How to Create a Group Text on Android Phones?

You want to text five people at once. Maybe it's the family WhatsApp alternative, or maybe for coordinating a trip. Or maybe you just need everyone to know dinner is at 7. It's not hard to send a text to different people at once.

You can create a group text on Android. And trust me, it's very simple. In this guide, I will discuss how to create a group text on your Android phone and discuss some group text features.

Quick Thing You Should Know

Well, group text and group chat on Android are different. It's not a huge difference, but it still matters.

Group text uses the mobile network to operate. Everyone can see everyone's replies in one shared thread. It's generally available on every Android phone.

Group chat is generally available on a few devices. Read receipts, typing bubbles, better photo quality. It works great, but only when everyone in the group has RCS switched on.

Creating a Group Text in Google Messages

Most Android phones use Google Messages these days. Pixel phones, Motorola, and newer Samsung Galaxy phones have this app. Here are the steps to create a group text on Google Messages.

• Open the Messaging app.
• Tap the pencil icon on the bottom right corner.
• Click the create group button near the top of the screen.
• Start typing names, and the contacts will appear as you type.
• Tap each one to add it. Keep going until everyone's in.
• You can add up to 20 people to the group text.
• Hit the next step, now you can name the group according to your occasion, such as "Weekend trip" or "The good family group" or whatever.
• Now you can write the message and send it. Everyone gets it at the same time. Any replies land in the same shared thread for the whole group to see.

Newer Galaxy phones, S23, S24, that era have Google Messages. If you have it, just follow the steps above.

Creating a Group Text on Samsung

Samsung is slightly different from other Android devices. You can say it's a little more annoying.

The older Samsung has two steps for the Samsung Messages.

• Open your Contacts first, not Messages.
• Tap the three horizontal lines and click Groups.
• Tap Create Group, name it, add members, and tap Done to save.

The second step includes:

• Now open Samsung Messages.
• Tap the compose icon.
• In the recipient box, tap the plus icon, choose Groups.
• Select the group you saved, tap All, then Done.

Once your group is saved in Contacts, you can reuse it without rebuilding it every time, which is handy. In Samsung Messages, when someone replies to your group text, that reply comes back to you only. The other people in the group don't see it.

Why Group Texts Aren't Sending?

Group text not sending, it happens to everyone at some point. Messages just don't go through as a group, or they arrive as individual texts. It may happen due to the following reasons.

MMS Isn't Enabled

In Google Messages:

• Go to your profile icon and open the Messages Settings.
• Move to Advanced and then to Group Messaging.
• Make sure it says Group MMS. Not mass text. Group MMS.

Mobile Data Is Off

MMS needs it even on Wi-Fi. This trips people up constantly. You're connected to your home network, assume everything works, but MMS quietly fails because mobile data is toggled off. If you're traveling internationally and facing this issue, an eSIM data plan keeps your mobile data active without relying on roaming. You can read more about what is data roaming and why it affects MMS delivery.

Adding Someone Who Got Left Out

In Google Messages, you can add someone to the group who was left out.

• Open the group, click the group name at the top.
• Tap Add people, find the contact, add them, and done.

In Samsung Messages, you can follow these steps.

• Open the chat, tap the name at the top.
• Click Add/remove recipients, select them, and you're done.

If you add someone without RCS to an RCS group, the whole conversation converts to MMS. Slightly annoying.

Leaving or Muting a Group

Muting is the most underrated feature.

• Open the conversation and tap the three-dot menu.
• Click Mute notifications.
• Set it for an hour, a day, or just permanently.

Messages still arrive, and you will just stop getting buzzed.

To leave the group text on Google Messages, you can follow these steps.

• Click the group name and scroll down.
• Look for the Leave group and tap it. Now you are out.

Samsung Messages SMS groups don't actually have a proper Leave option. You can only delete the conversation from your end, but the group keeps going.

Using eSIM for Data Connection

You will require the data connection for RCS. They run over mobile data, the same as WhatsApp and other internet-based apps.

Standard MMS group texts are the problem. MMS routes through your home carrier, not your data plan. So if you're travelling abroad on an eSIM and someone adds you to an MMS group thread, it might not go through because MMS needs your actual carrier connection. To understand this better, our guide on how to receive an SMS on eSIM explains exactly how carrier messaging works with eSIM profiles.

To use an eSIM and a physical SIM card, use a dual SIM device. Keep your home SIM active for calls and carrier services, use eSIM for data. If you are unsure whether your Android device supports eSIM, check our guide on how to install eSIM on Android before getting started.

For eSIM data connection, Yaalo is an ideal option. It is the global eSIM carrier that offers eSIM cards for 200+ countries. Each plan costs a few dollars with instant connection assurance. Browse Yaalo's eSIM plans and find the right one for your next trip.

Conclusion

Group texting on Android is fine once you know the two or three things that actually matter. Which app you're on, whether MMS is enabled, and what the 20-person limit means for larger groups.

The Create group button, the MMS setting, and the Samsung two-step process, once you've done it once, it's just muscle memory.

FAQs

Why are replies in my Samsung group text only coming to me?

It's because Samsung Messages SMS groups work like a broadcast. The replies come back to you only. The other people in the group don't see each other's responses.

Can I make a group text without Wi-Fi?

Yes, MMS group texts run over your carrier network. It doesn't require the internet. MMS needs that carrier pathway to work.

How many people can I add to a group text on Android?

You can add only twenty people. That's the limit for both Google Messages and Samsung Messages. WhatsApp or Telegram is a better platform for bigger groups.