Help Can't receive iPhone group messages while using android

[Android Question]

After switching to a galaxy s5 in June 2014, I've been having problems (over the last year +) receiving group message from select iPhone users. I've done extensive research and tried dozens of "solutions" but nothing has worked. What I have tried so far:

1. deactivating imessage from all devices I still own (iPhone 4, macbook ) -- iPhone 5 was stolen so I was unable to deactivate from this device.
2. removing all devices from my apple account (my account now shows no associated devices)
3. texting STOP to the number provided by apple in order to fix this solution
4. changing my apple password and changing the email associated with apple account
5. telling friends to change sms/mms settings
6. telling friends to delete the group conversations and having them start a new one
7. telling friends to delete the group conversations and having myself start a new one
8. telling friends to delete my contact and adding me anew or just adding me to the group text via my phone number (also tried in combination with #6 and #7 as well as others)
5. deregistering imessage via https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage ***

*** After originally deregistering imessage using the above link, I got the verification code and entered it -- no success. When I try to do this again, I enter my phone number and never receive a verification code. I assume this is because I already deregistered, but it's confusing nonetheless.

After talking to customer service at the Apple store and through google, there hasn't been any additional solution provided. Please let me know if anyone has a solution that I haven't already tried (or anything you think might help). I don't know of any other solutions and am about to give in and just switch back to an iPhone. I don't know if it makes any difference, but I'm on Verizon. Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance.

 

[chanchan05]

Did you change YOUR mms settings? Your friends changing their mms settings won't mean anything if your phone's mms is not correct, and if your carrier isn't giving you mms credits.

 

[Clementine_3]

You don't say what SMS/MMS app you are using, try a different one if it's the stock one. I've used Google Messenger, Textra and Chomp (current) and have had success with all of them.

I have a family full of iPhone toters though I've never used one myself. It's still difficult to group text with them all sometimes, even though I've asked them to check settings (enable SMS/MMS when iMessage isn't available), I think they all have it right now. But. There are times that I just don't get the MMS or someone will turn it blue (iMessage kicks in) so I get dropped. It's incredibly frustrating and not an Android issue. Anyway, as I said, I've had much better luck using the apps I listed instead of stock. You do have to make sure you are set up correctly too, group chat for MMS or whatever the choice is (that's Chomp's).

 

[kvstapp]

Did you change YOUR mms settings? Your friends changing their mms settings won't mean anything if your phone's mms is not correct, and if your carrier isn't giving you mms credits.

Yes, sorry I forgot to mention that. That was one of my first attempts to fix but clearly didn't help.

You don't say what SMS/MMS app you are using, try a different one if it's the stock one. I've used Google Messenger, Textra and Chomp (current) and have had success with all of them.

I have tried several including hangouts, textra, stock samsung app, and the verizon messages app. None have been successful. I'll give chomp a shot and will let you know if it works out.

Thanks for the replies!