Uh oh. It happened again. Aunt Marie put your entire family into a group message where she sends you pictures of birds in her backyard. And try as you might – it seems like there’s no way to get out of this group chat and into some peace of mind.

Group messaging is a great way to communicate with multiple people at once, and it has only grown in popularity since its fruition. But if you’re in a chat you don’t want to be, it can be frustrating to keep getting those notifications. 

Is there a way to leave a group message? Why can’t you, and are there any workarounds to feel less bogged down by them? Here’s everything you need to know.

Can You Leave a Group Text?

There’s no one answer to this question. The reason is that if you have an iPhone, you might be able to leave your group conversation.

There are two types of text messages in the messaging app on iOS devices: iMessage and SMS groups. You can tell the difference between the two by the color of the speech bubbles. If everyone in a group uses an Apple device, the bubbles will appear blue. This is an iMessage group.

But if even one person in the group uses Android, Windows, or another device, those bubbles will appear green. This is an SMS, or short message service, chat.

If you’re in an iMessage group, you can leave your group chat whenever you want. However, there is no option to leave a group chat when you’re in an SMS group.

You can’t leave an SMS chat because these use your carrier’s network, so you can’t just unsubscribe from a group message as long as someone has your number. Since iMessage uses the internet, you can have the option to leave a chat much more easily.

How Do You Leave a Group Message on an iPhone?

If you’re ready to ditch a group chat, here’s what you’ll do:

1. Open the group chat.
2. Tap the group icon or name at the top of your screen.
3. Tap the blue info button. It looks like a circle with the letter “i” inside.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and then click “Leave this conversation.”

This will allow the rest of the participants to continue using the chat, but you will no longer be a part of it. This is a preferred method, as it doesn’t involve altogether ending the group chat.

Again, you can only leave a group chat on an iPhone if everyone in the chat is using an Apple device. So hopefully, Aunt Marie is at least using her iPad to keep in touch with your family.

Note that the group also needs to have at least three additional participants for you to have the option to leave. If you can’t leave, you still have some options.

What To Do If You Can’t Leave a Group Chat

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Open the group chat.
2. Tap the group icon or name at the top of your screen.
3. Click the blue info button.
4. Scroll down and toggle the switch on where it says “Hide Alerts.”

This will prevent you from getting notified whenever a new message is sent to the group. While the chat stays inside your iMessage inbox, you won’t be bogged down. Plus, if you ever want to peek at what people are saying, you can freely go back into the chat whenever you want.

If you’re a part of an SMS chat that you just don’t want to be involved with, there is still a way for you to use a workaround to avoid getting nonstop notifications. 

How Do You Leave a Group Text on an Android?

To mute notifications on your Androidgroup message, here’s what you’ll do:

1. Open the messaging app and choose the group message you want to mute.
2. Tap the menu button with three dots and click “Group Details.”
3. Scroll down to “Allow Notifications” and toggle the switch to off.

Again, this won’t remove you from the group text itself, but it will prevent you from getting notifications. You can still access the group from your messaging app if you want to go back in.

Unfortunately for Android users, there’s no way to leave a group text like you can on an iPhone. However, that doesn’t mean you need to be completely inundated by notifications from a group you don’t want to be included in.

How to Block a Group Message

If you don’t even want to look at a group message conversation in your inbox, then blocking the group chat is another option.

There’s no way to block an entire group text on your iPhone or Android, though you can block specific senders through your message settings. Just click on their contact or phone number, then scroll down to where it says “Block this Caller.”

You can do the same on Android by opening your SMS app and finding the group text you want to leave. On most Androids, just long-press on the message and then choose the sender you want to block.

In most cases, blocking a single sender from a group message should remove the entire group message from your inbox. However, if it doesn’t work, try deleting the conversation within the SMS or iMessage app to prevent it from popping up again.

How To Prevent Spam Messages

These same tools can be used to mute group conversations, but they can also be used to stop a spam texter from inundating your messaging inbox. 

If you get calls or texts from someone you don’t know, be sure to block their number, so they stop bothering you. You can even report them to the Do Not Call Registry to try to help other people avoid the same frustration.

Additionally, avoid giving out your number to people you don’t know to avoid being thrown into unwanted group chats. This is especially important for your small business.

Getting a business number through Dialed is a great way to separate work and life while also ensuring your phone number stays safe. With Dialed, you’ll choose a phone number with an area code matching your business’s location. 

Then, you can freely communicate with customers without worrying about being bogged down by spam.

Conclusion

Group messages make it easy and convenient to reach out to multiple people at one time. However, when you don’t want to be a part of the conversation, it can feel more frustrating than anything.

You can leave a group message if everyone in your conversation is using an Apple device, but if even just one person in the group has an Android or non-apple device, you’ll need to mute the conversation instead.

Either way, you can avoid frustrating message conversations by making sure you only give your personal number to people who you want to hear from in the first place.

Download Dialed now to better control the messages you’re receiving.

Sources:

US group chat usage frequency by age 2017 l Statista

Stop Unwanted Robocalls and Texts | Federal Communications Commission

Report Unwanted Calls | Do Not Call