[Q] Hangouts Group MMS not working on T Mobile - Nexus 6 Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

I have a T Mobile Nexus 6. I've been using Textra for SMS and Hangouts for, well, hangouts. Now that Textra wants me to pay or else they'll start showing me ads, I want to use Hangouts exclusively. When I set Hangouts as my default SMS app, everything merges correctly. I have a group text thread that when I send a message to, it shows up as sending 8 times, once to each recipient. However, when I receive replies, they come in separately, making it impossible to follow the thread of the conversation.
Any ideas?

i use the google messanger app for texting, im on tmobile, and group texts work fine.

Make sure under the sms settings in hangouts that group messages are being sent as MMS. I believe this is turned off by default.

dungbeetle said:
I have a T Mobile Nexus 6. I've been using Textra for SMS and Hangouts for, well, hangouts. Now that Textra wants me to pay or else they'll start showing me ads, I want to use Hangouts exclusively. When I set Hangouts as my default SMS app, everything merges correctly. I have a group text thread that when I send a message to, it shows up as sending 8 times, once to each recipient. However, when I receive replies, they come in separately, making it impossible to follow the thread of the conversation.
Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In hangouts settings, under SMS>advanced, do you have "Group messaging" box ticked? Also, "Enable merged conversations"?

I don't have a "Group Messaging" box. Here's a screenshot. http://i.imgur.com/x5cr5ka.png
I've double-checked my APN settings, I feel like I may be missing something very obvious, as I know I used to use group messaging with Hangouts with no problem, before I started using textra.

dungbeetle said:
I don't have a "Group Messaging" box. Here's a screenshot. http://i.imgur.com/x5cr5ka.png
I've double-checked my APN settings, I feel like I may be missing something very obvious, as I know I used to use group messaging with Hangouts with no problem, before I started using textra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, I think I figured it out. For some reason, my phone couldn't read my phone number from the sim card. If i went into my phone settings, under "my number" it said "unknown". I called Tmobile, they sent an update to my phone. Rebooted, went into settings, my number was there, and when I went back to my Hangouts settings, the "group mms" setting was now there, checked, and I think that'll do the trick.

Related

Texting that uses the data plan?

