How to make, manage & personalize your text group on iPhone

Learning how to make a group chat on iPhone means opening up a door to faster, smarter, and more fun conversations with friends, family and coworkers.

Instead of sending the same message over and over, iPhone group chats allow people to stay connected in a single organized space, making communication easy while adding personality to your texts.

But the creation of a group is only the beginning. Knowing how to manage members, mute noise, customize names and add flair makes a big difference.

This guide will walk you through how to create, manage, and personalise your conversations, to help you deal with your iPhone conversations like a digital master.

iPhone group chats: iMessage vs. SMS/MMS

When considering setting up group texting for iPhone it is very important to know what the two main types of group chats you may encounter are: iMessage and standard SMS/MMS.

While they both can help you communicate with multiple people at once, their capabilities and user experience are vastly different. The type of group chat you end up with highly depends on who’s in it and which app they’re using. Essentially, when you create a group text in iPhone with other Apple users, your device defaults to iMessage. These are the familiar blue bubble chats, with all sorts of fun features such as read receipts, typing indicators and tonnes of fun effects.

However, if even one person in your group does not have an iPhone (or has iMessage disabled), your chat will be automatically turned into a green bubble SMS/MMS group. These traditional messages are not rich in the extensive features of iMessage and work on cellular networks.

How secure are iPhone group chats?

When setting up text groups on iPhone, security is likely not the first thing that comes to mind. But it is a crucial factor, especially if sensitive information is exchanged in these conversations.

How secure your iPhone group chat is will depend largely on whether it’s an iMessage group chat or an SMS/MMS group chat. For groups in which all members are on an apple device, iMessage uses end-to-end encryption.

According to Apple’s own security documentation, iMessage messages are scrambled in your device before they are even sent. They traverse Apple’s servers as meaningless gibberish. And only the devices within your group possess the special keys that are needed to unlock and read them. Even Apple cannot intercept your data or view it.

However, the security situation changes dramatically if you create a group text on an iPhone using traditional SMS / MMS.

1. No encryption. Traditional SMS and MMS are transmitted in “plaintext” using Cellular Networks.
2. Carrier access. Since they are not encrypted, technically, your mobile carrier can see and store your message history.
3. Interception risks. Security experts from the company Comparitech point out that if the text is not encrypted,d then it is vulnerable to “man-in-the-middle” attacks and spoofing.

For maximum privacy, many security professionals suggest using Advanced Data Protection in your iCloud.

This means that all your group chat backups are also end-to-end encrypted.

Step-by-step guide: how to make a group chat on iPhone?

Okay, now that we have addressed the secure aspects, let’s get onto the fun part: making these group chats happen! Whether you’re engaging your iPhone owning friends, or those who have other devices, how to create groups on iPhone for text messaging is relatively easy once you know the steps.

Here’s a complete guide to get the conversations flowing.

How to start a group chat in iMessage (for iOS 14 and above)

If everyone in the group uses an Apple device, then iMessage is the best option. It provides the smoothest experience with advanced features such as reactions, read receipts, and high-definition media.

Here is how you can start a group chat in iMessage.

1. Open the Messages app and tap on the Compose button on the top right (pencil logo).
2. Enter the names of contacts or tap on the plus (+) button to search your address book to add multiple contacts.

3. 

4. In the text field, type your message.
5. Then tap the Send arrow.

Your chat will have blue bubbles indicating it is an iMessage group. From there, you can then go further to customize the conversation.

How to set up group SMS on iPhone (for non-iPhone users)

When you need to know how to create a text message group on iPhone that includes Android users, you will use SMS / MMS:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Messages and make sure that you have Group Messaging switched on.
2. Open the Messages app and tap on the Compose button.
3. Add all recipients in including non-iPhone contacts.

4. 

5. Type out your message and press the send button.
6. The bubbles turn green, which means the chat is using SMS/MMS.

You will message everybody at once, but you won’t enjoy advanced features such as removing members, or personalisation.

Still, it’s a reliable method for creating a group text in iPhone in the event of mixed devices.

Detailed instructions: manage your iPhone group chat effectively

So after setting up text groups on iPhone, the real value is managing them well. A group chat should be helpful, not disordered. Once you’re good with creating a group for texting on iPhone, you can control how the conversation looks, who’s in the conversation, and how active the conversation is. These changes help keep your chats organized, focused, and simple to follow as your group develops or changes.

How do you name a group message on the iPhone?

If you give your chat a specific name, it becomes much easier to find in a congested inbox. It is also adding a bit of personality to your digital hangout.

Here is how to go about it.

1. Open the group message to which you want to give a name.
2. Tap on the group icons (or the names) at very top on the screen.

3. 

4. Select Change Name and Photo.
5. Put your desired group name on the text field.
6. Tap Done to save your changes.

This feature is only available for iMessage groups. You cannot name an SMS/MMS group with Android users.

How to add/remove someone to a group text on iPhone?

