diff --git a/example/package.json b/example/package.json
index a2b4c2db5..9dc6f0b5e 100644
--- a/example/package.json
+++ b/example/package.json
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
     "@types/node": "^18.16.3",
     "@types/react": "18.2.0",
     "@types/react-native": "0.71.8",
+    "@types/text-encoding": "^0.0.39",
     "@typescript-eslint/eslint-plugin": "^6.13.1",
     "@typescript-eslint/parser": "^6.13.1",
     "eslint": "^8.54.0",
diff --git a/example/src/tests.ts b/example/src/tests.ts
index 9bac29fae..1ce1864ea 100644
--- a/example/src/tests.ts
+++ b/example/src/tests.ts
@@ -182,13 +182,11 @@ test('can message in a group', async () => {
   if (bobMessages.length != 2) {
     throw new Error('num messages for bob should be 2, but it is' + bobMessages.length)
   }
-  let messageString: string = JSON.stringify(bobMessages[0])
-  if (!messageString.includes("gm")) {
-    throw new Error('newest Message should include gm')
+  if (bobMessages[0].content() != "gm") {
+    throw new Error('newest message should be \'gm\'')
   }
-  let messageString2: string = JSON.stringify(bobMessages[1])
-  if (!messageString2.includes("hello, world")) {
-    throw new Error('newest Message should include gm')
+  if (bobMessages[1].content() != "hello, world") {
+    throw new Error('newest message should be \'hello, world\'')
   }
   // Bob can send a message
   bobGroups[0].send("hey guys!")
@@ -203,13 +201,11 @@ test('can message in a group', async () => {
   // Cam can read messages from Alice and Bob
   await camGroups[0].sync()
   let camMessages = await camGroups[0].messages()
-  let messageString3: string = JSON.stringify(camMessages[1])
-  if (!messageString3.includes("gm")) {
-    throw new Error('second Message should include gm')
+  if (camMessages[1].content() != "gm") {
+    throw new Error('second Message should be \'gm\'')
   }
-  let messageString4: string = JSON.stringify(camMessages[0])
-  if (!messageString4.includes("hey guys!")) {
-    throw new Error('newest Message should include hey guys!')
+  if (camMessages[0].content() != "hey guys!") {
+    throw new Error('newest Message should be \'hey guys!\'')
   }
 
   return true
diff --git a/example/yarn.lock b/example/yarn.lock
index 4a14f70fc..50b6cee3c 100644
--- a/example/yarn.lock
+++ b/example/yarn.lock
@@ -6321,6 +6321,11 @@
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/stack-utils/-/stack-utils-2.0.3.tgz"
   integrity sha512-9aEbYZ3TbYMznPdcdr3SmIrLXwC/AKZXQeCf9Pgao5CKb8CyHuEX5jzWPTkvregvhRJHcpRO6BFoGW9ycaOkYw==
 
+"@types/text-encoding@^0.0.39":
+  version "0.0.39"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@types/text-encoding/-/text-encoding-0.0.39.tgz#6f6436ceb843d96a2306a87dc7e2286e62c2177c"
+  integrity sha512-gRPvgL1aMgP6Pv92Rs310cJvVQ86DSF62E7K30g1FoGmmYWXoNuXT8PV835iAVeiAZkRwr2IW37KuyDn9ljmeA==
+
 "@types/trusted-types@^2.0.2":
   version "2.0.7"
   resolved "https://registry.npmjs.org/@types/trusted-types/-/trusted-types-2.0.7.tgz"
diff --git a/src/index.ts b/src/index.ts
index 31dfa58e0..9c2ae0691 100644
--- a/src/index.ts
+++ b/src/index.ts
@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ import { ConversationContext } from './XMTP.types'
 import XMTPModule from './XMTPModule'
 import { ConsentListEntry, ConsentState } from './lib/ConsentListEntry'
 import {
+  ContentCodec,
   DecryptedLocalAttachment,
   EncryptedLocalAttachment,
   PreparedLocalMessage,
-  ContentCodec,
 } from './lib/ContentCodec'
 import { Conversation } from './lib/Conversation'
 import { DecodedMessage } from './lib/DecodedMessage'
@@ -17,14 +17,14 @@ import { Group } from './lib/Group'
 import type { Query } from './lib/Query'
 import { getAddress } from './utils/address'
 
+export * from './context'
+export * from './hooks'
 export { ReactionCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/ReactionCodec'
-export { ReplyCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/ReplyCodec'
 export { ReadReceiptCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/ReadReceiptCodec'
-export { StaticAttachmentCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/StaticAttachmentCodec'
 export { RemoteAttachmentCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/RemoteAttachmentCodec'
+export { ReplyCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/ReplyCodec'
+export { StaticAttachmentCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/StaticAttachmentCodec'
 export { TextCodec } from './lib/NativeCodecs/TextCodec'
-export * from './hooks'
-export * from './context'
 
 const EncodedContent = content.EncodedContent
 
@@ -119,10 +119,13 @@ export async function sendMessageToGroup(
 }
 
 export async function groupMessages(
-  clientAddress: string,
+  client: Client<any>,
   id: string
 ): Promise<DecodedMessage[]> {
-  return await XMTPModule.groupMessages(clientAddress, id)
+  const messages = await XMTPModule.groupMessages(client.address, id)
+  return messages.map((json: string) => {
+    return DecodedMessage.from(json, client)
+  })
 }
 
 export async function syncGroups(clientAddress: string) {
@@ -484,11 +487,10 @@ export function preCreateIdentityCallbackCompleted() {
 
 export const emitter = new EventEmitter(XMTPModule ?? NativeModulesProxy.XMTP)
 
-export * from './lib/ContentCodec'
+export * from './XMTP.types'
 export { Client } from './lib/Client'
+export * from './lib/ContentCodec'
 export { Conversation } from './lib/Conversation'
-export * from './XMTP.types'
 export { Query } from './lib/Query'
 export { XMTPPush } from './lib/XMTPPush'
-export { DecodedMessage }
-export { ConsentListEntry }
+export { ConsentListEntry, DecodedMessage }
diff --git a/src/lib/Group.ts b/src/lib/Group.ts
index 4cfd46064..7c5166c3f 100644
--- a/src/lib/Group.ts
+++ b/src/lib/Group.ts
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export class Group<ContentTypes> {
   }
 
   async messages(): Promise<DecodedMessage[]> {
-    return await XMTP.groupMessages(this.client.address, this.id)
+    return await XMTP.groupMessages(this.client, this.id)
   }
 
   async sync() {