Is there an texting app that uses the data plan instead of text plan? I currently only have 200 txts per month and don't want to go over it. I believe iPhone has that type of app and hopefully Android would have one too.
i believe google voice does this
systoxity said:
i believe google voice does this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can confirm from personal experience -- just make sure you turn off SMS alerts in GV settings. In other words, the app on your phone checks for SMS but GV doesn't send a real SMS to your phone.
I don't know if this is still true, but almost every carrier allows txtx from emails.
Example everyone on att has an email address that it [email protected]
If you email them at this address (it will use your data plan), and they will receive it as a txt.
Not sure if ATT changed this you might want to verify that this will go over data.
Bjd223 said:
I don't know if this is still true, but almost every carrier allows txtx from emails.
Example everyone on att has an email address that it [email protected]
If you email them at this address (it will use your data plan), and they will receive it as a txt.
Not sure if ATT changed this you might want to verify that this will go over data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That does work, but if that person receives your txt and replies back, I think it comes back to your phone as a SMS. So you still use one SMS.
Try Google Voice. You can send SMS from it and when they reply back it goes to your Google Voice number in lieu of your real cell phone number. That way it comes in to the Google Voice app. But just as someone else recommended, make sure you turn off SMS notifications, otherwise every time you get a voicemail or txt message google will send you an SMS message to notify you.
or use google talk, its quicker, and they have a BB/Android/iOS client... AND its already installed on your phone.
I just tried TALK last night, and I have Google Voice. I can get messages, but and reply to them.
But I can't figure out how to send a text to someone in my address book whom I have not received a text from yet. The only people who show up in the contacts list for TALK are people who have Google IM set up in email, and that is very few.
Any tips?
ewingr said:
I just tried TALK last night, and I have Google Voice. I can get messages, but and reply to them.
But I can't figure out how to send a text to someone in my address book whom I have not received a text from yet. The only people who show up in the contacts list for TALK are people who have Google IM set up in email, and that is very few.
Any tips?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
When I go into my regular contact list and tap Send Message I get the option to choose Messaging, Handcent or Google Voice to send the message with. What happens if you just tap send message on a contact?
Edit: Oh you said Google Talk. I didn't know you could send text messages using talk. Nevermind then! But you can use Google Voice. Additionally you can set Google Voice notification to e-mail instead of SMS so you'll be e-mailed when you get a new SMS.
That is interesting. It does NOT come up and ask me how to send it. It just tries to send it.
Now, here is something maybe: I did not ever see any insructions that I need to install Google Voice on my phone. I just now went to the market and searched for it, and am installing right now. (Google seems to me to be horrible about providing documentation/instructions).
....
Ok, it is installed. I just went to contacts, selected send message, and it is the same.
Another thing...I have seen demos that if you swipe a contact to the left it goes into message, and to the right it calls. It calls no matter how I swipe.
Another note: I do not have SMS messaging with AT&T, and in fact I have it turned off, because I don't want people sending me SMS that I get billed for. I wonder if that could have anything to do with this.
By the way, I had been told I needed Google Talk to get the TEXTs that others send me. But...that was when I was on a WinMo phone. Maybe I don't need Google Talk. Maybe I just need to figure out how to get Google Voice working on this phone. Alathough I will say that the text message I did get from a friend I'm trying to test with came in via Google Talk.
Got it working. The install of voice on my phone helped
brandonb81 said:
When I go into my regular contact list and tap Send Message I get the option to choose Messaging, Handcent or Google Voice to send the message with. What happens if you just tap send message on a contact?
Edit: Oh you said Google Talk. I didn't know you could send text messages using talk. Nevermind then! But you can use Google Voice. Additionally you can set Google Voice notification to e-mail instead of SMS so you'll be e-mailed when you get a new SMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm pretty sure Google Talk is more like a chat IM service than a text messaging service. The person you are wanting to chat with has to have the client installed on their phone as well.
I think Google Voice is the best option for free text messages. You can get a free new phone number, then you just open Google Voice and text away. Anybody who replies to your SMS, their txt will come into Google Voice for free. You can send and receive free text messages all day long.
Not paying AT&T for a texting plan is definitely going to be nice! Thanks for the info.
derek4484 said:
