Group Messaging: Difficulties!!

Is there an easier way to change between users in a group message chat? In the previous version, all you had to do was stroll to the user you wanted. In this version, you have to keep clicking the clumped up user pictures at the top until you get to your desired user, and have to keep clicking through the whole list again when you want to come back. Truthfully, the previous version was better at this than the new version.

Also, is there a way to delete the users’ names when they are in a group chat forever if you just want to use their icons? I hide the user’s name in one message but it appears again in the next message and it’s time consuming to repeatedly delete.