Galaxy S2 MMS uselessness, I'm wrong?

[CLite]

Please tell me I didn't just waste $200 on a useless phone.

Since the early 2000's my phones have given me the option to "reply to all". So if I receive a message from someone and they have included multiple participants I can reply to everyone in the chain.

My new Android Galaxy S2 shows the MMS from iphones as a very strange setup. If I highlight the message I can click "message details" to see everyone who was involved in the message, but if I click on the little arrow in the top left of the message it tries to play a 5 to 10 second clip of no video or sound. I have tried everything under the sun but there is no "reply to all" option. I used to have a b-berry for work and I'm stuck on T-mobile but at least I was able to reply to all on mms's from my friends on the blackberry. If Android truly doesn't carry this function then I'm stuck going to a blackberry shit-curve. Please tell me a phone owned but 10's of millions of people isn't so shitastic when it comes to MMS's.

I have called technical support and they claim there is no "reply to all" button. They say I have to reply to the person who sent the original message and then manually add everyone else in the chain. I usually mass message with 6+ other friends living in the same town as me, so unfortunately I'm going to have to give up the awesome applications and big-screen if this phone truly has no support for mass-messaging.

Please some tech guru tell me I'm wrong and give me a hack to fix this currently utterly worthless phone.

 

[dlock13]

Well, I think honestly the only way to fix that is to install another SMS client such as the stock Android client or one from another company. I think Samsung screwed the pooch and left that out. Then again, I've never used their Galaxy S2 so I'm not even sure how it is.

I wish I could be more help.

 

[CLite]

Well I tried installing handcent and chompSMS app's and both do not appear to recognize the fact that when someone sends a MMS and includes me there is more people in the message than just me and the original sender. I've probably spent at least 4 hours googling this issue and I used to think of myself as a decently tech-savvy person. I'm hoping there is a solution that exists out there that doesn't mean I have to go back to a blackberry curve.

 

[dlock13]

Well I tried installing handcent and chompSMS app's and both do not appear to recognize the fact that when someone sends a MMS and includes me there is more people in the message than just me and the original sender. I've probably spent at least 4 hours googling this issue and I used to think of myself as a decently tech-savvy person. I'm hoping there is a solution that exists out there that doesn't mean I have to go back to a blackberry curve.

Well, how do you feel about rooting it and installing a custom stock based ROM? That will surely fix your problemo.

Also, those two apps won't really do anything since they're still reading some settings from the SMS app built in (if I'm not mistaken).

You'll definitely be able to keep the phone. Just try and find a ROM that's to your liking. If you head over to the XDA forums, there are plenty of people that can help you out there.

EDIT: Found something that might help you: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330644&highlight=mms

 

[CLite]

Well, how do you feel about rooting it and installing a custom stock based ROM? That will surely fix your problemo.

Also, those two apps won't really do anything since they're still reading some settings from the SMS app built in (if I'm not mistaken).

You'll definitely be able to keep the phone. Just try and find a ROM that's to your liking. If you head over to the XDA forums, there are plenty of people that can help you out there.

It is a work phone but I'm pretty open to a solution that let's me keep it's very nice features while letting me actually communicate with my friends.

To clarify, I can initiate a MMS to multiple recipients if I create a subject line and start the convo. If I receive a MMS with multiple people from others (both b-berry and iphone ... now confirmed....) the Galaxy S2 pretty much shits the bed.

worst comes to worst I return a worthless S2 back for a Blackberry Curve if a custom ROM doesn't work.

 

[dlock13]

It is a work phone but I'm pretty open to a solution that let's me keep it's very nice features while letting me actually communicate with my friends.

To clarify, I can initiate a MMS to multiple recipients if I create a subject line and start the convo. If I receive a MMS with multiple people from others (both b-berry and iphone ... now confirmed....) the Galaxy S2 pretty much shits the bed.

worst comes to worst I return a worthless S2 back for a Blackberry Curve if a custom ROM doesn't work.

