Start a group text by adding multiple contacts at once

Open the Messages app and tap the pencil-and-paper icon in the top-left corner to create a new message. Tap the plus sign next to "To:" and select each person you want to include. You can add up to 32 people in a single group text. Once you've selected everyone, type your message and send — all recipients will see that it's a group conversation, and replies will come back to the whole group.

If you're already in a text thread with one person, you can convert it to a group by swiping left on the conversation, tapping "Edit," then "Add Contact." This turns the existing thread into a group conversation without losing the message history.

Key Takeaways

  • Create a group text by opening Messages, tapping the compose button, and selecting multiple contacts before typing your message.
  • You can add up to 32 people to a single group text on iPhone.
  • Turn off notifications for a specific group by opening the conversation, swiping up from the bottom, and toggling "Hide Alerts" on.
  • Remove yourself from a group by opening the conversation, tapping "Details," scrolling down, and selecting "Leave This Conversation."
  • Group texts work over cellular or Wi-Fi; if everyone has iMessage enabled, the conversation may appear with a blue bubble instead of green.

Mute notifications without leaving the group

If a group text is sending too many notifications, you don't have to leave it. Open the conversation, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to reveal the menu, and toggle "Hide Alerts" on. The messages will still arrive in your inbox, but you won't get notifications for new replies. You can turn alerts back on the same way.

Alternatively, you can customize notifications for that specific group. Tap "Details" at the top right of the conversation, then tap "Info" and scroll to "Notifications." Choose "Alerts" to get notifications again, or leave it on "Mute" to keep them off.

Add or remove people from an existing group

Open the group conversation and tap "Details" in the top-right corner. Tap "Add Contact" to bring in new members, or tap the minus sign next to someone's name to remove them. Changes take effect immediately, and all group members will see who was added or removed.

If you remove someone from a group, they will no longer receive messages sent to that conversation. If you add someone, they will only see messages sent after they were added — they won't see the full history.

Name your group to keep conversations organized

Tap "Details" at the top right of the group conversation, then tap "Enter a Group Name" and type what you want to call it. This name appears at the top of the conversation for everyone in the group. Naming groups is especially useful when you're managing multiple group texts with overlapping members.

You can also add a group photo by tapping the camera icon next to the name field. Choose an existing photo from your library or take a new one. The image will appear as the conversation's icon in your Messages list.

Leave a group text permanently

Open the group conversation, tap "Details," scroll to the bottom, and tap "Leave This Conversation." You will be removed from the group, and you won't receive any future messages sent to it. The conversation will remain in your Messages list, but it will no longer update with new replies.

Once you leave, you cannot rejoin the same group text — someone else would need to add you back. If you think you might want to stay informed, consider muting notifications instead of leaving.

Understand the difference between SMS and iMessage groups

If everyone in your group has iMessage enabled (the blue bubble), the conversation uses Apple's encrypted iMessage service. If even one person doesn't have iMessage, the entire group falls back to SMS (green bubble), which uses your cellular plan or a texting service. This affects features like read receipts, typing indicators, and message reactions.

You can check which type of group you're in by looking at the bubble color at the bottom of the screen. Blue means iMessage; green means SMS. Some features like group naming and photo customization work only in iMessage groups, not SMS groups.

Use reactions and mentions in group conversations

In iMessage groups, you can react to individual messages with an emoji. Press and hold a message, tap "Add Reaction," and choose from heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, haha, exclamation, or question mark. Everyone in the group will see your reaction next to that specific message.

You can also mention someone by typing @ followed by their name. This sends them a notification even if they have alerts muted for the group. To mention someone, start typing @ in your message, and their name will appear in a dropdown list — tap it to add the mention.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a group text to people who don't have iMessage?

Yes. If any member uses Android or doesn't have iMessage turned on, the group automatically switches to SMS. Everyone will still receive messages, but some features like reactions and read receipts won't work. The conversation will show a green bubble instead of blue.

What happens if I add someone to a group text after messages have already been sent?

The new person will only see messages sent after they were added. They won't have access to the conversation history before they joined. If you want them to see earlier messages, you can copy and paste them or take screenshots to share separately.

Can I remove someone from a group text without them knowing?

No. When you remove someone, all group members receive a notification that says "[Your Name] removed [Person's Name]." The removed person will also see that they're no longer in the conversation when they try to reply.

Why can't I name my group text?

Group naming only works in iMessage groups (blue bubbles). If your group is using SMS (green bubble), the naming feature isn't available. To enable it, all members would need to have iMessage turned on. Check Settings > Messages > iMessage to confirm it's enabled on your device.

How do I know if someone has read my group message?

In iMessage groups, you can turn on read receipts to see when people have read your message. Tap "Details," then "Info," and toggle "Send Read Receipts" on. When enabled, you'll see "Delivered" and "Read" status under your messages, along with the time each person read it.