BLOG · AUGUST 17, 2026

The GroupMe SMS replacement.

GroupMe ended free SMS group chats on August 17, 2026. Flip-phone and kosher-phone members lost the thread. Here is what changed, and how to bring your group back in five minutes.

What GroupMe did

For years GroupMe let anyone join a group by plain text message, no app needed. That was the whole reason a family with a few flip phones, or a shul list, or a school's parent list could live on it. In August 2026 GroupMe turned that mode off. Anyone without the app simply stopped getting messages.

What BunchText does instead

Same idea: one number, everyone texts it, everyone gets it. But the number belongs to your group, members join by replying YES, and the owner decides whether it's an open chat or announcements only.

GroupMe (SMS mode)
BunchText
Works on a flip phone
Ended Aug 2026
Yes
One number per group
Shared pool, threads mix up
Yes, save it as a contact
Announcements-only mode
No
Open, announce, or moderated
Daily cap & Shabbos hold
No
Both, set by the owner
Price
Free, then gone
About 1.5¢ a text, members pay nothing

How to move your group

1
Create the group. Your phone number, a code, a card. You get a number on the spot.
2
Tell the group. Post the number in the old chat before it closes. We print a flyer too.
3
Everyone texts YES. They're in. The chat carries on where it left off.
Bring your group back.Move my group

GroupMe is a trademark of its owner; BunchText is not affiliated with it.