That does work, but if that person receives your txt and replies back, I think it comes back to your phone as a SMS. So you still use one SMS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It will come back to you as an e-mail if you send it that way. I've texted my mom a few times this way and the reply shows up as an e-mail.
Google voice is open now. You'll have a new #, but free texts over data. Very good push integration too.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
Yep Google talk is the way to go!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using XDA App
derek4484 said:
That does work, but if that person receives your txt and replies back, I think it comes back to your phone as a SMS. So you still use one SMS.
Try Google Voice. You can send SMS from it and when they reply back it goes to your Google Voice number in lieu of your real cell phone number. That way it comes in to the Google Voice app. But just as someone else recommended, make sure you turn off SMS notifications, otherwise every time you get a voicemail or txt message google will send you an SMS message to notify you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Email method works. When the person replies, it would come to email, not as text... I used this method over an year, before I switched to google voice recently.
Ping chat works great
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897

still getting charged for messaging with handcent?

so i downloaded "Handcent" text messaging and it works fine... other then getting double notification i had a question:::::
since i get double notification it obviously means the Stock SMS still gets text messages from people i send messages to from handcent... do i get charged towards my texting plan on the stock sms? or not?.... if i am, would a solution be to rename the stock sms file with .old in the end of it so its gone? will i still get charged towards my plan?
Handcent uses the same SMS system app so there's no extra charge for texting via it.
To solve the double notification, just go open the default messaging app, hit menu -> settings -> uncheck Notifications.
Now you should only get notifications via Handcent.
NKT said:
Handcent uses the same SMS system app so there's no extra charge for texting via it.
To solve the double notification, just go open the default messaging app, hit menu -> settings -> uncheck Notifications.
Now you should only get notifications via Handcent.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
my concern is that im still getting messages to my stock sms... doesnt matter?
im not getting cahrged?
Frenzifun said:
my concern is that im still getting messages to my stock sms... doesnt matter?
im not getting cahrged?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Technically, yes. The stock sms program still gets the texts. But all it really is doing is accessing the same system SMS program as Handcent.
They're both just front ends for interacting with the SMS program.
You don't get charged "extra" for using Handcent versus the stock messaging app.
I've been using Handcent from day one and there's no extra charge and all my messages show up in both apps. I just never open the stock app.
Handcent doesn't bypass SMS charges by using data. It's just another app that does what the stock SMS app does, just a bit more prettily.
For free SMS you need Google Voice. But note you have to use the Google Voice phone number as inbound/outbound. Also, there's no api for sending messages through Google Voice so you can't use any frontend app besides Voice itself.
Sent from my Fascinate using XDA
s44 said:
Handcent doesn't bypass SMS charges by using data. It's just another app that does what the stock SMS app does, just a bit more prettily.
For free SMS you need Google Voice. But note you have to use the Google Voice phone number as inbound/outbound. Also, there's no api for sending messages through Google Voice so you can't use any frontend app besides Voice itself.
Sent from my Fascinate using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thereee is my answer, awesome, thank you... so its still used as one of my text messages on my 500 plan.
so in that case theres no point in it for me...
now how do i do this google voice thing... i have an account with google voice with my gmail account... how does this free texting take place?
Frenzifun said:
thereee is my answer, awesome, thank you... so its still used as one of my text messages on my 500 plan.
so in that case theres no point in it for me...
now how do i do this google voice thing... i have an account with google voice with my gmail account... how does this free texting take place?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahhh, I see now. Yes, any texting from your phone's number is charged to your texting plan.
To use SMS through Google Voice, just give people your GV number and have them use that to text you. It will not be charged to your plan text bucket.
First install the GV app if you haven't...
Then, as the previous guy said, just have people text the GV number. For outbound texts you can either fire up the GV app and select "Compose" from the menu/respond to a text someone's already sent your GV, or go to Contacts and use "Send Message" for a contact (the first time you do this the app choice menu should pop up -- you can set GV as the default for future uses).
Make sure Google Voice isn't set to forward the text messages from your Google Voice number to your cell phone number or you will be charged for the text sent from Google Voice to your Cell number.
Whatsapp
my application solution for texts etc.
tango
video chat for android =]