Custom ROMs definitely will work. It's the fact that I think A) it's not updated to support that B) Sammy didn't allow that feature to go through C) I just don't know.

I recall hating how the group MMS worked on another Android device of mine. It definitely didn't function like BB or iPhone that's for certain. I think I could reply to the group message, but if they reply to that message, it comes in as a separate person. Like.. Group X (includes A, B, C) receives message. I send message to Group X. I receive 3 separate messages from A, B, and C.

Android is a finicky OS. I recommend looking through a bunch of posts over at XDA and find a ROM to your liking.

 

[CLite]

developers.com/showthread.php?t=1330644&highlight=mms[/url]

Well I followed the bottom post in that thread "Android Issue 24468" to this thread http://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=24468 which severely depressed me.

I will try to hunt down a ROM that may help me. However, ultimately I might be forced to go to a 5 year old phone (B-berry curve) which has infinitely better functionality than this Galaxy S2 if Android really fucked up so badly on group messages.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Custom ROMs definitely will work. It's the fact that I think A) it's not updated to support that B) Sammy didn't allow that feature to go through C) I just don't know.

I recall hating how the group MMS worked on another Android device of mine. It definitely didn't function like BB or iPhone that's for certain. I think I could reply to the group message, but if they reply to that message, it comes in as a separate person. Like.. Group X (includes A, B, C) receives message. I send message to Group X. I receive 3 separate messages from A, B, and C.

Android is a finicky OS. I recommend looking through a bunch of posts over at XDA and find a ROM to your liking.

It's an Android limitation I believe. Handcent, GoSMS just do not allow it. I have iPhone friends who get group chats going easily. I see all the reply alls but I cannot reply all. It's idiotic I can't participate. I might be able to excuse Google's halfassedness in doing everything if the stock SMS app couldn't do it, but I'm kinda disappointed 3rd party apps can't do it.

I don't know why everyone's suggesting a custom ROM. That doesn't solve anything regarding the multiple recipient issue. It might make your overall Android experience better (I swear by CyanogenMod ROMs), but it's not going to address that specific limitation.

 

[dlock13]

It's an Android limitation I believe. Handcent, GoSMS just do not allow it. I have iPhone friends who get group chats going easily. I see all the reply alls but I cannot reply all. It's idiotic I can't participate. I might be able to excuse Google's halfassedness in doing everything if the stock SMS app couldn't do it, but I'm kinda disappointed 3rd party apps can't do it.

I don't know why everyone's suggesting a custom ROM. That doesn't solve anything.

Everyone is being me. I wasn't sure if stock Android had that functionality. That's completely my fault.

You're right about Google there. They love to half-ass EVERYTHING. >_<

 

[CLite]

It's an Android limitation I believe. Handcent, GoSMS just do not allow it. I have iPhone friends who get group chats going easily. I see all the reply alls but I cannot reply all. It's idiotic I can't participate. I might be able to excuse Google's halfassedness in doing everything if the stock SMS app couldn't do it, but I'm kinda disappointed 3rd party apps can't do it.

I don't know why everyone's suggesting a custom ROM. That doesn't solve anything regarding the multiple recipient issue. It might make your overall Android experience better (I swear by CyanogenMod ROMs), but it's not going to address that specific limitation.

Well after further research I'm about to stick my Galaxy S2 into a drawer and pull out my B-berry Curve. It seems like people are working on it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1500002 but for some reason Google is not as advanced as windows and b-berry and can't figure out how to handle group mms's.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Everyone is being me. I wasn't sure if stock Android had that functionality. That's completely my fault.

You're right about Google there. They love to half-ass EVERYTHING. >_<

Well I'm glad ICS is a step up, and the benefit of Android is that Google can half-ass everything, but we have custom software to fix things.

