Teen has phone but not an iphone

[Anonymous]

We are not an apple product loyal family.
We have Ipads but our laptops and phones are not apple and we prefer it that way.
Our teen's friends all have Iphones and are in Imessages together and hate adding him because his replies 'mess up the group chat'.

My DH is strongly against switching him to an Iphone for this reason. The phone he has is a Pixel 8 so it is not cheap 'baby' phone. OUr son typically does NOT care about brands or the lastest thing at all, but this seems to be really a sticking point for him.

Should i push back and advocate for an Iphone for him or just let this go.

[Anonymous]

Being a teenager is hard enough. If he wants to trade in his Pixel 8 for an iPhone SE and you guys can afford it, I’d let him do it. Maybe require him to get a summer job to pay for it so he has some responsibility for the decision.

[Anonymous]

A Pixel 8 does all the things you don't want a phone for as well as an iPhone, but the thing you do want them to have a phone for, like communicating with others for safety, or to build relationships, or plan in person interactions, it isn't nearly as good.

Let the kid switch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A Pixel 8 does all the things you don't want a phone for as well as an iPhone, but the thing you do want them to have a phone for, like communicating with others for safety, or to build relationships, or plan in person interactions, it isn't nearly as good.

Let the kid switch.

SO kids can't build social interactions with non apple phones now?

[Anonymous]

As a parent, I need to be able to call or text my kid.
The Pixel would allow that. Why change?

[Anonymous]

I never understand that. I have an android phone and it works just fine in many group chats with iphone people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Pixel 8 does all the things you don't want a phone for as well as an iPhone, but the thing you do want them to have a phone for, like communicating with others for safety, or to build relationships, or plan in person interactions, it isn't nearly as good.

Let the kid switch.

SO kids can't build social interactions with non apple phones now?

If the friend group is on snap they can, the lack of compatibility with imessage is annoying and some groups will drop android users from group chats

[Anonymous]

I get it. The whole thing is SO dumb but it is something that a lot of teenagers care about. I would let him switch because easily being able to be in touch with his friends is a big deal. Being left out of group texts means he is left out of plans and social activities. This seems like an easy problem to fix (even if as adults we know the whole thing is ridiculous) and will let him feel less left out.

[Anonymous]

I get it - he doesn’t want to feel like an outsider. Maybe have him pay for it beyond the trade in value

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get it. The whole thing is SO dumb but it is something that a lot of teenagers care about. I would let him switch because easily being able to be in touch with his friends is a big deal. Being left out of group texts means he is left out of plans and social activities. This seems like an easy problem to fix (even if as adults we know the whole thing is ridiculous) and will let him feel less left out.

I agree. I’d let him switch.

[Anonymous]

Let him switch. The Android users are always dropped from group chats.

[Anonymous]

We have a couple of Android users in a large group moms chat and it’s not problematic…is the problem that the responses are green, or is there an actual problem

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Pixel 8 does all the things you don't want a phone for as well as an iPhone, but the thing you do want them to have a phone for, like communicating with others for safety, or to build relationships, or plan in person interactions, it isn't nearly as good.

Let the kid switch.

SO kids can't build social interactions with non apple phones now?

I am an adult in a situation where I monitor kids' group chats, and the non apple phones consistently miss messages. The kids will have a conversation about plans, and then we will find out that the same one or two kids didn't get the messages, or couldn't see the messages. I am constantly needing to say "I don't see Larla's response. Can someone call and check that she knows about this?" But in a group without an adult, I doubt that would happen.

I think the issue might be a combination of having an Android and some kind of parental control, but it only happens with the kids on Android.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A Pixel 8 does all the things you don't want a phone for as well as an iPhone, but the thing you do want them to have a phone for, like communicating with others for safety, or to build relationships, or plan in person interactions, it isn't nearly as good.

Let the kid switch.

SO kids can't build social interactions with non apple phones now?

I am an adult in a situation where I monitor kids' group chats, and the non apple phones consistently miss messages. The kids will have a conversation about plans, and then we will find out that the same one or two kids didn't get the messages, or couldn't see the messages. I am constantly needing to say "I don't see Larla's response. Can someone call and check that she knows about this?" But in a group without an adult, I doubt that would happen.

I think the issue might be a combination of having an Android and some kind of parental control, but it only happens with the kids on Android.

Interesting...I guess that makes sense! Apple sure does a good job of making kids feel that they MUST for an iphone. It is part of the reason I do not own any Apple products. Oh no...my text is the wrong color.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, the green dot folks in a group text are annoying.