You asked for it, and we made it. Today, we’re thrilled to announce the release of GroupMe for Android, available now on the Android Market.

While Android owners have been flocking to GroupMe in droves, managing their groups on the web or via text message, we think the new app will make it easier than ever to manage and create groups on an Android device.

When you first launch the app, it quickly confirms your number and loads your pre-existing groups.  You’ll only have to do that once.

From then on, you’ll have easy access to your groups, just like on our website. You can view each one, see all its members at a glance, edit or remove members, and text or call them all from within the app.

Creating a group is simple, too! Just hit the + button, and you’re able to create a new group instantly, seamlessly searching through your contacts to find the people you want. Tap “save” and we set it up instantly, complete with a brand-new phone number.

What are you waiting for? We think you’re really going to love it. Find it today by searching for “GroupMe” in the Android Market, or scan this QR code with your Android device:

We’re so excited today to announce that we’re powering the Disco Biscuits‘ Halloween Run this week. Every night between now and Halloween, the band is playing shows in North Carolina and Virginia. If you’re planning on going, start a group on our special landing page (it’s free!). Be sure to add the friends you’ll be going with, too—a group of one or two doesn’t count as a group!

Each night, we’ll be randomly selecting one group (you and all your friends) to get a free VIP upgrade. All you have to do is start a group and add the people you’re going with on the GroupMe Disco Biscuits landing page.

To top it all off, Brownie himself will be dropping into one lucky group each night to ask for a little help figuring out the setlist. That’s right, you might get to help with the set list of their show. Could it get any better?

To recap: get your friends in a group on this site today, and upgrade your Disco Biscuits experience this weekend. That’s all there is to it!

We’re very excited to announce the release of the latest version of our iPhone app. Version 1.1 dropped on the App Store today!

The major change is in the contact selector—the screen where you choose which of your contacts you’d like to add to a group. A lot of you suggested that we add a “search contacts” box and an alphabetical side scrollbar. Well, we’ve done just that. Check it out:

Plus, we’ve fixed plenty of little bugs and made it faster than ever before.

We think you’re going to love it. It’s available now in the App Store, so check your updates or click here to download it in iTunes.

If you have any more suggestions for what you’d like to see in a future version of our app, feel free to email us—we’d love to hear from you. And stay tuned, Android users; your app is coming soon!

We’re really excited to announce that GroupMe is sponsoring the AM Only and Famous Friends party this Saturday here in New York. Check out the lineup below—it promises to be the best dance party of the week in a week filled with awesome dance parties. What better way to wrap up your week?

Plus, because GroupMe’s sponsoring this event, we can get you in for free. That’s right—even if you don’t have a CMJ badge! All you have to do is sign up a group on our special AM Only & Famous Friends landing page. Add the people you want to go to the show with, because all of you will be on the guestlist. It’s that easy.

To recap: there’s an awesome party on Saturday, and you can get in for free by connecting your friends here. See you there!

Startup Weekends bring together talented developers, artists, designers, marketers, and business managers for one weekend with one goal in mind: creating innovative new startups. GroupMe was born out of a hackathon very much in the same vein, so we know all about the importance of good communication in early-stage startups.

That’s why this weekend, we’re bringing the power of our Sponsored Groups to Startup Weekends in four different locations—New England, Denver, Los Angeles, and Olympia. Teams of about 4-10 people working to cultivate brand-new startups will each use a GroupMe to keep in touch during what’s sure to be a very hectic 54 hours.

Plus, because the GroupMes will be sponsored by Startup Weekend, organizers will be able to reach everyone with notifications, reminders, and other important information as it happens, just like we did at Austin City Limits.

Best of luck to all teams—we’re looking forward to seeing what you all create!

Have you heard? Legendary rapper MC Hammer has been dropping into a few lucky groups. Last night two groups were surprised to receive a lucky text message: “Hammer has been added to your group.”

Hammer texted back and forth with members of the groups, then called each one for a brief chat. It’s apparently a life-changing experience, too:

Hammer’s excited to drop into a few more groups over the next few days, so you and your friends still have a chance to talk to him! All you have to do is text “#hammertime” to one of your existing groups with four or more members, and he could drop into your group next.

And if you don’t have any groups set up yet, it’s really easy. Just enter your name and phone number on GroupMe.com and add a few friends to your group, then text “#hammertime” to the new number to become eligible for the lucky call. 

Oh, and one more thing. Follow us on Twitter to hear the latest updates on GroupMe, including when MC Hammer will be calling next. 

Move over, FaceTime. GroupMe’s got HammerTime.

Text “#hammertime” (including that pound sign, all lower case) to any of your groups with more than four members, and we’ll enter your group into our contest. Over the next few days, the one and only MC Hammer will be calling and texting with groups. Really.

That’s right; you and your friends (co-workers? family members?) might all get to talk to MC Hammer. Boom. What are you waiting for?

If you don’t have any groups on GroupMe yet, get on it. It’s easy! You don’t want to miss out on this chance. 

The GroupMe team is presenting all our new features tonight at the New York Tech Meetup at NYU’s Skirball Center. Come and see us demo them all—sponsored groups, our new iPhone app, and one more surprise we’ll be debuting tonight. 

And if you’re going, be sure to sign up your personal NYTM group, and we’ll send you a few text reminders about the event, the afterparty, and other things you’ll need to know. It’s easy, we promise. Go for it.

Tickets are sold out, but unused tickets will go on sale at 7:20pm. Get in line, people.

We are thrilled to announce that we have officially joined Austin City Limits Music Festival as a mobile partner.  Check out the ACL Music Festival GroupMe!

From the official ACL Blog:

Whether you come out to Zilker Park with an entourage of a few or twenty, it can be a chore to coordinate with your crowd. Why chase after your chums when you can just use GroupMe?

A two-way “reply-all” text service, it lets you chat with multiple friends at once via text message (complete with timestamps) no matter what cellphone they own. Sort of like carrying around your own personal chat room. Plus, it’s the perfect compliment to our official ACL Apps!

Setting up a group is easy, and it’s totally free. GroupMe works on EVERY phone. As long as you can text message, you can create groups. Go to http://groupme.com/acl, enter your name and phone number and you’re done! You can add your ACL Music Festival crew via text message by texting “NEW” to 512-522-5972, or you can simply create an account and add people online. You can also download the official GroupMe iPhone App in the app store for easy group setup and management.

We launched to the public this week!  Here’s a little roundup:

GroupMe, Born At TechCrunch Disrupt, Secures Funding And Launches

Inception: A Hackday Dream (The Story Of GroupMe)

Freshly-Founded Startup GroupMe Raises $850k to Bring Group Chat to Mobile