A lot of times it works. GoSMS/Handcent/Chomp, LauncherPro/ADW/GoLauncher really solve most of the issues on Android. Keyboards like Swype/Swiftkey/SmartKeyboard Pro address all these limitations.

But at the same time there are limitations that devs just cannot address (i.e. hardware accelerated launchers, MMS reply all, etc.)

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Well after further research I'm about to stick my Galaxy S2 into a drawer and pull out my B-berry Curve. It seems like people are working on it http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1500002 but for some reason Google is not as advanced as windows and b-berry and can't figure out how to handle group mms's.

Interesting. I used Hancent from 2010 to 2011. It became a bloated piece of shit. Most of the enthusiasts shifted away to GoSMS. I may be willing to come back, but GoSMS is a pretty nice SMS app. I just hope they can work with the reply all thing.

 

[CLite]

Everyone is being me. I wasn't sure if stock Android had that functionality. That's completely my fault.

I do appreciate your help in this thread and it has lead me to additional resources which clarified the issue (albeit not bringing about a resolution).

Unfortunately..... Google is half-assed and far behind Windows and Blackberry (even though RIM is dying). It amazes me people are actually willing to buy phones with no cross-platform group mms ability.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I do appreciate your help in this thread and it has lead me to additional resources which clarified the issue (albeit not bringing about a resolution).

Unfortunately..... Google is half-assed and far behind Windows and Blackberry (even though RIM is dying). It amazes me people are actually willing to buy phones with no cross-platform group mms ability.

Well to be honest it's not the most important feature. I can tell you a lot of people on this board don't text much and have switched completely to Google Voice which doesn't support MMS at all. Additionally, it seems some individuals are more concerned with Flash support over anything else which makes Android their platform of choice.

I dunno. I use my phone for a lot of social networking and keeping in touch on the go. Having a gimped Facebook app (and it still is gimpy even though the overall design is equal to that of the iOS app), no group MMS, etc. does certainly bother me...

 

[iahk]

yep, I, myself am about to get rid of my messaging plan. at this point in the game, a messaging seems like a waste of money per month given the amount of people I know with smartphones and use an im app.

and for the record, I never even knew of the reply all function of mms before this.

 

[pandemonium]

I was about to say, I really don't see the point of MMS or SMS...and haven't since like 2004. With all the data support and nearly full browser capability that smartphones have these days, what's the point? I'd get rid of my texting option, but everyone I know still uses it and it annoys the crap out of me. Why?! Data is so much cheaper, just as convenient, and just as fast.

We need to start a movement to get more people on IM apps - such as Slick. I've been trying but for whatever reason SMS/MMS has a foothold over people. Ugh.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I was about to say, I really don't see the point of MMS or SMS...and haven't since like 2004. With all the data support and nearly full browser capability that smartphones have these days, what's the point? I'd get rid of my texting option, but everyone I know still uses it and it annoys the crap out of me. Why?! Data is so much cheaper, just as convenient, and just as fast.

We need to start a movement to get more people on IM apps - such as Slick. I've been trying but for whatever reason SMS/MMS has a foothold over people. Ugh.

Because the point is SMS/MMS is a basic protocol practically EVERY phone has. If someone gives you their number, you can text them and they'll most likely get it. You can call or text.

Now this is where Google voice comes in, but you have to be willing to port your number over.

On the other hand, group messaging apps like Whatsapp, Google Messenger, BBM, require you to have that app. I have friends who are on Kik, and others on Whatsapp, and others who use BBM. Because of interoperability issues, what do they use when they need to cross communicate? SMS/MMS. It's the most basic backbone.

I do agree unlimited SMS is a waste, and if you were to do that, you should probably look at Google Voice texting, but I think everyone should have SMS capability at the minimum. It's still a standard. If you go pick up girls at a bar or meet people outside, it's still standard to ask for a phone #. Sure you could force people to communicate on Facebook or whatever medium you choose, but phone # is the most basic, which is why SMS rocks.

