Not receiving group iMessages/texts

Question

Level 1

88 points

Not receiving group iMessages/texts

First off - i know there have been lots of threads similar to this. I've looked through those and tried the suggestions, but to no avail. I'm still left with the same issue.

I've switched back and forth between my iPhone and Android phones for a couple of years or so and never had any issues with iMessage - until iOS 7.0.3.

Since 7.0.3 i have not been able to receive any iMessages/Texts from friends while in a group chat on my Android device. I can send them and my friends receive them, but i cannot receive from them. I get individual texts/iMessages fine, just not group and only when it's from an iPhone. I am able to receive group messages from Blackberry, Android and Windows devices.

The catch. I gave up on iPhone and officially jumped ship to the Moto X before 7.0.3 was released and i COULD get group texts before 7.0.3.

Here is what has been done. BEFORE switching to the Moto X, i deactivated iMessage on my iPhone AND on both of my iPad's. I made sure to also uncheck the phone number and my email addresses BEFORE deactiviating iMessage. Also did the same with Facetime (not sure if that matters or not).

I have unregistered the iPhone from my Apple profile/support account.

I have deleted all iPhone numbers from my iCloud contacts.

I have tried 4 different Android messaging applications.

I have the correct settings in Android.

I have called Apple and had them remove my phone number from iMessage.

I have made sure that my friends (one is actually my wife so i even did it myself on her phone) have it set to send SMS if iMessage is not available.

I have deleted my contact from my wife's phone, my wife's iPad and my wife's iCloud and then set it up again (as a mobile and not as an iPhone).

I've even called Verizon and Motorola both who believe, as do i, that this is an Apple issue since it only started when my friends installed 7.0.3.

I've ran out of ideas, and ran out of places to go since Apple's support only had the one suggestion which was for them to remove the phone number from iMessage.

I'm open to anything (except going back to iPhone since that would mean i need to splash out on a new phone again). However, i do have an iPhone 4 in my house that i could use if need to TEMPORARILY activate to do something else.

Posted on Dec 9, 2013 8:37 AM

Reply

Answer 1

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,347 points

Dec 9, 2013 8:48 AM in response to justboy

Let me see if I understand you correctly, you have an Android device and you are having trouble receiving group messages from iOS device users, is that the short of it?

You cannot receive iMessages on an Android device, so you talking about iMessages doesn't fit. Also, you mention updating to iOS 7.0.3. How would that affect you on an Android device? When the other users, which is hard to tell except for your wife's phone attempt to message you, are the message bubbles blue?

My understanding of group messaging on iOS devices is that they are changed to MMS messages. Do you have MMS active on your Android device? Settings for the iPhone for Send as SMS would only apply when they are sending iMessages, not anything else.

I have gone through every install of iOS 7, through iOS 7.0.4 and have not had any issues sending group messages to any combination of iOS and non-iOS devices, so I don't know that it is a unique iOS 7.0.3 problem as Verizon wants to tell you. Did Verizon do a reset on your SMS/MMS account? That is one thing that could clear the issue, since you say you have contacted Apple about removing your number from the iMessage database. Have you ever been able to receive messages from iOS devices since going to Android?

Reply

Answer 2

justboy Author

Level 1

88 points

Dec 9, 2013 9:16 AM in response to ChrisJ4203

I do currently have an Android device, having switched from iPhone prior to 7.0.3.

I cannot receive GROUP SMS that comes via the iPhone Messages app - my friends all have the setting "use SMS if iMessage" is not available.

I was able to receive group SMS until 7.0.3, and still continue to receive individual SMS messages from iPhones today. My settings on my Android are correct and there is no blue bubble on my friends/wifes iPhone's when they send a message - likely because the message is being sent to other iPhones in the group chat.

I have not tried to have my own SMS/MMS box cleared, but will definitely try that.

FYI - my friends tell me that i am not the Android users that this happens to for them.