[Possible Fix] SMS sending issues

Hi guys,
I have been experiencing failed SMS sending using Google hangouts after multiple SMS sends. However, I was still able to receive SMS and use my data. I called Google but all they said to do was restart the phone, remove Sim card from phone or factory reset.
I tried restarting my phone and removing the Sim card but no luck.
What I did to fix this issue was go to settings, under wireless and networks, select more, then mobile networks, then network operators, then select automatically.
This seems to have worked.
I just changed the default SMS app. Go SMS, works perfectly fine. I think the integration with hangouts is stupid.
Prime said:
I just changed the default SMS app. Go SMS, works perfectly fine. I think the integration with hangouts is stupid.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed! I use Textra.
Everythings been working flawlessly for me
Waiting4MyAndroid said:
Agreed! I use Textra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are all the other apps working as well? I want Sliding Messaging Pro, but I'm not sure it has been updated to support Kitkat yet...
Looking into Textra.
Prime said:
I want Sliding Messaging Pro, but I'm not sure it has been updated to support Kitkat yet...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Sliding Messaging Pro. Works fine, as near as I can tell. To be honest, I haven't really put it through the wringer, but it definitely sends and receives, notifies, etc.
JJMT said:
I'm using Sliding Messaging Pro. Works fine, as near as I can tell. To be honest, I haven't really put it through the wringer, but it definitely sends and receives, notifies, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good to know, didnt want to spend the moola on it and not have it work properly.
My reply may be meaningless, but I remember when I had my Gnex, certain messages like MMS would not work. It wasn't until I changed my phone to a Galaxy S2* on my account that I was able to get messaging working. I read somewhere, my phone needed certain information (APN stuff) for MMS. Will it work for this? Probably not and this post is probably stupid.
*T-mobile didn't have the Gnex in the list so I chose the closest model to mine
This sucks I'm still having the issue. Anyone else having the same problem? I am on Rogers.
Waiting4MyAndroid said:
Agreed! I use Textra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO hangouts is terrible, its not even close to iMessage. Sad but true.
-A-P-M- said:
IMO hangouts is terrible, its not even close to iMessage. Sad but true.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Whats terrible about it? Has worked perfect for me and many of my friends since day 1 that we all got out N5's. Sure its not as polished as it probably will be but that doesn't make it "terrible"??
Anyone else on rogers or fido having this issue where after sending or receiving multiple SMS, the phone then goes on emergency call mode?
sluflyer06 said:
Whats terrible about it? Has worked perfect for me and many of my friends since day 1 that we all got out N5's. Sure its not as polished as it probably will be but that doesn't make it "terrible"??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iMessage works between phone numbers and Apple account (email). You don't need any registrations and it will automaticly detect if recipient can receive iMessage (based on phone number) - if not, it will send SMS.
If you want to use hangouts, you must register to Google+ and you must know recipient's gmail address, because it can't detect based on phone number etc. From my contacts, only 5 - 10% uses Hangouts. For reference, 90% my contacts uses Viber and about 70% uses Whatapp. Both Viber and Whatsapp are miles ahead of Hangouts IMO.
And another thing: I made mistake and hid my GF from "People you hangout with" list and now Im unable to unhide her. Now I can't see if she is online and if I can send her message via Hangouts. For that reason, I send her only SMS.
Just look how many Apple users uses iMessage and how many Android users uses Hangouts.
-A-P-M- said:
iMessage works between phone numbers and Apple account (email). You don't need any registrations and it will automaticly detect if recipient can receive iMessage (based on phone number) - if not, it will send SMS.
If you want to use hangouts, you must register to Google+ and you must know recipient's gmail address, because it can't detect based on phone number etc. From my contacts, only 5 - 10% uses Hangouts. For reference, 90% my contacts uses Viber and about 70% uses Whatapp. Both Viber and Whatsapp are miles ahead of Hangouts IMO.
And another thing: I made mistake and hid my GF from "People you hangout with" list and now Im unable to unhide her. Now I can't see if she is online and if I can send her message via Hangouts. For that reason, I send her only SMS.
Just look how many Apple users uses iMessage and how many Android users uses Hangouts.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That may be why they combined them. To make more than 5 percent of your contacts use it. I'm only guessing.
As for the original poster, hangouts had been working fine for me. Then again I'm on tmobile and not Rogers.
Sent from my Nexus 5

