View and Reply to SMS Conversations

SMS
The SMS Inbox brings your recipient list and message history together in one place. You can search for conversations, review previous messages, organize your inbox, and reply using an SMS number assigned to your account.

Open the SMS Inbox

Step 1: Sign in to the SMS Portal.
Step 2: Select Inbox from the navigation menu.
SMS Dashboard with the Inbox link highlighted in the left navigation menu.
SMS Dashboard with the Inbox link highlighted in the left navigation menu.
Step 3: Select a recipient to open the conversation.
Inbox conversation list with a recipient highlighted before opening the chat
Inbox conversation list with a recipient highlighted before opening the chat
The most recent conversations appear first. When a recipient matches an address book contact, the contact name is shown with the phone number.

Find a conversation

Use Search recipient or contact to search by phone number or contact name.
SMS conversation list with the Search recipient or contact field highlighted at top
SMS conversation list with the Search recipient or contact field highlighted at top
More conversations load automatically as you scroll down the recipient list.
On a mobile device, select Show Recipients or Hide Recipients to switch between the recipient list and the open conversation.
Mobile SMS view with the "Show Recipients" button highlighted above the conversation list
Mobile SMS view with the "Show Recipients" button highlighted above the conversation list

Organize conversations

Use the filters above the recipient list to control which conversations are shown:
SMS conversations list with All, Unread, Starred, and Archived filter tabs numbered 1–4.
SMS conversations list with All, Unread, Starred, and Archived filter tabs numbered 1–4.
  1. All: Shows all active conversations.
  2. Unread: Shows conversations with unread incoming messages.
  3. Starred: Shows active conversations that have been starred.
  4. Archived: Shows conversations that have been archived.
Select the Star icon beside a conversation to star or unstar it. Select the Archive icon to move the conversation to Archived.
Opening an unread conversation (indicated by the pulsing green dot) marks its incoming messages as read. The conversation is then removed from the Unread filter.
SMS inbox list with the pulsing green dot marking an unread conversation
SMS inbox list with the pulsing green dot marking an unread conversation
When a new incoming SMS is received for an archived conversation, the conversation automatically returns to the active inbox. Sending an outgoing SMS does not unarchive it.
Clearing the search field also resets the active filter to All.

View message history

Select a recipient to open the conversation and review the message history.
Conversation thread view with the Filter Number dropdown open and message history displayed
Conversation thread view with the Filter Number dropdown open and message history displayed
  1. Use Filter Number to show messages for All Numbers or a specific SMS number.
  2. Scroll upward in the conversation to load older messages.
  3. Outgoing messages display their current delivery status.
Filter Number controls which messages are shown. It does not change the SMS number selected under Reply as.

Understand delivery statuses

The status icon beside an outgoing message shows its current delivery state. On a desktop browser, hover over the icon to view the status.
  • Sending: The send request is still being processed.
  • Pending: The message has been accepted and is waiting for a delivery result.
  • Delivered: Delivery has been confirmed.
  • Undelivered, Failed, Rejected, Expired, or Deleted: The message was not delivered. The displayed status identifies the result returned by the SMS provider.
  • Updating: A delivery status is not yet available.
  • Unknown: The SMS provider returned an unknown delivery result.
  • Submittedunknown: The provider could not confirm whether the message was accepted. Check the Delivery Report before sending it again to avoid a possible duplicate.
Delivery statuses update automatically while the conversation remains open.

Reply to a conversation

SMS portal showing a selected recipient thread, reply number dropdown, and message input box
SMS portal showing a selected recipient thread, reply number dropdown, and message input box
Step 1: Select the recipient you want to reply to.
Step 2: Under Reply as, select the SMS number that will send the message.
Step 3: Enter your message in Type your message.
Step 4: Click Send.
The SMS number must be assigned to your account before it can be selected under Reply as.

Start a new conversation

Step 1: Select +Chat or New Chat.
SMS inbox with +Chat and New Chat buttons highlighted to start a conversation
SMS inbox with +Chat and New Chat buttons highlighted to start a conversation
Step 2: Enter the recipient's mobile number.
SMS conversations view with recipient number entered in the new chat field
SMS conversations view with recipient number entered in the new chat field
Step 3: Under Reply as, select the SMS number that will send the message.
Step 4: Enter your message.
Step 5: Click Send.

Message composer tips

  • Press Enter to send a message.
  • Press Shift+Enter to start a new line without sending.
  • A sent message appears in the conversation immediately while its delivery status is being processed.
  • If sending fails, the message is returned to the message box so it can be reviewed and sent again.

New message notifications

New incoming messages appear automatically while the SMS Inbox is open. A New SMS received notification is displayed, and the recipient list updates without requiring a page refresh.
When browser notifications are supported, the browser may ask for permission to display them. Select Allow to receive a notification containing the sender and a preview of the message.
Messages received in another conversation are marked as unread. Opening that conversation marks the incoming messages as read.

If the sending controls are unavailable

The SMS Inbox requires an SMS number or sender ID to be assigned to the account. If none is configured, the new conversation and reply controls are disabled and a warning is displayed.
Ask your account administrator to assign an SMS number or sender ID before sending messages.
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