Naven
Answers
How do you make a group chat with iPhone and Android users?
Use an app everyone can install or open, such as WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal, Telegram, or a browser-based messenger like Naven, or use RCS, which Apple added in iOS 18 so group texts between iPhones and Android phones now support typing indicators, reactions and full-quality photos. Plain SMS/MMS group texts work everywhere but are the least reliable.
Why mixed groups used to break. Apple's iMessage only works between Apple devices, so as soon as one Android phone joined a group, the whole chat fell back to MMS: blurry photos, missing reactions, messages split or delivered out of order, and no way to leave the group.
What changed with RCS. Since iOS 18, iPhones support RCS (Rich Communication Services), the same standard Google Messages uses on Android. When everyone has RCS switched on and their carrier supports it, a mixed group gets typing indicators, read receipts, reactions, high-resolution photos and Wi-Fi messaging. It still runs over phone numbers, and RCS between iPhone and Android is not end-to-end encrypted everywhere yet.
Cross-platform apps. WhatsApp, Messenger, Signal and Telegram all work identically on both platforms, but everyone has to install the same app, and most need a phone number, so everyone in the group sees everyone else's number.
Browser-based messengers. A messenger that runs in the browser, such as Naven, works on an iPhone, an Android phone, a laptop, a Chromebook and a tablet without anybody installing anything. People join with an email address, so a group can include somebody with no phone number at all, such as a younger sibling on a tablet or a grandparent on a laptop.
How to set one up on Naven. Open navenapp.com and sign in with your email. Tap New chat, choose Group, and add people by email address or @username. Each person gets a request they can accept. Add Naven to your Home Screen for notifications like any other app.
Which to choose. If everyone has a phone and you just want texts to work, turn on RCS. If you want one app for everyone, including people without phone numbers, use a cross-platform or browser-based messenger.