 

[pandemonium]

Yes, SMS/MMS is universally available since it's built on the networks and requires no additional application loading. However, there are hundreds, if not thousands of apps that allow for near-to-full IM functionality on every platform: Skype, Fring, Trillian, Slick, Meebo are the primary and well noted. Not only that, but until everyone is on LTE, voice-calling won't be available, and you can get that with IM apps being in the U.S.

Facebook is almost completely universally accepted, minus a few hold-outs that are fighting privacy paranoia. Yet another option to completely negate SMS/MMS.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

All those apps you listed like Skype, Fring, Trillian, etc are IM apps. They are designed for both desktop messaging and mobile messaging. This is where gChat is NOT the same as a text. Sure everyone and their mom used AIM when I was in highschool/college, and many still do. Many converted to gchat. But it's not the most convenient to use these apps. First, they require data to be on constantly. Many of these apps continuously sync. If you turn gchat on, you will notice that it causes the most partial wakelocks on an Android phone. Latitude might take first place if you have that on, but otherwise gchat will cause your phone to wake up the most. Not everyone wants that. Other apps like IM+, Beejive, etc require push to be on. These IM protocols are also designed for desktop chat where you can hold an all out conversation. It's hard to distinguish sometimes a quick message versus an IM. With text/text-like apps, you're forced to send a quick message and you understand that texts cost money. Thus, you know to keep it simple (like twitter's 140 char), and you keep a short message hoping for a short/quick response. Sure there are people who hold conversations on text, but its less common than a chat application.

IM is in a completely different realm than mobile messaging clients like Whatsapp, Kik, Kakao, BBM, iMessage. These mobile messaging clients act more like SMS/MMS. They're replacements, but require data. A lot of times we're data limited or in the case of shitty AT&T, we find it hard to send/receive data. Plus data drains battery like no other especially if the tower is jammed or reception sucks. But the benefit is you don't really need to sign in. These apps are always on. You don't need to start a signin session like AIM/MSN/IM+/Trillian/Skype. It's always on push. Also unlike AIM or other desktop clients where people can just start spamming the hell out of you, you know only people who are on their phones 24/7 can start spamming you using these mobile messaging clients.

So yeah, SMS/MMS is the basic building block. It's integrated into the OS. People keep it simple. I use Whatsapp extensively (it's a very Asian thing apparently), and a lot of times you have unnecessary chats/conversations going on in our groups. Even 1on1. It's not as efficient as a text. People send random pictures, audio, locations. It's useful at times, but people are more liberal in messaging. That's great and all, but a text keeps it simple.

Also a text is integrated deeply into the OS. Click on someone's # and you can invoke a text very easily. Google Voice comes close, but show me where Whatsapp or Kik can do the same integration? Let's not even talk about IM+ or AIM where you need to sign in and look for someone. It's not even close. The only way to beat SMS/MMS is to go to an integrated solution like iMessage or BBM. It needs to switch over seamlessly without the user even caring. Anytime you have a secondary app, it's another unnecessary step that makes messaging more complicated.

And sorry, it seems to me there's a lot of a people here who don't give a fuck about social networking. It's probably why no one cares about SMS/MMS here also. I find that in my typical crowd of 25 year olds with smartphones (and I'm not talking about the Facebook whores who are on 24/7), most of us will use some sort of mobile messaging product like Whatsapp or Google Messenger. Many of us are signed into GTalk on our phones too, especially Android users. However, at the end of the day when I want to solicit someone for dinner, we always use SMS. SMS has a sense of urgency. It says respond now. The other messaging clients are for casual talk when we're bored. I don't think SMS will go away. If you never use it, good for you. Just like Facebook. Maybe you missed the target market, but for those of us who entered college when Facebook just launched, yeah I can guarantee you all of us still use it. If you're 30+ when it started. Sure I can see you not giving a fuck. Same with SMS.

