Anonymous wrote:Google chat allows reactions to messages and I have been able to name group chats No problem using Google message. I really don't understand this push for all kids to use Apple products.
We have iPads and my husband has an apple for work so I have absolutely nothing against Apple products. But we are very much Android users and have no inclination to change anytime soon.

I use google chat a fair amount for work and socialization. It works for me as an adult. But it requires a gmail account that allows google chat. My kids use their school gmails, which have gchat turned off.

Also, I don't want them texting from their school computers. I want to be able to say "put your phone away while you're working on this paper" and not have the conversation just move to the computer. So, using imessage works better for us.

Anonymous wrote:If my child's social standing ever depends on what type of phone he has then God help us all

My kid's social standing depends on them showing up for things. If their employer emails out hours in a group text, or if their soccer team announces changes to practice in a group text, or their friends announce a party in group text, and they miss it, then that can impact their social life.

Anonymous wrote:Tell him to have his friends switch to Whatsapp or Signal. Much better for group texting. Imessage is very last year.

So, why is your kid asking my kid and 20 other kids on the soccer team to purchase an app less obnoxious that your kid asking you to buy him a specific phone?

Get a cheaper older iPhone.

Android users in group chats are the worst

We have a family chat (adults, not teens). One of the iPhone users could not receive messages in the group chat from non-iPhone users. He wanted to fix it and had us message him when we were all in a room together, and only the iPhone messages came through.

Prior to that, I thought all messages were received either iPhone or not.

All this is not accidental

https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/apples-big-imessage-and-texting-update-needs-to-happen-before-ios-18-launch/

Apples is definitely being watched.

And there seems to be some stigma even when there are no tech issues
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJP5p8JHah4

Apple has done a great job of marketing

That being said, my kid is getting an Android similar to what we have this summer. She has a few close friends she texts and there were some technical issues due to our parental controls, but they are fine now. Will it limit her and cause some kids to not include her? Yes probably, but she's young. I'm okay with her keeping her friend group small for now. Will revisit later.

If my child's social standing ever depends on what type of phone he has then God help us all

You are absolutely making your teen’s life harder by not getting him an iPhone. You are cutting him out of a lot of social opportunities.

Np
Can we join a class action suit for being forced to buy inferior phones for kids to text friends?

Google chat allows reactions to messages and I have been able to name group chats No problem using Google message. I really don't understand this push for all kids to use Apple products.
We have iPads and my husband has an apple for work so I have absolutely nothing against Apple products. But we are very much Android users and have no inclination to change anytime soon.

Anonymous wrote:

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

I don’t totally understand it either but all I know is that when my one niece is on the family group chats, texts frequently don’t go through. I definitely can’t send any photos. It’s never an issue without her and everyone else has iPhones. I know iMessage works over wifi and am not text savvy enough to know if this has to do with having poor cell reception.

It limits the features that iphone users normally use w/ each other in group chats. It's not about the android user, as OP indicted it's the friends. They probably want to name the group chat and can't b/c there's an andoid user in there. Or react to messages.

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

I don’t totally understand it either but all I know is that when my one niece is on the family group chats, texts frequently don’t go through. I definitely can’t send any photos. It’s never an issue without her and everyone else has iPhones. I know iMessage works over wifi and am not text savvy enough to know if this has to do with having poor cell reception.

You can’t add or delete anyone from a group text with androids - it’s actually really annoying for that reason alone bc if you want to add someone new you need a whole new chat. Also someone can’t leave the text like you can on iMessage. This is fine for smaller text groups but bigger ones it’s annoying.

Let him get an iPhone.

Tell him to have his friends switch to Whatsapp or Signal. Much better for group texting. Imessage is very last year.