silence group text for privacy and sanity!

Discussion in 'privacy technology' started by Palancar, Feb 9, 2016.

  1. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    Anyone want to become my hero?

    I am using an Android 5.X OS smartphone and lately I have been getting hammered with group text. Is there a privacy app (willing to buy one) or other "trick" whereby I can silence the sound on a group text but not affect any other phone operation sounds? Even if the group text sounded on the first transmission and I had the ability to click a switch or whatever to silence the incoming sounds on that group text for its remainder of transmissions.

    Anyone been in a place where 4-10 people can drive you crazy with texts back and forth? All great friends and extended family so I don't want to block their numbers from my phone. I just want group texts to remain silent after the first one at my option.


    Fulfill my fantasy and tell my how to do this. Please!!
     
  2. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    Text as in SMS? Which app are you using for group texts?
     
  3. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    I only use the boring default app on a Samsung running 5.x. I have been reading about textra and a few others. The default app is pitiful and lacks any options that would do this.

    Are you, or is anyone else, aware of a third party app that allows for silencing the sound when you get STUCK inside of a group text chain? I can control my phone outbound (common sense really), but my concern for this thread is when friends/associates think its cool to bang away among a half dozen folks or more. Feel my pain??

    The process does not have to be fully automatic. i.e. - if I had to click on a group (MMS) text to silence it I wouldn't mind. I just need some kind of option here, but of course automatic would be easier.

    I have read around and I assure you I am not the only one that would love to secure a solution. Even something as rudimentary as clicking on a specific text chain and disabling the ringer for that particular "chain". That just can't be too tough to write code for. Maybe I should code an App and make some dough. LOL!!
     
  4. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    Anyone here using GO SMS pro (version 7 coming shortly)? Looks promising if there are no ads in my face all the time.

    For those using it; as pertains to this thread; how would this app fare?
     
  5. zapjb

    zapjb Registered Member

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    USA still the best. But barely.
  6. J_L

    J_L Registered Member

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    That's not Google Hangouts right?

    Anyhow, I'm using "Messenger" from Google (cause they're apparently separating SMS again).

    It appears to have a checkmark you can uncheck next to: top right 3 vertical dots > People & options > Notifications. At least that's the case for one-to-one SMS.
     
  7. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    zapjb and J L,

    Thanks for the links and suggestions. I am planning on looking at this over the weekend. I already have message+ on my phone but its disabled. Turned lots off and never even glanced at it before.
     
  8. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    zapjb or JL,

    I am testing with messages+ which does in fact allow any "text conversation" to be muted with a simple click. Works for a single party conversation or any multi party conversation that you click to mute. That is nice! Initial problem solved.

    Liability of the switch: messages+ appears to only allow for a single text ringer type. My texts now only sound one default ringer I set in messages+. I can use messages+ to set any ringer in my phone but ALL texts sound to that one ringer. Not a "game over" liability but its a big hit in the wrong direction. The original message app was set to a default ringer but if I created a unique text ringer for someone that would sound when they send a text. Selecting the default ringer in messages+ does not seem to perform as the original app. Its one ringer for ALL, which is disappointing.

    Granted I am just now experimenting with messages+ so I may be wrong, but it does not appear so. If this holds true my dilemma will be to assess the trade off between the ability to mute a conversation VS having unique text ringers working and available.

    While having messages+ in beta on my end, I will continue to read around for a simple app that can do both. The easiest for me would be IF someone here told me I am wrong and messages+ will do what I need and here is how to do it. Hoping!
     
  9. Palancar

    Palancar Registered Member

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    After further testing I have found that messages+ does have an option to select a unique text ringer on a per conversation basis. e.g. If you have a text conversation with "Sue" you can highlight that conversation and customize the conversation to any ringer you have in your phone. Then anytime "Sue" sends you a text the sound will be the ringer you have selected for her conversation.

    This is a decent workaround from a general setting for "Sue". Should you delete the full conversation between you and Sue you would get the default ringer on her next transmission to you and you would need to customize over again (if you wanted to return her unique ringer sound). Alternatively, you can delete all the conversation messages from "Sue" except one, and retain that special ringer status for her since any future text between you two will join the original conversation. This is workable.

    I have some more configuring to do, but at least I am on target at this point.
     
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