 

[pandemonium]

I'm realize that if you SMS/MMS a lot, you may be offended by my opinions here. For this purpose, I've taken the liberty of spoilering them in an attempt to be courteous.

Spoiler

You just listed a lot of "grandfathered" reasons as to why I don't understand how SMS/MMS is still so popular. The "old ways" die-hard. I grew up with pagers (the original SMS device!). Then IM programs became popular on PC and cellular phones hit the common-place market and people did away with pagers. We talked rather than sent simple "urgent" pages. Now, data and SMS is the majority of a common-place device's functional communication method. The transition from pager to cellular phone went fairly quickly, from what I remember; maybe about 3 years? Now the transition from cellular (talking) to data seems to be going a little slower. However, the transition from SMS to [next? I propose IM-like interfaces] seems to be hanging out indefinitely.

I know of no one that uses Google chat, and of tons of people that text conversations all day long. So we're seeing different sides of the spectrum.

True, an always-on data connection does reduce battery life more than simply sending texts all day long, but not that much more. I'm pretty sure most people plug their phones in daily or every other day anyways, and most phones hitting the market now can easily maintain a light-use constant data connection for 12+ hours (light-use data connections, such as IM programs, use much less power than web-browsing data connections, file transfering, video streaming, etc...). I can use my Nokia E71 constantly with IM, checking Facebook, listening to music, and browsing full websites the entire time from when I leave home for work and throughout the day until I lay down and sleep and still have 30% battery life left. This phone is far less capable than those releasing today, and doing so while I have very poor signal inside our data center (being more demanding on battery life).

As for quick-messages for soliciting dinner invitations for you, what would be the difference between offering someone your Facebook username or IM handle as opposed to your phone number? Nothing as far as I can see. It's your choice, and you're used to giving your phone number for contact. You could just as easily give out any other communication method, such as the aforementioned, or e-mail, website for shoutbox, twitter, etc...and have notifications setup to where it would be placed squarely in the middle of your attention - much like SMS, with sound and visual. Sure, people probably aren't used to it, but I don't see the phone number being the basis of contact any more. {Of course, I realize a chic may not think you're very serious about contacting her if you just give her your e-mail, but that's just an example. }

Times have changed.

 

[Dulanic]

It's kind of funny that if you do a google search the top results are "I don't want to SEND ALL!!!!" on droid forums with the opposite problem. I don't have much of a opinion since I never use MMS but I still found it amusing.

Sorry your issue is drawer worthy. I didn't know many people who relied so much on MSS, but thats just my friends I guess who never use MMS.

 

[Nothinman]

I know GoSMS has some options for how it handles group MMS messages, but I had never even heard of people using MMS for group chats until this thread so I don't know if it can work how you would like.

 

[gorcorps]

This probably isn't the fix you're looking for, but there's an app called GroupMe for Android which lets you assign people to groups for easy group texts. For those that DON'T have the app, they get texts from a new number which is the number any of you can text back to reply to all. Once the group is formed, that number shouldn't change. If you do have the app everything's a little more integrated. My friends and I use it and it's nice, though not the perfect solution. It's just the best we've found. Not sure if there's an iOS version.

 

[Deeko]

I do find it odd that android lacks this.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I'm realize that if you SMS/MMS a lot, you may be offended by my opinions here. For this purpose, I've taken the liberty of spoilering them in an attempt to be courteous.

Spoiler

You just listed a lot of "grandfathered" reasons as to why I don't understand how SMS/MMS is still so popular. The "old ways" die-hard. I grew up with pagers (the original SMS device!). Then IM programs became popular on PC and cellular phones hit the common-place market and people did away with pagers. We talked rather than sent simple "urgent" pages. Now, data and SMS is the majority of a common-place device's functional communication method. The transition from pager to cellular phone went fairly quickly, from what I remember; maybe about 3 years? Now the transition from cellular (talking) to data seems to be going a little slower. However, the transition from SMS to [next? I propose IM-like interfaces] seems to be hanging out indefinitely.

