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GroupMe

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
GroupMe
Type of businessSubsidiary
FoundedMay 2010; 14 years ago (2010-05)
Headquarters
New York
,
United States
OwnerMicrosoft
Key peopleJared Hecht
Steve Martocci
URLgroupme.com

GroupMe (also stylized as groupme) is a mobile group messaging app owned by Microsoft. It was launched in May 2010 by the private company GroupMe.[1][2] In August 2011, GroupMe delivered over 100 million messages each month[3] and by June 2012, that number jumped to 550 million.[4] In 2013, GroupMe had over 12 million registered users.[5]

In March 2024, reports noted that while Microsoft had discontinued development of Skype for consumers, it continued to actively support GroupMe. The app received recent updates and was highlighted as a messaging platform still maintained by Microsoft, contrasting with the declining attention given to Skype.[6]

History

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Skype

Grouply, the app that would become GroupMe, was created in May 2010, at a hackathon at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.[7] Its creators, Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci intended the app to replace email chains as a method of communication. After investors took notice of the app, Hecht and Martocci took a loan from Hecht's parents and began working on their app full-time[8]. The name was changed to GroupMe in August. The same month, GroupMe raised $85,000 from investors. The app was released on the App Store in October 2010.[9]

In January 2011, GroupMe received US$10.6 million in venture capital from Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, angel investors, and others.[9][10] In August 2011, Skype acquired the one-year-old start-up for around $80 million.[11] Skype had itself been purchased by Microsoft in May 2011, with the purchase finalized in October 2011.[12] The app underwent a redesign in late 2012.[13]

Initially, groups were limited to 100 members, but a support request could get a group's limit raised as high as necessary as it approached the limit. In 2019, GroupMe stopped offering group member limit increases; however, the app increased the standard limit from 100 to 5000.[14]

Following Skype's downfall and subsequent shutdown, GroupMe would not shut down but rather be moved under the main Microsoft division and will be integrated with services such as Microsoft Copilot.[15]

Usage

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GroupMe works by downloading the app or accessing the service online, and then forming an account by providing your name, cell phone number, and password, or connecting through a Facebook or Twitter account.[16] The service then syncs with your contacts and from that point forward the user can make groups, limited to 5000 members. An individual who is part of an active group has the ability to turn off notifications for the app; users will still receive the message, but will not be notified about it. Each group is given a label and assigned a unique number. Some of the features of the app include the ability to share photos, videos, locations, create events, and emojis from various packs.

GroupMe has a web client as well as apps for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Windows 10. GroupMe messages can be received and sent through SMS (available only in the United States).[17] Users begin by creating a “group” and adding contacts. When someone sends a message, everyone in the group can see and respond to it. The app allows users to attach and send pictures, documents, videos, and web links. Users can also send private messages, but only to users who are also active on the GroupMe app.[18]

GroupMe has been studied as a communication tool in higher education settings. Research has explored its use for facilitating course-related discussions, supporting collaboration in small groups, and supplementing classroom learning in both online and face-to-face contexts.[19] Another study examined how platforms like GroupMe can support literacy learning by encouraging communication in multiple modes, including text and images, framing this form of digital discourse as a legitimate academic genre.[20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "About GroupMe". Archived from the original on 7 May 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  2. ^ "Inception: A Hackday Dream (The Story Of GroupMe)". Tech Crunch. 26 August 2010. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  3. ^ Shontell, Alyson. "A Year In The Life Of An $11 Million Startup, GroupMe". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  4. ^ Wauters, Robin (July 18, 2012). "GroupMe has 4.6m users sending 550m messages per month, court documents show". The Next Web. Archived from the original on September 5, 2017. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. ^ "GroupMe compared to competitors". Archived from the original on 24 October 2016. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. ^ Thurrott, Paul (2024-03-14). "Microsoft Killed Skype But Keeps Supporting GroupMe". Thurrott. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  7. ^ Arrington, Michael (25 August 2011). "GroupMe, Born At TechCrunch Disrupt, Secures Funding And Launches". Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  8. ^ Shontell, Alyson. "How GroupMe Sold For $85 Million Just 370 Days After Launch". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-03-27.
  9. ^ a b Shontell, Alyson (22 August 2011). "How GroupMe Sold For $85 Million Just 370 Days After Launch". Insider. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  10. ^ Wortham, Jenna (10 March 2011). "Start-Ups Are in a Rush to Bring the Chat Room to the Smartphone". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 19 March 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2011.
  11. ^ Ante, Spencer E. (22 August 2011). "Skype to Acquire Start-Up GroupMe". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2017.
  12. ^ "GroupMe, Gilt Groupe, Jon Bon Jovi Launch SummerQAmp To Create More Quality Assurance Jobs". TechCrunch. 2012-03-07. Archived from the original on 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  13. ^ Megan Rose Dickey (2012-11-07). "GroupMe Chat App Gets A New Look". Business Insider. Archived from the original on 2013-05-01. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  14. ^ "How do I increase a group limit in GroupMe?". GroupMe. Archived from the original on September 20, 2019. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  15. ^ "Copilot has entered the chat - GroupMe". groupme.com. Retrieved 2025-03-12.
  16. ^ "GroupMe - Group text messaging with GroupMe". Archived from the original on 2015-12-07. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  17. ^ "Do I need a smartphone to use GroupMe?". GroupMe Support. Archived from the original on 2024-02-25. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  18. ^ Jacobsson, Sarah (2012-02-26). "GroupMe App Review: Perfect for Coordinating With Friends | TechHive". Pcworld.com. Archived from the original on 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2013-07-08.
  19. ^ Green, Tara; Green, Jeffrey (2019). "Use of a mobile group text messaging app to facilitate group work in online and face-to-face courses". TechTrends. 63 (4). Springer: 408–415. doi:10.1007/s11528-018-0361-y. Retrieved 2025-03-25.
  20. ^ Ly, Pamela (2020). "Mobile Messaging and Literacy Learning: GroupMe Discourse in a Ninth Grade English Class" (PDF). Journal of Literacy and Technology. 21 (1). Retrieved 2025-03-25.
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