Text messages (SMS)

Your Ringhum numbers can receive and send text messages. Receiving works straight away with no setup. Sending needs a one-time approval from the mobile carriers, which we request for you. Once a number can send, you can reply to customers, start new conversations and, on some plans, let your assistant answer texts for you.

What each plan includes

Receiving texts

Any text sent to one of your numbers that supports text messages arrives in Messages and in your Inbox, and your team gets a notification. There is nothing to set up.

Not every number supports texting. Under Phone numbers, the Texting column shows a dash for a number that cannot send or receive texts.

Enable sending on a number

Mobile carriers only deliver business texts from senders they have approved. To send texts, you register the number once.

1. Open Phone numbers.
2. In the Texting column, click Enable texting next to the number.
3. Fill in the form:
   • Legal business name
   • Website (optional)
   • What will you text people about?
   • An example message
   • How do people agree to get your texts?
4. Click Request texting.

We register your number with the carriers using these details. This usually takes 1 to 5 business days. Meanwhile the number shows Waiting for approval and incoming texts keep arriving as normal. When approval is done the status changes to Active. If the carriers decline, the number shows Not approved with the reason; correct the details and click Try again.

Tip: Carriers check the consent description closely. Explain exactly how people give you their number and agree to receive texts, for example a checkbox on your booking form.

Only the workspace Owner and Admins can enable or turn off texting on a number.

Sending texts

Once a number is Active, open Messages:

• Select a conversation and type your reply.
• Or click New message, enter the phone number with its country code, and click Continue.

While you type, the box shows the number of characters and segments, and how much of your plan minutes (or credit) the text uses. A segment is 160 plain characters, or 70 if the text contains emoji or special letters. See How text messages are counted for details.

Appointment confirmations, reminders and missed-call texts also go out from your approved number. If the person wrote to your WhatsApp number in the last 24 hours, these messages go on WhatsApp instead.

AI replies to texts

On the Team and Scale plans, your assistant can answer incoming texts by itself. AI replies are off by default on every number.

1. Make sure texting is Active on the number and an assistant is assigned to it.
2. Under Phone numbers, click AI replies off in the Texting column. It changes to AI replies on.

The assistant answers from your knowledge base and can use the same abilities it has on calls, such as booking appointments or taking a message. When it answers, your team receives a summary once the conversation goes quiet, instead of a notification for every text.

Note: The assistant sends at most 6 replies an hour to one person. This prevents two automated systems from texting each other in a loop. If the limit is reached, the conversation is marked high priority in the inbox so a person can reply.

STOP and START

If someone texts STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT or STOPALL), they are never texted again, by your team or by the assistant. This applies to every kind of text, including reminders. In Messages, the conversation shows a notice instead of the reply box.

The person can opt back in at any time by texting START to your number.

Texts only go within the same country

A text can only be sent to a number in the same country as the number sending it. Texts to other countries are refused and not charged. Receiving texts from abroad still works.

Troubleshooting

"Not sent: texting is not enabled on any of your numbers yet." Enable texting on a number under Phone numbers and wait for approval.

"Not sent: sending text messages is not included in this plan." Your plan can receive texts but not send them. Sending is included on Solo and up.

"Not sent: texts can only go to numbers in the same country as the sending number." The recipient is in another country. Contact them by phone or WhatsApp instead.

"Not sent: this person replied STOP and no longer gets texts." Only the person can undo this, by texting START.

"Not sent: no credit left for messages beyond the plan." Your plan minutes are used up and your credit balance is empty. Add credit under Billing.

How do I stop sending from a number? Click Turn off in the Texting column. Incoming texts still arrive. Enabling it again needs a new approval.