Group messaging on the icon?

[stingray389]

Thinking about switching over from a iPhone 4S. I'm a very heavy user of messaging to communicate. I supervise 12 people at work, all of whom work at different times, making group messaging a necessity for me to not only get messages across to everyone, but to get everyone to share ideas with me and each other in a cohearent format. My people have a mixture of iPhone's and android phones, so iMessage isn't a necessity. The reason I ask a friend that I used to work with has a 928, and when I asked him a few months back how he liked the phone, he said he didn't like it due to the lack of group messaging. My group messages and everyone else's responses ended up as multiple individual texts on his phone that was difficult to follow. I read that one of the updates (Amber or black?) corrected this for verizon, but I want to make sure I have the capability for a clean iMessage like group conversation if I end up getting an icon.

 

[zombie0]

I'm not sure if it's a good fit for your use-case, but I use GroupMe for a similar need: https://app.groupme.com/

 

[rebornempowered]

Group messaging came to the 928 and 822 with GDR2, I believe. I have a 928 and group messaging works.

 

[jaethos]

The Icon has group messaging.

 

[stingray389]

I'm not sure if it's a good fit for your use-case, but I use GroupMe for a similar need: https://app.groupme.com/

I think any messaging app would be better than SMS, but I am stuck using it since it's hard getting so many people to install and use a 3rd party app. They always say "why install this when we can just text each other?" I think the only reason most iphone users actually use iMessage is that it iMessage is built into the iPhone's messaging system and is automatically used when available, so there is no extra steps to take to work. No one that I know who has any android phone use hangouts, they just text.

 

[DustinRyan]

I just switched from an iPhone 4S to the Icon, and I do miss having unlimited texting to other iPhones, I've just gotten more comfortable using WhatsApp, which I already use with a few friends internationally. So it wasn't a hard switch for me, but some of my iPhone friends don't feel like saving any text messages on their plan and only use the traditional messaging app on the iPhone. So it's a bit of a step down from the accessibility of the iPhone, but the way I explain it to friends is like this:

iMessage will only save them texts from iPhone to iPhone, but WhatsApp, GroupMe, etc. will save you on text messages to ALL phones, and has more features. Doesn't that seem more valuable than iMessage, now?

Part of the problem is that America is so head-over-heels for Apple, that they really don't care how many texts they get charged for to non-iPhones because most people have iPhones, anyway (in their circle of friends and age group). So no matter how much convincing I try to do, they won't use a 3rd party app that easily. But internationally, it makes perfect sense to use a 3rd party app, since there's greater diversity between phone ecosystems.

It's basically a losing situation for now, however, I feel like there's real potential in Microsoft combining GroupMe into Skype and touting that as an all-in-one messaging app across all platforms, which Microsoft has slowly been trying to do.

 

[MAAB]

I thought all plans on Verizon had unlimited texting for smartphones? If so why does it matter if it comes through as a SMS or as an iMessage? As long as this phone will be able to send and receive group text messages I am switching over from an iPhone for it. Like the original post I need group texts for work and it's not practical or professional to ask all of my coworkers to download whatsapp or groupme.

 

[meathead88]

I have a ICON and group messaging works as it should.

 

[MAAB]

That's good news. Time to ditch the iPhone then!

 

[radmanvr]

Just remember if you switch to windows phone you will need to protect yourself. This is why I carry a concealed handgun and a Mossberg 500 in my truck but then again im Texan.

Friday funny: Woman Says She Was Attacked for Using Windows Phone at San Francisco Tech Bar | WMPoweruser

 

[bmetelsky]

I thought all plans on Verizon had unlimited texting for smartphones?

I don't believe this is the case. There are some plans with unlimited texting, but not all.

 

[MAAB]

According to their website all new plans with smartphones have unlimited talk and text, even the cheapest 250 mb data plan... it is verizon though so their website may be wrong

 

[Laura Knotek]

I thought all plans on Verizon had unlimited texting for smartphones? If so why does it matter if it comes through as a SMS or as an iMessage? As long as this phone will be able to send and receive group text messages I am switching over from an iPhone for it. Like the original post I need group texts for work and it's not practical or professional to ask all of my coworkers to download whatsapp or groupme.

Before you switch your devices, you'll need to disable iMessage on your iPhone. Otherwise all your SMS will still get sent to the inactive iPhone, and you won't get any SMS on your Icon. There are quite a few threads with posters unable to receive SMS, since they did not disable iMessage prior to switching from iPhone to Windows Phone; Android Central has similar threads where Android users didn't get SMS due to not disabling iMessage prior to switching from iPhone to Android.

 

[Indistinguishable]

Before you switch your devices, you'll need to disable iMessage on your iPhone. Otherwise all your SMS will still get sent to the inactive iPhone, and you won't get any SMS on your Icon. There are quite a few threads with posters unable to receive SMS, since they did not disable iMessage prior to switching from iPhone to Windows Phone; Android Central has similar threads where Android users didn't get SMS due to not disabling iMessage prior to switching from iPhone to Android.

Some people get isolated from society in multiple ways when they make the switch from an iPhone. :winktongue:

 

[Joel S79]

I just switched from an iPhone 4S to the Icon, and I do miss having unlimited texting to other iPhones, I've just gotten more comfortable using WhatsApp, which I already use with a few friends internationally. So it wasn't a hard switch for me, but some of my iPhone friends don't feel like saving any text messages on their plan and only use the traditional messaging app on the iPhone. So it's a bit of a step down from the accessibility of the iPhone, but the way I explain it to friends is like this:

iMessage will only save them texts from iPhone to iPhone, but WhatsApp, GroupMe, etc. will save you on text messages to ALL phones, and has more features. Doesn't that seem more valuable than iMessage, now?

Part of the problem is that America is so head-over-heels for Apple, that they really don't care how many texts they get charged for to non-iPhones because most people have iPhones, anyway (in their circle of friends and age group). So no matter how much convincing I try to do, they won't use a 3rd party app that easily. But internationally, it makes perfect sense to use a 3rd party app, since there's greater diversity between phone ecosystems.

It's basically a losing situation for now, however, I feel like there's real potential in Microsoft combining GroupMe into Skype and touting that as an all-in-one messaging app across all platforms, which Microsoft has slowly been trying to do.

Verizon is really pushing their "More everything" plans, which include unlimited SMS/MMS to domestic and international numbers. It's 2014, people really should be on limited texting plans anymore.