GroupMe 4.1

Just in time for our third straight year at SXSW, we’re introducing an awesome new version of our iPhone and Android apps with two great new features.

First off, there’s Gallery View. Sharing photos with your groups is really fun, but when you’re looking for one that was shared a few weeks ago, scrolling back through the chat could take a while. Now, you can easily see all the photos ever shared in any of your groups. Just tap the Gallery tab in the right drawer.

We’re also introducing a very useful new feature that helps you chip in on group purchases, or quickly collect money from your group. It’s really made our lives easier, and we think you’re going to find the same. We call it Split.

You can start a Split within any of your groups, just like you can attach a photo or a location. You bought concert tickets for everyone in the group? Attach a Split and get your money back right away, instead of waiting to get cash in person. Buying a group gift? Attach a Split with the total price, and with each person who chips in, the price per person will go down. Collect your money whenever you’re ready.

It’s really easy to use. Anyone in your group can chip in with a credit card. When everyone has chipped in, just tap “collect” and enter your bank account details. You’ll have your money in just 24 hours.*

Fees are minimal (you can learn more here!), and we’ve waived all of them from now through Tuesday, March 12** (11:59PM CST) so you can try it out! GroupMe has partnered with the PCI-compliant Balanced to power the payments process for Split.

All this plus, of course, tons of performance improvements and bug fixes.

We think you’ll find that our new app makes organizing and communicating with the groups in your life easier than ever before. So give us your feedback! Tweet at us @GroupMe or email support@groupme.com. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Download GroupMe 4.1 now for your iPhone or Android device.

*The first time you collect a Split, it may take up to 3 to 5 business days to verify your bank account. The good news is that all subsequent credits will take 24 hours.

**Free offer applies to your first split transaction up to $499. Offer is valid between March 7 and March 12.

Introducing GroupMe 3.0

It’s a very exciting day here at GroupMe. Thanks to the invaluable feedback we’ve received from our users over the last few months, we have a slew of new features today that make GroupMe the easiest way to start conversations and keep in touch with your real life network.

There’s a lot of new stuff to celebrate, so let’s get to the point. Here’s what’s new!

 Questions (Beta)

• Today, we’re releasing a new kind of conversation you can start on GroupMe. It’s as simple as asking a question.
• Use it to plan a real-life meetup, chat about something with your friends in real time, or whatever else you want!
• You can direct your question to just a few people, an entire group, or everyone you know. You can even broadcast it to Twitter or Facebook and let the world respond.
• We’re so excited about this feature that we can’t contain it all to this post. Please read more about Questions here. 

 Direct Messages

• Now, you can send a message to another GroupMe user, because sometimes, you don’t need to say it to the whole group. 
Just tap on a user’s avatar anywhere in the app, and you can have a conversation with them without ever leaving the app.
• Today, you can send and receive Direct Messages from the iPhone and Android apps. It’s coming soon to our other platforms, including the web.

Website

• Now everything you can do on the app is possible on the web. Start and manage groups, send messages, share photos, ask questions, and more, all from the comfort of your desk. You asked for it, so we built it. 
• Plus, it’s optimized for mobile browsers, so if your smartphone doesn’t already have a GroupMe app available, you can still chat for free wherever you are.
• On top of all that, we have a new About page, a new Jobs page (apply now!) and new pages for all of our apps. It’s like a brand new website! 

Who You Know

• To date, you have been able to view the phone numbers of anyone in your groups. As GroupMe has grown and our users have discovered awesome new reasons to start groups, we’ve heard from some people that you don’t always want to share their phone number in their groups.
• So starting today, your phone number is kept private from other group members.
 The only way you can see another group member’s phone number in the app is if they’re already in your phone contacts. Of course, if you need to know it, you can always ask them for it by sending a Direct Message in our app. It’s that easy!

International Support

• The GroupMe app is now available worldwide on iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone 7. Full SMS chat support is currently limited to the United States, but users in other countries can use GroupMe for free with our app or on our website. Today, GroupMe apps are available in over 90 countries.

New Apps and More

• In addition to all the awesome new features described above, the new versions of our iPhone and Android apps also feature a gorgeous new interface design. They’re faster than ever and better looking to boot.  
• If you didn’t see the news last month, we have a brand new app for Windows Phone 7 that’s just getting started. Try it out!
• The retooled “News” tab in the app now tells you everything you need to know about GroupMe.
• There are so many optimizations and detailed improvements in our apps and website that we couldn’t possibly list them all here.

We’re so excited for you to start playing with the new apps and features! So what are you waiting for? Here are a few things you should do right now:

Download the latest version of our app. Ask a question of your friends! Send a direct message to someone you’re in a group with! Chat with your groups from our website! Let us know what you think on Twitter or Facebook! And if you have any problems or questions, feel free to send us an email. 

Enjoy!

Love,

Team GroupMe

Introducing Questions (Beta)

Today, we’re excited to introduce a new type of chat you can start on GroupMe. It’s as simple as asking a question to spark a conversation.

As we’ve heard from our users over the last few months, sometimes starting a group feels like too much pressure. You may know what you want to talk about, but not necessarily who you want to talk with. Maybe you want to ping a few friends to see who’s up for dinner. Or maybe you just have a burning question you’d like all your friends to answer.

That’s why we built Questions. It’s the easiest way to start a conversation with whomever you want. Direct it to just a few people, or to all of your groups. You can even broadcast your question on Twitter or Facebook.
 Everyone you ask has a chance to decide whether they’d like to join the discussion, or just comment on the question without receiving everyone’s updates. 

You can use it to plan a real-life meetup:

• Anyone want to see a movie tonight?
• What is everyone doing this weekend?

Or to chat about something with your friends in real time:

• Is anyone else watching this game?
• What’s the best restaurant for a date downtown?

Or even let your friends come to you.

• I’m in Brooklyn. Who else is here?

We think of questions as a lightweight, fun companion to groups. It’s the fastest way to start chatting with your real life network.

At launch, you can ask questions from iPhone, Android, and the web. Anyone can answer a question and participate in the discussion, either on our website, on an app, or via SMS. 

The uses are limited only by your imagination… and we can’t wait to see what you ask. It’s a brand-new beta feature, so we’re looking forward to seeing what people really do with it and where it goes next.

So what are you waiting for? Ask your first question now!