I know of no one that uses Google chat, and of tons of people that text conversations all day long. So we're seeing different sides of the spectrum.

True, an always-on data connection does reduce battery life more than simply sending texts all day long, but not that much more. I'm pretty sure most people plug their phones in daily or every other day anyways, and most phones hitting the market now can easily maintain a light-use constant data connection for 12+ hours (light-use data connections, such as IM programs, use much less power than web-browsing data connections, file transfering, video streaming, etc...). I can use my Nokia E71 constantly with IM, checking Facebook, listening to music, and browsing full websites the entire time from when I leave home for work and throughout the day until I lay down and sleep and still have 30% battery life left. This phone is far less capable than those releasing today, and doing so while I have very poor signal inside our data center (being more demanding on battery life).

As for quick-messages for soliciting dinner invitations for you, what would be the difference between offering someone your Facebook username or IM handle as opposed to your phone number? Nothing as far as I can see. It's your choice, and you're used to giving your phone number for contact. You could just as easily give out any other communication method, such as the aforementioned, or e-mail, website for shoutbox, twitter, etc...and have notifications setup to where it would be placed squarely in the middle of your attention - much like SMS, with sound and visual. Sure, people probably aren't used to it, but I don't see the phone number being the basis of contact any more. {Of course, I realize a chic may not think you're very serious about contacting her if you just give her your e-mail, but that's just an example. }

Times have changed.

Because not everyone turns on notifications for Facebook? I don't want stupid Farmville notifications coming in all day. Plus Facebook doesn't email out on every notification anymore unless you chose to stay on that. The interaction level on Facebook via phone is far different via computer. On a desktop setting people sit there and carefully read the news feed and comment and like and setup invitations and message people.

On the phone people check in, post notes, photos, quickly glance. And I suppose if a message popped up you could respond. FAcebook was never built as a messaging tool. It's a social networking site designed to keep friends in touch. You can use it for email. You can use it for messaging. You can use it to replace Skype if you wanted to, and you could do a LOT with it, but that's not how people use it.

Maybe I'm with a different crowd, but I'm an engineer, and when we graduated from college, many of us stopped using AIM. How do you use it at the workplace? Meebo maybe? A lot of us just stay on Gmail all day. I have friends at Cisco, Apple, Google, Big 4 Accounting, etc. We used to be on AIM all the time. Plenty of us just chat on gchat now. I dunno. I see it everywhere. Not just engineering, but plenty of people just use gchat now as the go-to DESKTOP client at work. Everytime I have to respond to my gf or she responds to me on our phone, the other party definitely cuts down on the chat. I feel bad for making her type so much on mobile, so if I'm on my computer I send a few quick messages only at most. Given how gchat can get screwy if you have a desktop window open AND your mobile client open, sometimes you might not get the message. The same goes with AIM when I use IM+.

If you want a reliable way of getting a message across, SMS will do it 99% of the time. It doesn't rely on data, and you're guaranteed to get it. You're not counting on some push notification or some server that might go down. Bottom line is if you can receive a phone call, you probably got that SMS.

And honestly IM never took off on mobile that much. How many people get on AIM/MSN/gchat and consistently hold a nice long conversation on their phone. I think what honestly took off in the past year is BBM-like clients. Maybe Whatsapp isn't that big in the US but I've seen it take off. It's practically THE messenger to use in Asia. Everyone has one. I first only talked to my cousins overseas and my fobby classmates, but soon enough all my friends were on it. But I have yet to see many of my non-Asian friends jump in yet. Whatsapp, Kik, Google Messenger, etc will definitely continue to take off. I can see these replacing SMS, but only if you have a community large enough where EVERYONE is on it.

Protocols like MSN, AIM, ICQ, etc will die simply because you need to sign on and look for people. Whatsapp is just an always on thing. You don't ever need to turn it on or off.