Group text messages sending as individual texts from Mac

Thanks for posting AdrianCO,

If you haven't yet, set up Test Message Forwarding so SMS/MMS messages that you send and receive on your iPhone can appear on your Mac.

Automatically forward texts to your other devices

1: Make sure that you're signed in to iMessage with the same Apple ID on each device:

* iPhone or iPad: Check the Apple ID shown in Settings > Messages > Send & Receive.

* Mac: Open the Messages app, choose Messages > Settings (or Preferences), then click iMessage. Check the Apple ID shown.

2: On your iPhone, go to Settings > Messages > Text Message Forwarding.

If you don't see Text Message Forwarding, go to Settings > Messages. Turn off iMessage, then turn it back on. Tap Send & Receive, tap Use Your Apple ID for iMessage, then sign in with the same Apple ID used on your other devices.

3: Choose which devices can send and receive text messages from your iPhone:

4: If you choose a device that isn't using two-factor authentication for your Apple ID, a verification code appears on each of your other devices: enter that code on your iPhone.

As long as your iPhone is turned on and connected to Wi-Fi or a cellular network, new SMS/MMS texts can be sent and received on the devices that you added.

Forward SMS/MMS text messages from your iPhone to your Mac or iPad

Cheers!

Hi there! Not sure if anyone is still having this problem but after a detailed convo with Apple support we were able to figure out the issue

Apparently, somewhere along the way iMessage syncing to iCloud was turned off; I either did this in an effort to free up space or it glitched somewhere in the system update. I am currently running Sonoma 14 on my MacBook Air and upgraded to 16.7.1 IOS on my iPhone 13pro. (I am still holding out on the iOS 17 update until more of the glitches are resolved).

When turning off, signing out, and shutting down/restarting and reactivating all of possible iMessage forwarding option on both device, the issue was still occur. Through screen share on both devices, Apple Support was able to determine that since my iMessage to iCloud was shut off on my phone, that was what was causing the problem.

Hope this helps some of you still experiencing this.

This same thing happens to me when using iMessage on my MBP (no issues from iPhone). It's been happening for over a year now. I started noticing it after getting my 2021 14" M1 MBP, around the time of Ventura. This did not happen with my prior MBP running Monterey.

I'm dying for a solution. I send out different text threads constantly for work and I always experience the behavior you describe.

It's not really a "fix", but I have noticed that if you follow up immediately with a second text, all recipients (including SMS Android) will see it as a group message and all subsequent communication occurs on a group thread as intended. So you could start with, "Hey everyone" as the first text, and then send the important stuff as the second text. Very annoying, but at least gets everyone on the same page quickly.

IdrisSeabright - It's behaving more like an OS issue/bug than something to just turn off and turn on again (mainly because it seems to work as described once two messages are sent from the original sender). I know this is a possible help, and may try if I ever am able to get all my devices in one location (a challenge in and of itself).

Sign out of iMessage on all of your devices. Restart all of your devices. Sign back into iMessage on your iPhone. Then sign in on all of your other devices. Then, go back and turn on Text Message Forwarding from your phone.

IdrisSeabright wrote:

For better or worse, that's not generally the way Apple works. Either they will fix it or they won't (either because they can't or because they don't feel it's worth the effort). But they will not announce anything.

Continue to submit feedback. The more people who do, the more likely Apple is to do something.

Product Feedback - Apple

I'd say "for worse." Ha! I did have a call with Apple Support. The rep said she didn't see my problem "populated," as in, because she doesn't see much by way of complaints about it, the problem doesn't really exist. (It must be all in my head.)

I ran a test in which I tried a group with a known Android user and another with only iOS users. It does appear the problem lies there, with the Android users keeping the group from forming.

Now I'm wondering if turning OFF iMessages on my phone before writing a group text might do something...

Hi AdrianCO,

Thanks for posting in Apple Support Communities.

