Group text messages sending as individual texts from Mac

I am running the latest versions of MacOS and IOS. If I send a group text from the Mac it sends individual texts to all recipients and they can't reply to the group - just to me. If I send from the iPhone, then it goes out with all recipients shown, so anyone can reply and it goes to the group. There are IOS and Android users in the group, but I don't understand why the Mac Message app behaves like this.

iMac 21.5″ 4K, macOS 13.3

Posted on May 29, 2023 1:35 PM

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15 replies

May 30, 2023 2:19 PM in response to AdrianCO

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!

May 30, 2023 3:30 PM in response to mikeg28806

Thanks Mike - but I have that all set and working for years. All text messages sent and received show up on both iPhone and Mac. That's not what my post is about. This is what is happening:

If I send a group text from the Mac it sends individual texts to all recipients and they can't see all recipients OR reply to the group - just to me. If I send from the iPhone, then it goes out with all recipients shown, so anyone can reply and it goes to the group. There are IOS and Android users in the group, but I don't understand why the Mac Message app behaves like this.

May 30, 2023 3:45 PM in response to AdrianCO

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.


May 30, 2023 4:11 PM in response to ASTRO24

SMS messages can be sent from my phone (turned on) and MMS is obviously turned on, as there is no problem sending group texts to 20 people (including a couple of Android users) and they see all members of the group and can reply to all the members of the group. It is just on the Mac that these are sent as individual messages from me to everyone.

May 30, 2023 4:22 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

I find it interesting that a group text I just sent from my Mac to a small group (2 recipients) with iPhones works properly. They see the three of us in the MMS group. But there is no doubt that when I send to a large group (20) that includes a couple of Android users, the recipients see a message from me to each recipient. The large group only shows if I send from the iPhone. I've learned my lesson - I will not send from Mac to this group going forward, but something seems broke.


May 30, 2023 5:32 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Idris - I've done that stock routine to address other glitch issues in the past. But the only way to test after doing that, is to send yet another test MMS to the group. And to be honest, I'm not going to put this group through an annoying test after going through that routine. Just not worth it. Since I have a solution just using the iPhone, I can stick with it.



Jul 28, 2023 9:44 AM in response to MichaelW207

MichaelW207 wrote:

Did anyone ever figure out a "for sure" fix for this? The "turn everything off and back on again" seems like a default thing for odd behavior.

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.

Aug 14, 2023 5:30 AM in response to AdrianCO

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).

Aug 22, 2023 2:19 PM in response to IdrisSeabright

Hi, I am having similar problems as AdrianCO with something that worked just fine until today. So, can you be more specific when you say "sign out of iMessage" on each device? Do you mean simply quite the iMessage app or does each Mac device have to be logged out and completely restarted, or just the app? Also, on the iPhone, do you have to disconnect the devices within the Message app settings and then turn them back on?

Oct 9, 2023 7:04 PM in response to AdrianCO

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?

Group text messages sending as individual texts from Mac

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