Cannot exit a group iMessage

I’ve seen this posted a few times before and those posts went back to 2020. This is still not addressed so I’m creating another thread.


Can I ask the community before I raise a case with apple support, why is the leave group conversation button greyed out? There should not be any limitations to removing yourself from a conversation.


This has raised a serious safeguarding concern for me, as I have noticed my daughter has been added to a group conversation, without permission and now cannot leave.


There isn’t anything untoward in this group in question at the moment, but I can see a scenario where that might not be the case, and then an unwilling recipient is in a group that they want to remove themselves from, but cannot.


Posted on May 30, 2024 12:52 PM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on May 30, 2024 12:57 PM

From Apple:


You can leave a group text message as long as there are three other people on the thread and everyone is using an Apple device, like an iPhone or iPad. If you don't see the option to leave, it might mean that one or more of the users isn't using an Apple device with iMessage.


Leave a group text - Apple Support


If those requirements are not met, you either need to contact everyone in the group and ask them to create a new group without your daugter. Or, you can block everyone in the group.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 30, 2024 12:57 PM in response to Caesium78

From Apple:


You can leave a group text message as long as there are three other people on the thread and everyone is using an Apple device, like an iPhone or iPad. If you don't see the option to leave, it might mean that one or more of the users isn't using an Apple device with iMessage.


Leave a group text - Apple Support


If those requirements are not met, you either need to contact everyone in the group and ask them to create a new group without your daugter. Or, you can block everyone in the group.

May 30, 2024 12:58 PM in response to Caesium78

It is a limitation of group SMS/MMS; if anyone in the group does not have an iPhone (meaning the group is not an iMessage group) it is not possible to add or remove anyone once the group has been created.


And it isn’t in Apple’s power to fix it, because Apple does not control the SMS/MMS protocol; that was developed by the cellular carriers worldwide.

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Cannot exit a group iMessage

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