How to Disable Group Messaging on an iPhone

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The iPhone/iPad Messages app's group messaging feature allows you to chat with more than one person in a single conversation. This is great for groups of friends to keep in touch without flooding each other's inboxes with individual messages, but it does have its drawbacks—when you send a message to multiple people at once on your iPhone or iPad, the message is automatically sent as a group message, allowing everyone else to see and respond to all recipients. If you'd rather send a text message to multiple people without starting a group conversation, you can disable group messaging. This wikiHow teaches you how to turn off the group messaging feature on your iPhone or iPad.

Steps

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    The icon looks like a set of grey gears and is located on the home screen. If you don't see it there, it'll be in a folder called "Utilities" in your App Library.
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    It is in the fifth group of options of the menu.
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    You'll find this switch in the "SMS/MMS" section. When you turn this feature off, you will no longer be able to participate in group texting conversations.
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  • Question
    What happens if I turn off group messaging on my iPhone?
    Gonzalo Martinez
    Computer & Phone Repair Specialist
    Gonzalo Martinez is the President of CleverTech, a tech repair business in San Jose, California founded in 2014. CleverTech LLC specializes in repairing Apple products. CleverTech pursues environmental responsibility by recycling aluminum, display assemblies, and the micro components on motherboards to reuse for future repairs. On average, they save 2 lbs - 3 lbs more electronic waste daily than the average computer repair store.
    Gonzalo Martinez
    Computer & Phone Repair Specialist
    Expert Answer
    You won't be able to send or receive group messages at all if you disable the feature.
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      Tips

      • If you're a member of a group message and want to leave the conversation, tap the group icons at the top of the message, select info , and then tap Leave this Conversation . [1] Or, if you want to take less drastic measures, you can tap the switch next to "Hide Alerts" to stay in the conversation but not be bothered by notifications.
        Thanks
      • If you want to send a mass text message but don't want recipients to "reply to all," disable group messaging before sending the message.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209430

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open Settings .
      2. Tap Messages .
      3. Toggle off "Group Messaging."

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