GroupMe alternative
GroupMe dropped SMS. Phound didn't.
Keep everyone in the group — the ones on the app, and the ones who just text.
No credit card required.
What changed
The problem, stated plainly
GroupMe announced on August 17, 2026 that it's shutting down two-way SMS messaging, group by group. Once your group gets its next text, members see a seven-day countdown before SMS access ends.
SMS mode was "our answer, and for a little while, it was the whole product," but usage has moved almost entirely to the app.GroupMe's own explanation
Their fix is simple: download the app, or use groupme.com. That works for people who want a new app. It doesn't work for the person in your group who never had GroupMe's app in the first place — a relative without a smartphone, a teammate who just wanted texts, a parent who joined by SMS three years ago and never looked back.
How Phound is different
You don't have to choose between everyone downloading an app and keeping it simple with texting.
A Phound Pro number comes with full SMS/MMS and calling built into the price — one number, $9.99/month. Create a Group or Team, and add app users and non-app users to the same one. Non-app members just text your Phound number, the way they'd text into a GroupMe group today. No download required.
Three things Phound adds that a plain text thread can't:
One thread, every device.
Start on your phone, finish on desktop. Nothing falls through.
Call hand-off →Search that actually works.
Every conversation is searchable, so finding when you decided on the venue takes five seconds.
Messaging →AI that keeps up for you.
Summaries and instant answers mean you're not the only one who has to remember everything. Your conversations, supercharged.
AI features →Side by side
GroupMe before, GroupMe now, and Phound
| Feature | GroupMe (before) | GroupMe (now) | Phound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text people without the app | ✓ SMS mode | ✗ App/web only | ✓ Mixed app + non-app Groups/Teams (Pro) |
| In-app group chat | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ All plans |
| Photos, polls, and reactions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Included number with full SMS & MMS | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ Pro & Business |
| Voice & video calling | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Call/voicemail AI summaries | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Free to start | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Pricing
Which plan fits your group
Phound Basic
Free
Unlimited in-app messaging for individual and group chats. Good if your whole group already has smartphones and just wants off GroupMe.
Start for freePhound Pro
$9.99/month
Includes your own number with full SMS/MMS and calling, and lets you mix app and non-app members in the same Group or Team. Built to replace what GroupMe's SMS mode did.
See Pro detailsPhound Business
For teams
Everything in Pro, plus team features: shared numbers, delegated access, smart call routing. Worth it if you're running something bigger and centrally managed, like a synagogue, school, or company. Includes a seven-day free trial.
Start free trialOne common worry
Do people need to change their number?
No. Your group's members keep texting from their own personal phones, just like they do with GroupMe today. The only thing that changes is which number they're texting — your new Phound number, which also shows up as the sender when you text or call out.
One note: GroupMe's own per-group numbers belong to GroupMe, not to you or your group, so there's no porting an old GroupMe number over. In practice that's not a problem — nobody in your group has to do anything differently, they just start texting a new number. And if you already have a personal or business number you'd rather use, you can port that one in.
Four steps
How migration works
Sign up for Phound Basic.
Free, no credit card.
Upgrade to Pro and claim your number.
Pick a new US number, or port one you already own.
Create your Group or Team.
Add your app-based members and your text-only members together.
Send your first message.
Everyone gets it, app or SMS, same thread.
Common questions
FAQ
GroupMe announced on August 17, 2026 that it's discontinuing two-way SMS messaging, saying the vast majority of usage has moved to its app and that features like photos, polls, and AI tools only work there. SMS access to each group ends on a rolling, seven-day-countdown basis.
No. People without the Phound app can still be part of your group over SMS. That's what a Phound Pro number is built for.
Yes. Create a Group or Team on Pro or Business, and add both — people on the app get the full experience, and people who just text stay in the conversation through your Phound number.
Phound Basic is free with unlimited in-app messaging. SMS/MMS and mixed groups need Phound Pro ($9.99/month) or Phound Business.
GroupMe's group numbers belong to GroupMe and aren't portable. You won't need to, though — your members keep their own numbers; only the group's destination number is new.
GroupMe says message history isn't affected by the SMS shutdown, so it stays where it is. Moving to Phound starts a new thread.
Keep your group whole.
Move off GroupMe without leaving anyone behind.
Start for freeRead the full story: GroupMe just killed SMS mode. Here's what that means for your group.
Every conversation. One place.