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After iPadOS 15.3.1 upgrade, Messages will no longer send a simple text message to more than 1 person. I deleted the original group of 2 people and recreated it. I can send a simple text message to 1 person or an image to 1 person, but not to a group. I powered the iPad off and waited a minute, powered back on and tried it again to no avail. Is anyone else having an issue like this?
If you are attempting to group message to both Apple and Android users, this may account for your issue - as each may, in the background, be using a different messaging platform…
Do you have an iPhone - or just an iPad?
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. If you have added a DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM card is only used to identify your account for billing purposes. This number is not used for making calls or sending messages.
However, If paired with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services (e.g., SMS) of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s continuity features.
More information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
If you have an iPhone - and both iPad and iPhone are signed-in to iCloud with the same AppleID, to send SMS/MMS messages from your iPad you must explicitly enable Text Message Forwarding for your iPad on your iPhone...
On your iPhone:
Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - set to ON - and explicitly enable your iPad from the list of devices.
Also ensure that Messages in iCloud is enabled on both your iPhone and iPad:
Settings > [Your Name / AppleID] > Messages - set to ON
If you are attempting to group message to both Apple and Android users, this may account for your issue - as each may, in the background, be using a different messaging platform…
Do you have an iPhone - or just an iPad?
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. If you have added a DataSIM and Cellular plan to a WiFi+Cellular model of iPad, the number associated with the SIM card is only used to identify your account for billing purposes. This number is not used for making calls or sending messages.
However, If paired with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services (e.g., SMS) of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s continuity features.
More information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
If you have an iPhone - and both iPad and iPhone are signed-in to iCloud with the same AppleID, to send SMS/MMS messages from your iPad you must explicitly enable Text Message Forwarding for your iPad on your iPhone...
On your iPhone:
Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding - set to ON - and explicitly enable your iPad from the list of devices.
Also ensure that Messages in iCloud is enabled on both your iPhone and iPad:
Settings > [Your Name / AppleID] > Messages - set to ON
Hi Doozyman,
Thanks for using Apple Support Communities. As we understand it, you're unable to send group messages on your iPad. Are the devices you're sending to both Apple devices, or are they Android devices? If sending an image to an Android device, please make sure that MMS messaging is on in Settings > Messages. Check out the link below.
If you can't send or receive messages on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch
Take care.
In sending strictly a TEXT message (no image) to a group of 2 people, 1 is Apple, 1 is Android. I get error message that message was not delivered. If I send ONLY to 1 person with Apple, it is delivered fine.
Keep in mind, I had no issues sending group texts with or without images PRIOR to upgrading to iPadOS 15.3.1.
LotusPilot, thanks so much for the time you took to provide all the information you gave. Yes, I do have an iPhone as well and I checked the settings you mentioned on both iPad and iPhone and all were correct. I even tried setting iPad to factory settings and that didn’t fix it either.
I can’t help but think that the issue is the iPadOS 15.3.1 update. Reason being that one day I can use iMessage to send text to a group of people comprising Apple and Android products and after the Apple update I can’t. The only difference I see is the iPadOS update. I considered buying a new iPad but the factory reset was essentially the same as getting a new iPad and setting it up.
For now, I’ll send any group messages on my iPhone and wait for the next iPadOS update to see if that fixes the issue on my iPad. Your instructions were very thorough and I appreciate it, so I’m not sure what else I can try but I’m open to yours or anyone else’s suggestions. In the meantime I dug out an older Samsung tablet (arghhh) to see if I can do group messages there.
Anyway, thanks a bunch.
LotusPilot, thanks again for your insight and your replies. Just today, I discovered what the issue was and it was in one of your suggestions that I overlooked. 'Message forwarding' was turned off on my iPhone for my iPad. Once I turned it on at my iPhone, my iPad was able to send/receive messages. 'Forwarding' to me was an email term and I didn't fully grasp how the iPhone and iPad work together to allow the iPhone to do tasks it couldn't do without the iPhone.
Also, as mentioned, forwarding must have been turned on previously since I had no issue with group texting prior to an iPadOS update. I had no reason to change that setting so I don't know if the update changed that or if something else coincidentally changed it about the time of the iPadOS update.
At any rate, it's working now - Thanks !
You’re very welcome.
I’m delighted that you have resolved the problem. As for what caused the setting to change - be it software update, or an accidental change - you may never know. However, should you have a similar issue at another time, you will know precisely what (and where) to check.
Messages will not send text message to more than 1 person after iPadOS 15.3.1 upgrade
