Group message/text

Hello there, DrSmiggles.

It seems that you are trying to send group messages using your new iPhone 5s. The following Knowledge Base article explains how to do just that:
Send a group message with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

Send a group message

To send messages to a group, start a new conversation. Then enter multiple recipients or tap to select from your contacts.

How do I add or remove someone from a group message?

You can add a person to a conversation by tapping Details, and then tapping Add Contact.

You can remove a person from an iMessage conversation with at least four people. Tap Details, then swipe the name of the person you want to remove from right to left. Then tap Delete.

Leave a group message

If the group message is using iMessage and has more than three participants, you can leave the conversation. Tap Details. Then tap Leave this Conversation.

Leave this Conversation might not be available if there are only three people in the group iMessage or if the group message uses MMS.

Name a group message

You can name group iMessage threads. While viewing a conversation, tap Details, in the upper right. Then drag down and enter the name in the Group Name field.

Mute notifications

If you don't want to get notifications for a group message, tap Details. Then turn on Do Not Disturb. You'll still receive the messages in the Messages app, and you'll still receive notifications on the lock screen.

Why is Messages sending my group messages as individual texts?

If you send a message to multiple people and at least one person isn't using group messaging, an individual message will go to each recipient using either SMS or MMS. Only the original sender will get any responses to these messages, in separate message threads.

Using group messaging with MMS

To use group messaging with MMS, you need a plan from your carrier that allows sending MMS. Carrier messaging rates may apply.

Check with your wireless carrier to see how many people you can include in a group message with MMS.

You can turn off MMS group messaging in Settings > Messages > Group Messaging. You can still send and receive group iMessages.

Thanks for reaching out to Apple Support Communities.
Cheers.

drsmiggles wrote:

Thank you Pedro. I read that article before posting and surely anyone can see how ridiculous that is.

I am not talking about sending a group message to 2 or even 5 people.

In a technical support forum, it's useful to be specific. You would have save your self and Pedro quite a bit of time had you explained that initially.

As I recall, GroupMe is not ad supported (though it's been awhile since I used it). BlackBerry Messenger is but the ads are quite unobtrusive.

But, no, I don't find it ridiculous in the least. Apple tends to provide basic apps and leaves the more involved features for developers to create apps around.

You can submit feedback to Apple suggesting something different here:

http://www.apple.com/feedback

drsmiggles wrote:

So feedback to Apple will achieve nothing

It may if enough people want the feature. I'm guessing they don't.

Apple doesn't generally care what other manufacturers consider basic. They have a long history of doing things....."different".

drsmiggles wrote:

Absolutely - that is why they jumped on the big screen bandwagon....

You apparently missed the qualifier.

As you don't actually have a technical support question and don't seem to be interested in any suggestions and this is really more of a rant, I'll leave you to it.

Best of luck.