How to change the name and photo of an iPhone group text

If one of your group chats in Messages has become a permanent staple, it’s probably time to give it its own identity. Here’s how you can assign not just a name but a custom image to group texts on an iPhone.

How to name a group text on an iPhone

There’s not much to it, but there is a big catch: everyone in the group has to be using an Apple device, whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even an iPod touch. Even a single person using SMS/MMS messaging (presumably, on an Android phone) is going to prevent the following steps from working, because renaming is tied to Apple’s iMessage framework.

Here’s what to do:

• Open a Messages conversation with three or more people.
• In iOS 15 or later, tap the group icons at the top. If you’re using iOS 14 or earlier, tap on the group icons and then the Info button.
• Tap Change Name and Photo.
• Enter a group name. Make it memorable — you want a sense of who’s in the group and/or what it’s about. If the conversation is entirely about a bachelor party, for example, you could name it something like “New Orleans Bachelor Party 2023.”
• Tap Done.

How to add photo to a group text on an iPhone

When using the Change Name and Photo menu above, there are several image options. The Camera button takes a new photo, while the Photos icon lets you use an existing image on your device. Alternately you can select text, an emoji, or a Memoji. We’d recommend an emoji over a Memoji, since a cartoon of yourself probably won’t identify a conversation at first glance.

Why can’t I name a group text on my iPhone?

Almost certainly the issue is that someone in the group is using an Android device. When Messages detects that the people in a conversation are signed into Apple accounts, it routs their texts through iMessage, which is akin to a service like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, enabling expanded functionality. Without iMessage, group chats have to default to SMS/MMS framework all cellular carriers offer.

For that reason, if you’re organizing a group of people on multiple platforms, it’s probably best to stick to a service like WhatsApp or Messenger. That’s especially true if you want people to be able to reply from Windows PCs.

Read more: iMessage’s blue bubble vs. green bubble controversy