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Confused about Group Messaging

I just sent a text to multiple people.
And when people respond, sometimes it goes to the group, and sometimes it just comes to me.

Is this part of the 'group messaging' feature?

I turned that on because I assumed that if it was off, I could not send to multiple people.
Apparently that's not true. Even with group messaging OFF, I can send a message to multiple people.

Can anyone explain this well?
(yes, I've seen this, and it doesn't explain fully. http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11768253&#11768253)

For example. I sent a message that said 'happy thanksgiving!' to 10 people.
person 1 replied "thanks A!".
That message went into my thread with person A.
Which is what I want.

But person 2 replied "thanks A!", and it went to the whole group.
So ten of my friends are getting a message from a random friend of mine that they don't know, saying thanks?
How confusing!

So, "group messaging' really means "group reply"?

But not for everyone?

Like I said, some people's replies come just to me...

Does it matter if I already have a convo with the other person? or if they have an iphone?

Can someone clarify??

thanks!!

20" iMac (Intel 2.33), MBA 1.8/80, Mac OS X (10.6.5), AEBS, AX, iPhone, iPad, iMac, AppleTV

Posted on Nov 25, 2010 9:56 AM

Reply
15 replies

Nov 26, 2010 1:01 PM in response to Alexroet

Alexroet wrote:
I NEVER want people to "reply all".


Its not your decision though. If you send an email to 10 people, any one of them can choose Reply or Reply All.

That was my point (badly made) - your wants are not relevant. Its 100% up to them what button they press. You cannot dictate what option buttons appear on another persons device if you take my meaning.

Nov 26, 2010 3:30 PM in response to Graham Outterside

Well I'm not talking about email, did you mean text?
I have never been 1- aware that I was receiving a group text, or 2- given any option to reply 1 or reply all.

I guess my main point is that I wish I could find some clear answers about WHAT exactly group messaging IS.

I thought "group messaging" was the ability to send a message to a group of people.

But, since I am able to send a text to multiple people even when group messaging is turned OFF, then that is not it.

So then I'd think it means that the group is treated like one item- all messages to and from any one person in the group go to ALL members of the group.

But given that after sending a message to a group, I get some responses individually, and some to the group, that doesn't seem to be it either.

You're saying it depends on the other person's hardware, which is just an unsatisfactory answer. (but not your fault, obviously). I don't know what brand of phone all my friends use, and I can not tailor how I send messages depending on who has what phone- that's ridiculous. so I really hope that's not the case. Can anyone weigh in on this for certain?

I went to the "iPhone User Guide" (accessed as a Safari Bookmark on my iPhone, running iOS 4.2).
It has no discrete mention of Group Messaging as a feature. But in the section on "Messages", under "Sending and Receiving Messages" it says:

"*Send a message to a group of people:*
Tap <new message>, then add recipients. If you enter a phone number manually (instead of selecting it from Contacts), tap Return before entering another entry.

_Replies from any of the recipients are sent only to you, not to the other people you texted._"

But, that's simply not the case.

Nov 27, 2010 6:23 AM in response to Alexroet

Alexroet wrote:
_Replies from any of the recipients are sent only to you, not to the other people you texted._"

But, that's simply not the case.


On an iPhone that may be true - but not everyone has an iPhone.

You said that someone "replied all" which I would have though was evidence enough that there are devices which do not behave as an iPhone ?

Nov 28, 2010 5:38 PM in response to Graham Outterside

Graham Outterside wrote:
Alexroet wrote:
_Replies from any of the recipients are sent only to you, not to the other people you texted._"

But, that's simply not the case.


On an iPhone that may be true - but not everyone has an iPhone.

You said that someone "replied all" which I would have though was evidence enough that there are devices which do not behave as an iPhone ?


But apple says "replies from any recipient" not "replies from other iphones"

Either way, we're getting sidetracked.

I just want to know- What (exactly) is Group Messaging?

Dec 7, 2010 1:29 PM in response to Alexroet

I am having a similar problem with my iphone4 but sort of in reverse.
My friend sent a "group text message with photo" to a group of his friends, which I was one of the recipients.
I responded to it, thinking I was responding "only" to him. My response went out to everyone he sent the original message to. Now I am getting text messages saying who is this? I don't know you. etc.
I didn't notice #1 that my friend sent it to a group of people. and #2 that when I responded to his message that it would go to his entire group of people he originally sent the message to. (and NO I didn't hit reply all)
My friend does not have an iphone, but i don't think that should have anything to do with it.
Do I need to change a setting? If so what? Can anyone help me with this? Thanks

Message was edited by: nwcreative1

Message was edited by: nwcreative1

Dec 14, 2010 9:16 AM in response to nwcreative1

Im having the same issue i recieve a mms forward almost daily from random friends they send it to a group and i know they are not using an iphone my dad has a samsung for example and he sent a forward to X number of people myself included i replied and got a bunch of huhs and whats from everyone he orriginally messaged very annoying trying to explain what has happed to ten people please help

May 5, 2014 5:51 PM in response to Alexroet

The funny thing is that we all are like the blind leading the blind.. I wished Aple was available firsthand to help us solve or explain these issues..

I saved up many months of my money to get the iphone thinking it would be compatible with my macbook pro and help make my work easier and faster.. but sadly this is not the case.

No more Apple products for me after this..!

Confused about Group Messaging

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