Messaging applications like WhatsApp and Telegram have gained immense popularity in recent times. The reason for their widespread use is that, in addition to regular text messaging, they offer a wide range of features, such as the ability to send/receive images, videos, documents, and more. However, many iPhone users still prefer using iMessage for their text messaging needs, including group chats. So, if you’re wondering how to add someone to a group chat in iMessage, you’ve come to the right place.
Starting a Group Chat in iMessage
Before we delve into the process of adding new members to a group chat in iMessage, let’s first understand how to start a group chat. Keep in mind that all devices participating in this group chat must be Apple devices. Android smartphone users cannot be added to an iMessage group chat, and this should be fairly obvious.
To start a group chat, follow these steps:
- Locate and open the iMessage app on your iPhone.
- Tap on the “New Message” icon in the upper-right corner.
- In the “To:” section at the top, add the contacts either by their names (if they are already in your address book) or their numbers.
- As you type, the name will be autofilled, and you can also browse through all your contacts using the ‘+’ icon on the right.
- You can add people who are already in your contacts by using their names. If they are not on your contacts list, you can add their phone number. You can also add people who are using iPads by typing their Apple ID.
- Add as many contacts as you like using the above method.
- Once you’ve added all the contacts, start typing your message in the “Message” section below, for example, “Movie @ 8 PM.”
- Finally, hit the send icon, which is the arrow button.
Now, all the members in this group chat will receive the message, regardless of their device, be it Apple or Android. For fellow Apple users, the message will be sent via iMessage, which is free of charge. However, for Android users, the message will be sent as an SMS or MMS, and standard carrier fees will apply.
Adding New Members to a Group Chat in iMessage
Now that you know how to create a group chat and send messages to all your contacts, let’s explore how to add someone to an existing group chat. However, adding new members to a group chat can be a bit tricky, depending on the devices involved.
If you’ve already created a group chat with only Apple devices, you can only add other Apple devices to that group, and not any other devices.
If your group chat includes a mix of Apple and Android devices, you cannot add anyone else to that group, even if they have an Apple device.
So, if your group chat consists of a combination of Apple and Android devices, your best option is to create a new group chat using the method mentioned earlier and include all the new contacts as well.
To add someone to a group chat, follow these steps:
- Find and open the iMessage app on your iPhone.
- Locate the group chat to which you want to add someone from the list of messages and open it.
- At the top of the group chat, you’ll see icons representing the people already in the group. Click on these icons.
- This will open the “Group Info” section, where you’ll find a number representing the total number of people in the group, along with an arrow symbol next to it. Click on this arrow.
- You’ll now see a list of all the existing contacts in the group chat.
- Just below the names, you’ll find an “Add Contact” option with a ‘+’ symbol. Click on it.
- In the “Add:” section, you can type the new contacts you want to add to this group chat. You can also browse through your contacts using the ‘+’ icon on the right.
- Depending on whether the new person you want to add to the group chat is using an Apple device or an Android device, they will be color-coded. Apple users will appear in blue, while Android users will appear in red.
- Note that you can only add Apple users to the group chat. Once you’ve selected all the additional contacts, click on “Done” in the top-right corner.
How to Remove Someone from a Group Chat?
We’ve covered how to add someone to a group chat, but what if you need to remove someone from a group chat? It may not be the nicest task, but sometimes it’s necessary.
To remove someone from a group chat, follow these steps:
- Open the iMessage app on your iPhone.
- Look for the group chat from which you want to remove contacts in the list of messages, and open the group chat.
- At the top, you’ll see icons representing the contacts in the group. Tap on these icons.
- Next, tap on the arrow next to the “number of people” in the group.
- A list of all the contacts in the group chat will appear.
- To remove someone from the group chat, swipe left on their name in the list.
- A button saying “Remove” will appear next to that contact.
- Tap on it to remove the contact from the group chat.
- You can repeat these steps for any other contacts you want to remove.
- Once you’ve finished removing all the contacts, tap on “Done” in the top-right corner.
Conclusion
While other messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram offer more advanced features, iMessage remains a preferred choice for basic text messaging among many iPhone users. Whether it’s for casual conversations with friends or office-related communication, there are situations where creating a group chat and sending a text to multiple recipients is necessary. Fortunately, iMessage allows you to easily add or remove people from group chats as needed.
In this guide, we covered how to start a group chat in iMessage, followed by instructions on how to add someone to a group chat. Lastly, we discussed how to remove someone from a group chat. So go ahead, create those group chats, and enjoy seamless communication with your contacts through iMessage.