We understand that your group messages sent from your Mac is sent to your contacts as individual text messages. MMS messaging should be enabled on your iPhone. Are you able to send SMS messaging from your iPhone?

If nothing has been identified on your wireless carrier's end, it would be best to reach out to Apple to check into this further.

Get Support

Regards.

My problem was also initiating them from my MacBook. Phone was not the issue either and I could respond from my iPhone as well as my computer if it originated from the phone. Perhaps something on your end is not synced. Perhaps it’s still a mystery lol. It was driving me crazy and I like to consider myself very tech savvy. Sign out iCloud on all devices and then sign back. And check what’s synced to cloud on both ends. I swore mine was and then felt dumb lol

Rev2220 wrote:

It is only when I initiate a new group text on my desktop to a distinctly new group that the text gets sent to the individuals and not the group. For whatever reason the desktop Messages app won't allow creating the group to begin with.

I suspect that may have to do with the fact that your Mac is not capable of sending messages to an Android phone. Everything is routed through your phone when you send something to someone with an Android user, whether or not they are in a group. I honestly don't know if that's a bug or a limitation of the system. That is definitely something I would report to Apple.

TravelGirl1259 wrote:

So, can you be more specific when you say "sign out of iMessage" on each device?

On your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings>Messages and turn off iMessage. On your Mac, go to Messages>Settings>iMessage and sign out. Restarting before yo sign back in isn't a bad idea.

Hi, @Victoria329D,

Thanks for the input. Your example is one which supports @IdrisSeabright's comment, "Sometimes, problems are caused by user error (actually, pretty often)." I'm glad this was the issue you faced and was easily addressed. My problem, however, is exactly like the OP posted. Everything is fully synced and has been.

I will add here that I believe the source of the problem is in the desktop Messages app. To add to what the OP said, once a group text is created from my iPhone I can then send texts to that group from my desktop, and the group stays as a group going forward. My texts to the group don't get sent as individual texts to the different members of the group, and it doesn't matter whether all members are on iOS or Android. It is only when I initiate a new group text on my desktop to a distinctly new group that the text gets sent to the individuals and not the group. For whatever reason the desktop Messages app won't allow creating the group to begin with.

Rev2220 wrote:

Whether it is a bug or a limitation I think it would be helpful for Apple to say which it is. I'm OK with it being a bug, even if it's one that only affects some percentage of users, as long as Apple says it is so that I don't spend time trying to fix something I can't.

For better or worse, that's not generally the way Apple works. Either they will fix it or they won't (either because they can't or because they don't feel it's worth the effort). But they will not announce anything.

Continue to submit feedback. The more people who do, the more likely Apple is to do something.

Product Feedback - Apple

I've encountered this, too, as it seems have lots of people, and when you look for a solution you find people asking the same question with no one (esp. from Apple) providing a viable answer.

@IdrisSeabright: your response saying "That's because it often works. Troubleshooting something like a phone is frequently not a 'let's just do the sure fix'. It's, let's see if, by trial and error, we can narrow down the cause of the problem" is inadequate. Trial and error doesn't address the cause. The cause is in the software itself, which is designed by someone to do specific things. If it does not do those things reliably then that is called a bug. The enduser is not the person responsible for addressing and removing or fixing the bug.

Apple should be providing "the sure fix." Have they yet? If so, what is it?

I suspect that may have to do with the fact that your Mac is not capable of sending messages to an Android phone. Everything is routed through your phone when you send something to someone with an Android user, whether or not they are in a group. I honestly don't know if that's a bug or a limitation of the system. That is definitely something I would report to Apple.

Whether bug or limitation, it's a known issue and this reported problem appears to have gone back more than a year. As such, you'd think by now there'd be something more definitive out there about it. Whether it is a bug or a limitation I think it would be helpful for Apple to say which it is. I'm OK with it being a bug, even if it's one that only affects some percentage of users, as long as Apple says it is so that I don't spend time trying to fix something I can't.