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SMS to Webphone users

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Let users send and receive text messages in the Webphone from an SMS-enabled number.

Route an SMS-enabled number to one or more users so they can send and receive texts in the Webphone. Incoming texts appear in the Webphone of every user you choose.

Before you start

Section titled “Before you start”
  • An SMS-enabled number, such as a virtual mobile number.
  • Each user needs a Webphone device (Webphone browser, Webphone desktop or Webphone mobile). SMS doesn’t work on desk phones or third-party softphones. See User.
  • To send texts, the user’s licence needs an SMS plan. Set it in PBX licences.

1. Route the number to users

Section titled “1. Route the number to users”
  1. Go to Services › Phone numbers and open the Active numbers tab.
  2. Next to the number, click SMS routing.
  3. Under Users who can receive and send SMS from this number in the Webphone, select each User. To add more users, click +.
  4. Click Save. The change can take up to 10 minutes.

Some numbers can only receive SMS until Application-to-Person messaging (A2P) is activated, because of regulatory requirements. The window then says Users who can receive SMS from this number in the Webphone and shows a note.

2. Check the user’s SMS settings (optional)

Section titled “2. Check the user’s SMS settings (optional)”

In the PBX, open the User settings:

  • Default SMS ID picks the number used when the user starts a new SMS chat. It’s useful when a user has several SMS-enabled numbers.
  • Allowed alphanumeric SMS IDs lets them send from your company name instead of a number. You need to register a sender ID first: see SMS sender ID register.

Click Save and Apply configuration after any change.

Check it works

Section titled “Check it works”
  1. Sign in to the Webphone as one of the users.
  2. Send a text from a mobile to the number. It should appear in the Webphone.
  3. Reply from the Webphone. The mobile should receive it from your number.

Rules and limits

Section titled “Rules and limits”
  • A standard SMS holds 160 characters. Longer messages are split into parts of 153 characters, up to 3 parts (459 characters).
  • If a message has emojis or non-Latin characters, one SMS holds 70 characters and the maximum is 201 characters.

To check whether you can send SMS to a destination, look for an outbound SMS rate in Rates search.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”