Send a group text message on your iPhone or iPad
Stay connected to the conversations that matter the most to you. Find out how to start a group text message with your friends, family and colleagues.
Make sure that your device has the latest version of iOS or iPadOS.
If you're using an Apple device that's not an iPhone, make sure that you're signed in to iMessage with your Apple ID.
Types of group text message
The Messages app automatically chooses the type of message to send based on settings, network connection and service provider plan. For example:
If all of the recipients are using Apple devices and iMessage is turned on, then the group message is sent as an iMessage.
If any of the recipients aren’t using iMessage, the message will be sent as an MMS or SMS message.
Group iMessage
These messages appear in blue text bubbles. They go through Apple instead of your service provider, and are protected by end-to-end encryption. In a group iMessage, everyone can:
Send and receive photos, videos and audio messages
See all responses from the group
Send and receive message effects, such as sketches, animations, bubble effects and more
Share their location with the group
Give the group a name, add or remove people from the group, mute notifications or leave the group
Group MMS
These messages appear in green text bubbles and go through your carrier instead of Apple. In a group MMS, everyone can:
Send and receive photos and videos
See all responses from the group
Mute notifications
In a group MMS in iOS 17 or later, iMessage users can:
Send tapbacks
Use Messages effects
Edit messages
Reply to specific messages
Group SMS
These messages also appear in green text bubbles and go through your carrier. Group SMS messages don’t support multimedia attachments, like photos or videos. All responses in a group SMS are sent as individual text messages and the recipients can’t see the other responses from the group.
Find out how to forward SMS/MMS text messages across your devices, like from an iPad to a Mac.
Send a group text message
Open Messages and tap the Compose button
.Enter the names or tap the Add button
to add people from your contacts.Type your message, then tap the Send button
.
To send a group MMS message on an iPhone, turn on MMS Messaging. Go to Settings > Messages and turn on MMS Messaging. If you can’t see an option to turn on MMS Messaging, contact your service provider to see if your plan supports Group MMS Messaging.
With iOS 15, iPadOS 15 or later, photos, links and other content that is sent within the group message will appear in the Shared with You section of the corresponding content apps. If you don’t want to see the photos and other content in Shared with You, go to the group message, tap the group members at the top of the thread, then turn off Show in Shared with You.
Delete and block MMS group spam messages
In iOS 17 and later, you can delete and block an entire group MMS message. If you receive new messages in a group MMS message that you’ve blocked, an unread messages count will appear next to Recently Deleted on your list of filters.
To delete and block an MMS group message:
In an MMS group conversation, tap the group name or number of participants at the top to open the detailed view.
Tap Delete and Block this Conversation.
Do more with Messages
Learn how to leave a group message, or add or remove someone from a group.
