Group Text in Default Messagers App

I'm using a Verizon HTC One M8 and have recently noticed that whenever I send a group text in the Messages app it sends as SMS to each individual instead of an MMS to the group. When I access any thread with multiple people the phone says "Converting to MMS message..." I've checked through the settings to ensure "Group conversation" is enabled and I'm not exactly sure what the Connection settings should be but I have the following...

Name: MMS
MMSC: http:/mms.vtext.com/servlets/mms
MMS proxy: (not set)
MMS port: (not set)
MMS protocol: WAP 2.0

Strangely enough if I integrate SMS into Google Hangouts then I can send group texts just fine, but I would rather use the Messages app since having texts in Hangouts is pretty messy.

When sending from the Messages app I've noticed an icon of 2 people next to any text where it's supposed to be a group text. If I send a group text from Hangouts and then go back to Messages the icon isn't there. Then there's also the message details and when the 2-people icon is there the phone numbers goes to Cc: instead of the To: field.

Any feedback and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Brava27 said:

Use textra

Sent from my HTC One_M8

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While that's a valid workaround it's not a solution to my problem.

I have tested Textra and it acts similarly to Hangouts in the sense that MMS messages are "unstable" even when I have strong signal strength or if I'm on WiFi. The messages will either send immediately (rarely) or they will linger for a while before sending or linger and fail to send at all.