Saying goodbye to SMS mode

Starting today, we're beginning to wind down GroupMe's two-way SMS service.

When GroupMe started in 2010, group chat over text was a genuinely new idea. Texting was built for one-to-one conversations, iMessage didn't exist yet, and getting a group of friends into a single thread meant a mess of replies and half-missed context. SMS mode was our answer, and for a little while, it was the whole product.

Almost 16 years later, nearly everyone uses GroupMe in the app. That's where GroupMe actually happens now: photos and videos, events and polls, shared albums, DMs, reactions, and Copilot features that catch you up on a busy chat without scrolling through 200 messages. SMS can't carry any of that. It can carry one line of plain text.

We held onto SMS mode longer than most would have, because it's where GroupMe began. But it's no longer where GroupMe lives. The app has grown far beyond what a text message can hold, and it's time to focus there completely.

What's changing

We're winding down SMS mode on a rolling basis. The next time you receive a group message by text, you'll also get a notice that your SMS access is ending, and a 7-day countdown begins. During that week you can keep chatting over text as usual, and we'll send a few reminders so the cutoff doesn't catch you by surprise. After the 7 days are up, group messages will stop arriving by SMS, and you'll need the app or groupme.com to keep up with your groups.

Because the timer starts with your next message, the exact end date is different for everyone. If your groups are quiet, your SMS access simply stays on until the next time someone posts.

What's not changing

Most of what people mean when they say "GroupMe and texting" isn't affected:

• Verification codes still arrive by text when you sign up or sign in.

• You can still invite friends to a group or event by their number, and they'll get a text with a link to join.

• Your groups, message history, photos, and members all stay exactly as they are.

What to do

If you use SMS Mode today, download the GroupMe app at groupme.com/download and sign in with the same phone number you use today. You'll land right back in your groups, with everything intact and a lot more to explore: the photos, the polls, the events, the replies you could only see as a link.

If you'd rather not install anything, GroupMe also works in a browser at groupme.com.

Thank you

Sixteen years ago, a group of people texting a number was the most convenient way to plan a trip, run a team, or keep a dorm floor talking. Millions of you did exactly that. We're grateful for it, and what comes next is even better.

The GroupMe Team #)