SMS and MMS issues with BLU Vivo XL on metroPCS

Hello,
I am using a BLU Vivo XL with metroPCS service and I am having a two MMS issues: 1) Every MMS is duplicated, and 2) MMS service is very unreliable over WiFi. Also, I have 1 sms issue where my messages from some contacts do not thread/aggreagate correctly. For example, I send a sms to ContactA and when they respond, it is in a new thread, I can then continue the conversation in that new thread.
I have updated my APN information to the t-mobile settings. I have had a "phone reset" by a metroPCS CSR over chat. Any ideas on how to rectify these issues?
Similar Problem
I have a similar problem on AT&T. I get duplicate group messages while using google messenger. It only happens with group messages and is fine with normal MMS. Sorry I was unable to help, but you are not alone.
nofunsally said:
Hello,
I am using a BLU Vivo XL with metroPCS service and I am having a two MMS issues: 1) Every MMS is duplicated, and 2) MMS service is very unreliable over WiFi. Also, I have 1 sms issue where my messages from some contacts do not thread/aggreagate correctly. For example, I send a sms to ContactA and when they respond, it is in a new thread, I can then continue the conversation in that new thread.
I have updated my APN information to the t-mobile settings. I have had a "phone reset" by a metroPCS CSR over chat. Any ideas on how to rectify these issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm trying to use my BLU Vivo XL with Chomp Messenger (AT&T). It seems to work other than it won't play any notification sounds no matter which one I choose. It's not blinking the message led either.
I was having the same issue on T-Mobile, my solution was to go through each contact and make sure there were no spaces in any contact numbers. Example: 1 (123) 456-7890 would give me problems, but 1(123)456-7890 worked just fine.
nofunsally said:
Hello,
I am using a BLU Vivo XL with metroPCS service and I am having a two MMS issues: 1) Every MMS is duplicated, and 2) MMS service is very unreliable over WiFi. Also, I have 1 sms issue where my messages from some contacts do not thread/aggreagate correctly. For example, I send a sms to ContactA and when they respond, it is in a new thread, I can then continue the conversation in that new thread.
I have updated my APN information to the t-mobile settings. I have had a "phone reset" by a metroPCS CSR over chat. Any ideas on how to rectify these issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly the same with me on AT&T. Any time someone sends me an MMS, I get 2 pictures instead of just one. Crazy. I also get the issue where I send a SMS, and then when they reply, it starts a new thread instead of appearing in the one I just sent. Weird. Let me know if you figure this out.
I seem to have found the CAUSE of this problem, but I have yet to find a solution. I had the same problem as the OP when receiving MMS. Instead of getting one picture, I would always get 2. No matter who was sending to me. Also, as the OP stated, "messages from some contacts do not thread/aggreagate correctly. For example, I send a sms to ContactA and when they respond, it is in a new thread, I can then continue the conversation in that new thread."
I remembered that when I got this phone, I replaced the stock messaging app with Google Messenger (I thought the stock messenger was lacking). I had a hunch that the 2 messaging apps were somehow conflicting with each other. So I deleted google messenger and had my daughter send me a picture. Boom. Problem fixed. I received only one picture from her using the stock messenger app. So I re-installed the Google Messenger app from the play store and had her send me the same picture again. This time, I received TWO pictures. I have no idea how to fix this behavior as you cannot "disable" the stock messenger app. I probably could try a different messenger app other than Google Messenger, but that's the one that I like. Anyone have any ideas?
EDIT: I deleted Google Messenger and tried a different messenger just to test, and it worked as it should. So it must me some kind of incompatibility with Google Messenger, and I'm guessing other messenger apps.
xphyle1971 said:
I seem to have found the CAUSE of this problem, but I have yet to find a solution. I had the same problem as the OP when receiving MMS. Instead of getting one picture, I would always get 2. No matter who was sending to me. Also, as the OP stated, "messages from some contacts do not thread/aggreagate correctly. For example, I send a sms to ContactA and when they respond, it is in a new thread, I can then continue the conversation in that new thread."
I remembered that when I got this phone, I replaced the stock messaging app with Google Messenger (I thought the stock messenger was lacking). I had a hunch that the 2 messaging apps were somehow conflicting with each other. So I deleted google messenger and had my daughter send me a picture. Boom. Problem fixed. I received only one picture from her using the stock messenger app. So I re-installed the Google Messenger app from the play store and had her send me the same picture again. This time, I received TWO pictures. I have no idea how to fix this behavior as you cannot "disable" the stock messenger app. I probably could try a different messenger app other than Google Messenger, but that's the one that I like. Anyone have any ideas?
EDIT: I deleted Google Messenger and tried a different messenger just to test, and it worked as it should. So it must me some kind of incompatibility with Google Messenger, and I'm guessing other messenger apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yup, there appears to be a non-stock messenger app problem. Both Google Messenger and Textra were resulting in duplicate MMS.
I saw this thread and thought I would jump on here real quick. My GF also has metro PCS and she keeps trying to swap the default messaging client out with say GO SMS pro. And whenever she gets a new text she doesnt get any audible notifications. And the LED doesnt light up so she has to manually check her phone all the time. Has anyone else experienced that? Have a fix?
cas8180 said:
I saw this thread and thought I would jump on here real quick. My GF also has metro PCS and she keeps trying to swap the default messaging client out with say GO SMS pro. And whenever she gets a new text she doesnt get any audible notifications. And the LED doesnt light up so she has to manually check her phone all the time. Has anyone else experienced that? Have a fix?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Swipe down from the status bar, click the little icon on the right, select GO SMS pro, toggle the Set to important notice.
Phone type: Blu Life One X on Android 5.1 (whatever happened to Blu promises for a droid version update? Word of caution: Don't believe Blue marketing 'promises'. Nice phone, but don't buy it unless its the OS you are willing to live with until your next phone)
Ever since google began sending love notes about its texting app becoming obsolete and I began using a different texting app (forget which one), I started having problems with duplicate messages being received. Last night I installed Textra and thought the problem was finally gone. Today while looking at the same texts received during testing last night, I suddenly have duplicate texts from last night for some messages (they were single copies last night). Really bizarre. I have also noticed that with Textra, the double text replies seem to now be only with my group texts.
Reading various threads, I became suspicious that maybe something in the Google contact phone numbers has become corrupted. Sure enough, some of the group contact phone numbers could no longer be easily edited. I messed around with the suspect contact information until I could edit the phone number to its simplest form (from +1 (123) 345-7890 changed to 123-456-7890). Seems to be working now. Will need another day to see if the texting acts up once again.
Now to figure out what is corrupting my Google contact information...
it's the 6.0 marshmallow update ..my Blu Vivo was just fine until i updated my phone i suggest you factory reset your phone.

Question Can't send or receive MMS messages

Since a system software update that occurred in early May, I cannot send MMS messages from any texting app EXCEPT the built in Samsung Messages app. I was using the Google Messages app but have been forced to switch to the Samsung one. Also tested with Textra and it doesn't work either. Tried all the standard troubleshooting: reboot, reset network settings, double checked APN settings) but no success. I CAN send SMS messages from any texting app. Just not MMS
That would indicate there is an issue with Google Messages then. The data settings for sending MMS but be correct as the Samsung app works and they share the mobile settings.
You could try uninstalling and reinstalling the Google messages app to reset it and make sure the RCS rich chat feature is then turned off.
lywyn said:
That would indicate there is an issue with Google Messages then. The data settings for sending MMS but be correct as the Samsung app works and they share the mobile settings.
You could try uninstalling and reinstalling the Google messages app to reset it and make sure the RCS rich chat feature is then turned off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I mentioned, I this issue affects the Textra messaging app as well, and I would expect it to affect any other texting app besides Samsung Messages. I have of course tried uninstalling and reinstalling Google Messages but the issue persists.
my suggest, send your log file to samsung with repeating the issue (sending MMS) before, maybe send it via email to them.

Categories

Resources