As your plans change, you may end up creating a group for texting on your iPhone and end up needing to change the guest list.

Here is how you can manage participants in iMessage group chats, by a couple of taps.

To add someone.

1. Open the group chat.
2. Tap on the group icons or names at the top of the thread.
3. Select Add Contact.
4. Type the new person’s name or number on the search field. Select the appropriate contact from the results that come up.
5. To complete the addition of them, tap on “Done”.

To remove someone.

1. Open the group chat.
2. At the top tap the group icons and choose the group member list.
3. Swipe left the name of the person
4. Tap Delete.

Keep in mind though, removal only works in iMessages groups that have 3 or more people. For SMS/MMS groups, everyone has to start a new chat instead.

Advanced tips for managing notifications and privacy in iPhone’s group chats

After learning the basics of how to create groups on iPhone for text messaging, you may find that a busy thread quickly gets out of hand.

Managing notifications proves to be important if you want to maintain your focus or your privacy in the public space.

If there is a group that is too active, you can silence that group without leaving the conversation.

1. Hide alerts. From the group icon in the top of the chat toggle on Hide Alerts. You will still receive messages; however, they will not activate any sounds or banners.
2. Focus modes. Use Do Not Disturb or make custom Focus profiles in Settings. This way, you can put certain people on a whitelist and leave the rest of your text groups in silence.
3. Mention notifications. Under Settings > Messages you may set the app to give alerts to you for when someone mentions your name (even when your chat has been muted).

In addition, when children start creating a group for texting on iPhone, they may get exposed to risks such as cyberbullying or strangers. To protect them, even though Apple offers wonderful programs within the App system, third-party apps can help add layers of safety for families.

FlashGet Kids is one such powerful parental control app which is designed to help you to monitor digital interactions. It is more than mere muting in that it offers.



1. SMS safety. Helps in monitoring traditional SMS messages, which may not be as secure and may be a vector to cyber-bullying or unwanted contact.
2. Screen mirroring. This allows you to view the child’s screen remotely in order to ensure their group interactions are appropriate.
3. App notifications. Parents are able to view in real-time the notifications from the messaging apps of their child from their device, helping identify dangerous interactions before it is too late.
4. Usage reports. Gives a detailed log summary of daily and weekly activity so as to ensure your know your child’s digital habits.

Using FlashGet Kids ensures that the process of setting up text groups on iPhone will be a safe and positive one for everyone involved.

Why can’t you create a group text on iPhone & how to fix it?

Even the best technology can hit a snag, and you might find that you are occasionally unable to send a message after you create a group for texting on iPhone.

These glitches can be frustrating but often have to do with specific settings or carrier limitations as opposed to a broken device.

1. Mixed device issues. If the thread of iMessage suddenly fails, it could be that a member has switched to Android and the phone is now struggling with the transition to SMS/MMS.
2. Disabled settings. You cannot create a group text in iPhone if “Group Messaging” or “MMS Messaging” is turned off in settings menu.
3. Storage limits. If you run out of space on your iPhone, your phone may refuse to download new incoming group media.

However, before you do give up, try these sure bet troubleshooting steps.

1. Check your settings. Go to Settings > Messages and make sure iMessage, MMS Messaging and Group Messaging are all “On.”
2. Reset iMessage. Toggle iMessage off, wait ten seconds and turn it on again to refresh your connection to Apple’s servers.
3. Reset network settings. If the problem still remains, then go to Settings and reset Network Settings. This clears your wi fi passwords, but often repair deep laid cellular glitches.

By systematically working through these common problems and solutions, you should be able to resolve most issues and ensure your communications flow well.

Wrap up

So there you have it! From learning how to create a group chat on iPhone to how to handle notifications, you are now ready to tackle your group conversations like a pro.

By using some of the insights we have learnt, you can turn messy group texts into clean, personalized communication hubs.

Dive in, implement these steps and have a streamlined and efficient group chat experience. If you ever hit a snag, remember there are always solutions to get you back on track!

FAQs

How to create a group text on iPhone 13?

Open up Messages and select the New Message icon, enter several contacts in the To field, enter your message, and hit the Send button. If all of the users have iPhones, it turns into an iMessage group with blue bubbles and additional features.

Can you make a group chat for iPhone and Android users?

Yes. Add both iPhone and Android contacts when beginning a chat in Messages. The group uses SMS/MMS, represented by green bubbles. You can then send a message to everybody altogether, like this.

Why are my group chat messages green instead of blue?

Green bubbles would indicate that your group uses SMS/MMS instead of iMessage. This occurs when someone doesn’t use an iPhone, or iMessage is off, or your internet is down, thus messages go through the carrier network.

Can I create a group chat with more than 10 people on iPhone?

Yes, iMessages groups support up to 32 people with all members using Apple devices. However, for groups in SMS/ MMS, you are limited to about 10 people, depending on the carrier you use.