Reply

Answer 3

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,347 points

Dec 9, 2013 10:10 AM in response to justboy

justboy wrote:

I cannot receive GROUP SMS that comes via the iPhone Messages app - my friends all have the setting "use SMS if iMessage" is not available.

This setting makes no difference for non-iOS devices. That is only when an iOS device tries to send an iMessage to an iOS device and it will not go through as an iMessage.

As I mentioned earlier, the iPhone handles mixed group messages as MMS. If you are receiving individual messages from the users, then it would be something on your end and your SMS/MMS account that is not allowing you to receive the message. Again, I would have your provider check your messaging account.

justboy wrote:

FYI - my friends tell me that i am not the Android users that this happens to for them.

I have no idea what you are trying to say here. If important, can you try to explain this a little clearer?

Reply

Answer 4

justboy Author

Level 1

88 points

Dec 9, 2013 4:02 PM in response to ChrisJ4203

I left words out while i was typing in a hurry. 😊

I was saying that the friends of mine who are using the iPhone, have told me that other Android users that they group chat with, are also unable to receive group messages from them.

I think i have been able to narrow the issue down, after spending more time with Apple and with Verizon. Verizon had me text STOP to an Apple Short Code, which resulted in about 40 texts from my wife being delivered via the open group chat that we have with our friends.

To test that this resolved my issue, Verizon initiated a group chat from two test iPhones, which also resulted in success. I was also able to successfully group chat with 6 other groups of friends all with iPhones. I did the same test with a mix of Android and iPhone users too, with success.

Where it failed, was with the original couple. I am still unable to receive group chats from them, while my wife, who is in the same chat, does receive them. I do however, get the texts from my wife in that group chat. Very strange. So i am thinking it is something with their devices and not the fact that i switched from Apple to Android.

The progress today, after a few weeks of frustration is that i can now receive group chats from everybody i would regularly text with (android or iphone users), except this two people, who happen to be the one's i group chat with the most. They are iPhone 4s users on Sprint.

Reply

Answer 5

ChrisJ4203

Level 10

230,347 points

Dec 9, 2013 7:29 PM in response to justboy

That is an interesting solution. Like I had said earlier, SMS/MMS from the iPhone to other users is just standard SMS/MMS that is controlled by the carrier. That is probably why they were able to get a correction to the beginning issue.

I really cannot see what could be on the Apple side that would prevent you from receiving, but then I do not understand everything. Good luck in getting it sorted out.

Reply

Answer 6

Dec 17, 2013 8:34 AM in response to justboy

What was the short code that they had you use so I can try to see if it resolves my issue?

Thanks in advance.

Reply

Answer 7

Dec 18, 2013 9:11 AM in response to justboy

Yes, what was the short code that they had you use?

Reply

Answer 8

Dec 20, 2013 11:32 AM in response to justboy

I am having the exact same issue, i would love to get this resolved. Really annoying problem to have.

Reply

Answer 9

justboy Author

Level 1

88 points

Dec 20, 2013 11:56 AM in response to flibbityjib

You need to call your cell phone provider to get it. The girl at Verizon told me that the short code is tied to your phone number.

Reply

Answer 10

Jan 15, 2014 12:55 PM in response to justboy

Same problem here too. Very annoying. Apple has us all by the ****s!!

Reply

Answer 11

broogle

Level 1

8 points

Mar 6, 2014 4:52 PM in response to e-trillion

I just spent much time the last three days with Apple Support and Verizon support. I won't bore you with the details, because the bottom line finally is: Apple says it is a known issue, it is being worked on, and it will be fixed in a future release. Meanwhile, ask friends with iPhones to send you direct messages, not group messages.

Reply

Answer 12

sleevel

Level 1

5 points

May 31, 2014 5:49 PM in response to justboy

This is the solution: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/5323646?start=0&tstart=0

In short, you are out of memory in your SMS Attachments folder and the phone won't accept the additional data from the group message/picture message. There is a program called iBackupBot which will solve the problem. It allows you to delete these attachments from the root of the phone. It isn't free but it is worth every penny. I hope this solves your issue because it solved mine.

Reply