on the internet, so they count against your data plan (not much usually), but so does group texting and sending pictures.

 

[Irvgotti]

Also if you are getting individual text, Check your settings.. You might be sending a group text but have the setting set to "Reply individually" turned on. having this turned on could lead them to send you a solo text and not send it in the group.. Turn that off and see if that fixes your problem. I am in a group chat with iphone users. i just got the note 5 myself. also turn off imessage on your ipad,ipod,macbook or whatever idevice you have. im using Google messenger. just check your settings if you havent

 

[Coney718]

Many ppl including myself have had this issue when switching over from iPhone to Android. You can try a 3rd party texting app like Textra they handled group messages a little better (at least for me) than the stock messaging app. When most of your friends and family have iphones and all communicate through imessage its hard convincing everyone to download a separate app like WhatsApp or Hangouts just for you.

 

[alejovh1]

You can do group messaging on hangouts

 

[Amberly Thompson]

Where is the setting for "Reply individually"? I don't see that. Is that from the Google Messenger?

 

[double923]

I came from iPhone 6+ as well. I use google messenger. Group text is working great for me, as the matter of fact I love it. Each person has different color dialog bubble. I have not try to group text with only iMessage. I group text with mix iMessage and other android messenger. And it working great.

Be sure to enable group mms. In the Google messenger case: it is. Settings, advanced, mms group messaging, and send a single mms to all recipients.

 

[Coney718]

I came from iPhone 6+ as well. I use google messenger. Group text is working great for me, as the matter of fact I love it. Each person has different color dialog bubble. I have not try to group text with only iMessage. I group text with mix iMessage and other android messenger. And it working great.

Be sure to enable group mms. In the Google messenger case: it is. Settings, advanced, mms group messaging, and send a single mms to all recipients.

Is google messenger different than Hangouts?

 

[double923]

Is google messenger different than Hangouts?

I believe it is. I think hangouts also has the ability to integrate SMS into hangouts as well. But I heard there is some issue.

 

[Amberly Thompson]

So I downloaded Google Messenger and I'm still having the same problem. It's like I'm still in the iMessage cloud on group texts only. GRRRRRRR.

 

[sirCLD]

So I downloaded Google Messenger and I'm still having the same problem. It's like I'm still in the iMessage cloud on group texts only. GRRRRRRR.

Sadly this is an iMessage issue that has been out there for some time. But it seems you followed all of the right steps to get out of iMessage. There are some previous posts on this issue...I will look for them later and will share what I find.

 

[double923]

So I downloaded Google Messenger and I'm still having the same problem. It's like I'm still in the iMessage cloud on group texts only. GRRRRRRR.

Have you deregistered your number from imessage? There is self-service from apple site.

https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

 

[Amberly Thompson]

I found out the solution!!

I had to ask my friends to delete me as a contact (because it was saving information that I was an IPHONE). This was still a problem for group texting only. Once they deleted me a contact, I texted a group of them and it worked. They've added me back as a contact (not using as a IPhone), and I think it is fixed. I knew it had to be something like this because it worked IF they turned off imessages. Now, as a new contact, I am not associated with imessages so I am getting all messages again. Thanks for such a great support group!! Thanks to all who took the time to read and respond.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Thanks for the follow up. Glad you got it worked out.

See you around the forums.

From my G4
Android Central Ambassador Team Leader

 

[H3aTeRzz]

So I downloaded Google Messenger and I'm still having the same problem. It's like I'm still in the iMessage cloud on group texts only. GRRRRRRR.

De-Register iMessage

https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/

 

[wookiee2cu]

Glad you got it solved, I and a bunch of friends ran into this over the years and here is a list of thing to do should anyone stumble upon this thread.

-go to this page and follow instructions: https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage
-Log in with Apple ID, Edit Products, click X to the right of your iPhone and then remove/unregister:
https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth...URL=https://supportprofile.apple.com/homePage
-Change Apple ID Password
-Text STOP to 48369
-Turn off iMessage on all Apple devices
-log out of itunes account on iPhone (settings-app store-select your Apple ID listed and select log out on the next screen)
-call 1-800-myapple, when you start getting the automated menu system just press zero on your phone to get a rep and request that they remove your phone number from their servers as you are having problems with your text message. They should send you a text with a randomly generated code that you will have to read back to the rep and then they can submit your number to be removed once they enter that code.
-logout of "find my iphone" on the iphone
-turn off FaceTime on the iPhone
-have friends with iPhone delete your text conversation and Go to settings> messages>turn on MMS Messaging
-Turn off "Find My Phone" > Settings > iCloud > Find My Phone (You can also go to www.iCloud.com to do this as well if you no longer have the phone)
- Go to Apple Selfserve: https://selfsolve.apple.com/repairstatus/main.do and unregister any iPhone under this account

 

[stanleybb50]

Glad you got it solved, I and a bunch of friends ran into this over the years and here is a list of thing to do should anyone stumble upon this thread.

-go to this page and follow instructions: https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage
-Log in with Apple ID, Edit Products, click X to the right of your iPhone and then remove/unregister:
https://idmsa.apple.com/IDMSWebAuth...URL=https://supportprofile.apple.com/homePage
-Change Apple ID Password
-Text STOP to 48369
-Turn off iMessage on all Apple devices
-log out of itunes account on iPhone (settings-app store-select your Apple ID listed and select log out on the next screen)
-call 1-800-myapple, when you start getting the automated menu system just press zero on your phone to get a rep and request that they remove your phone number from their servers as you are having problems with your text message. They should send you a text with a randomly generated code that you will have to read back to the rep and then they can submit your number to be removed once they enter that code.
-logout of "find my iphone" on the iphone
-turn off FaceTime on the iPhone
-have friends with iPhone delete your text conversation and Go to settings> messages>turn on MMS Messaging
-Turn off "Find My Phone" > Settings > iCloud > Find My Phone (You can also go to www.iCloud.com to do this as well if you no longer have the phone)
- Go to Apple Selfserve: https://selfsolve.apple.com/repairstatus/main.do and unregister any iPhone under this account

Good god.. Talk about getting stuck in Apple world....

I had to double check and make sure this wasn't a joke!

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

 

[wookiee2cu]

Those were all of the recommendations that I found and made a list, you may only have to do a few of them to get the issue resolved but the most important one is the first one (which Apple finally created about a year ago even though the issue had been known since 2011). It took me about two weeks to finally receive all of my text messages which was very frustrating as I was not receiving important texts from work. I remember one person said as they were talking to a Apple rep regarding the problem, the rep told him he should just get a new phone number. Sounds easy enough but when you think about everything that is tied to your phone number (credit cards, banking, utilities... you get the idea) not to mention letting everyone know you have a new phone number is kind of a ridiculous suggestion.

 

[drone3]

What's app is the best for group chats

dreaming of electric sheep

 

[ctk4949]

GroupMe is a pretty good app to message a lot of ppl at once. Plus if the person doesnt have the app, it will just send it as a normal sms.