Rome1234
Level 1 (4 points)
iPhone

Q: Group Messages

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first question so please excuse any bad practices I may have used when starting this discussion.

 

So I have an iPhone 6 and I have recently had issues with my group messages. The issue is that I cannot be included in a group text that includes non-iPhone's. Every time I'm included or start a group text with a group of people (even if all of the members are iPhone users except one) I receive everyone's messages separately. This is getting frustrating because I get so lost when with the conversation trying to keep up. I've tried restarting my phone and doing a hard reset as well but nothing seems to be working. Non of my friends are having this issue and we all have the most updated iOS (9.3.2). This has been an issue for a while but I assumed it would eventually fix itself or an update would be released to fix the issue but considering that I seem to be the only person experiencing this problem I not sure what next steps to take.


What's weird is that when I get home to my MacBook the messages come up just as they are supposed to in my messages app and I'm even able to reply in the group and have everyone get the messages without having to send individual messages.


Thank You,


Rome

iPhone 6, iOS 9.3.2

Posted on Jul 5, 2016 9:56 AM

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Rome1234

Q: Group Messages

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  • by Johann.B,

    Johann.B Johann.B Jul 6, 2016 7:31 AM in response to Rome1234
    Community Specialists
    Jul 6, 2016 7:31 AM in response to Rome1234

    Hi Rome1234, 

     

    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. 

     

    I see that you are having an issue with group messaging when non-iPhone users are included in the group, and you are receiving everyone's messages separately. I use group messaging on my iPhone as well, so I know how important it is we get this issue resolved. I'll be more than happy to help you find the best path to resolution. 

     

    Use Send a group message on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, to learn more about the types of group messages and how the Messages app automatically chooses the type of group message, specifically, this section:

     

    Types of group messages

    The Messages app automatically chooses the type of group message to send based on your settings, network connection, carrier plan, and the recipients’ carrier plan. For example:

    • If you and your recipients are using Apple devices, then the group message is sent as an iMessage.
    • If you send a group message to people who are not using iMessage, then the message is sent as an MMS or SMS message.

    Here are 3 types of group messages you might see:

    Group iMessage 

    These messages appear in blue text bubbles, go through Apple instead of your carrier, and are protected by end-to-end encryption. Everyone can send and receive photos, videos, and audio messages, and respond and see the thread of messages.

    Group MMS

    These messages appear in green text bubbles and go through your carrier instead of Apple. Everyone can send and receive photos and videos, and respond and see the thread of messages.

    Group SMS

    These messages also appear in green text bubbles and go through your carrier. Group SMS messages don’t support multimedia attachments, like photos or videos. Also, when you send a Group SMS, all responses are sent as individual text messages and the recipients can’t see the other responses from the group. 

     Learn how to send and receive iMessage, MMS, and SMS messages on all of your Apple devices.

     

    I would also advise to check the Messages app settings by following this path: Settings > Messages.

     

    Make sure that the following options are enabled (green):

    1. iMessage 

    2. Send as SMS

    3. MMS Messaging

    4. Group Messaging

     

    After that, test group messaging again, and see if you get the same result. 

     

    Have a great day!