SMS not received

On a free trial?

SMS isn’t available during the free trial, so messages to and from trial numbers won’t be delivered. See Your free trial.

Symptom

• People send texts to your number, but nothing appears in the Webphone or your email.
• Or you send an SMS from the Webphone and the recipient doesn’t get it.

Quick checks

1. Is the number SMS-enabled? Not every number can send and receive SMS. Check it in Services › Phone numbers › Active numbers.
2. Where is SMS routed? Check the number’s SMS routing in Active numbers.
3. Look in the history. Reports › SMS history shows every SMS sent and received in a period.

Incoming SMS not arriving

1. The number isn’t SMS-enabled

You can only receive SMS on an SMS-enabled number. The SMS routing button is shown only next to SMS-enabled numbers.

Fix: in Services › Phone numbers › Active numbers, turn on Show only SMS-enabled numbers to see which of your numbers can take SMS. To get one, turn on SMS when you order new numbers. See also Virtual mobile numbers.

2. SMS routing isn’t set, or points somewhere else

Incoming SMS go where the number’s SMS routing sends them: to users in the Webphone, or to email addresses.

Fix: go to Services › Phone numbers › Active numbers, click SMS routing next to the number, and choose the users or email addresses. Changes can take up to 10 minutes to start working. See SMS to Webphone users and SMS to email.

3. The user doesn’t have the Webphone

SMS can only be sent and received in the Webphone (browser, desktop or mobile app), not on desk phones or softphones.

Fix: add a Webphone device to the User and make sure they sign in.

4. The sender is blocked

SMS from numbers on the Global blocklist aren’t delivered. You may still be charged for them.

Fix: remove the number from the global blocklist if you want their messages.

5. The email went to spam

For SMS to email, check your spam or junk folder and ask your email administrator to allow these messages.

Outgoing SMS not delivered

1. No SMS plan, or no SMS-enabled number

To send SMS in the Webphone, the user needs an SMS plan (set on their licence in Services › PBX licences) and an SMS-enabled number routed to them.

Some SMS-enabled numbers can only receive SMS. To send from them, Application-to-Person messaging (A2P) must be activated first. A note next to SMS routing shows when a number needs A2P.

2. The destination isn’t supported

If the Webphone shows Destination is not supported, SMS can’t be sent to that number. To check that you can send SMS to a number, look for a rate in Billing › Rates search › Outbound SMS rates for the user’s SMS plan. See Check call rates.

3. The message is too long or uses pictures

• A message can be up to 459 characters if it uses only Latin letters and digits, or 201 characters if it has any other character, such as an emoji or non-Latin letter. Longer messages may not be delivered.
• Picture messages (MMS) aren’t supported.

4. The number format

Enter the recipient’s number with the country code instead of the leading 0, for example 614… for an Australian mobile.

5. Sending with your business name

To send SMS with your business name as the sender (an alphanumeric sender ID), you must apply for it first. Recipients can’t reply to a name.

Australia only

In Australia, business names used as SMS sender IDs must be registered. See SMS sender ID register.

Allowed sender IDs are set per user in Allowed alphanumeric SMS IDs on the User.

When to contact support

Create a support ticket with:

• your number and the other person’s number;
• the date and time the SMS was sent (with your time zone);
• whether it was incoming or outgoing, and whether it shows in Reports › SMS history;
• where you expected it (Webphone user or email address).