---
title: "Send and Receive SMS Messages"
slug: "send-and-receive-sms-messages"
description: "You can send and receive SMS (aka text) in Gladly to communicate with Customers. Learn more in Gladly Help Docs."
updated: 2025-01-31T19:58:09Z
published: 2025-01-31T19:58:09Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.gladly.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send and Receive SMS Messages

Send and receive SMS (aka text) in Gladly to communicate with Customers. If a Customer sends an SMS to your company and the incoming SMS is routed to you, click **Accept**so you're taken straight to their Customer Profile, where you’ll find their current SMS and any previous interactions with your company.

> [!NOTE]
> Click 'Next' to receive more Messaging Customers
> 
> The number of Messaging Customers (e.g., SMS, chat, Instagram Messaging, etc.) you're automatically routed depends on the standard messaging capacity your Administrator has set. You must click Next to receive more Messaging Customers beyond the standard capacity until the maximum number of Messaging Customers is met.

## Start a new SMS

You should only text a Customer who has previously opted in to receive support via SMS. Customers usually opt-in by being the first to reach out by sending an SMS with the knowledge they can [opt-out](/docs/opt-out-of-sms-messages) anytime.

To send an SMS, the Customer must have a phone number showing Mobile (type) with an SMS ([tag](https://help.gladly.com/docs/tag-a-phone-number-as-sms)) in their Customer Details.

![Contact information including address, email, mobile number, and SMS option highlighted.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/smstype.webp)

1. Click ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/gladly-plus-icon-green(1).svg) from the Customer’s Profile.
2. Select **SMS**. You’ll see the SMS Composer pop-up, ready for you to start writing your response. ![Menu options for communication include SMS, email, and note creation features.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/create_sms.webp)
3. Once you’ve completed your message, click **Send SMS** to send your message.

## Reply to an SMS

Gladly automatically defaults to the last Channel a Customer contacted you on. In this case, since they last reached out by SMS, you’ll notice the reply bar default to **Reply with an SMS**.![Text message conversation showing a positive response and an option to reply via SMS.](https://cdn.us.document360.io/7047b671-c4f2-4df0-bb0a-b9b511fd2452/Images/Documentation/reply-with-sms.webp)

1. Click anywhere along the reply bar. The SMS Composition pop-up will appear, ready for you to start writing your response.
  - The maximum limit for the entire SMS message is 1600 characters. Message delivery may fail, or an error may appear if this limit is reached.
2. Once you’ve completed your message, click **Send SMS**.

## End SMS session

An SMS session ends if:

- The Customer stops responding, and the [session automatically ends](https://help.gladly.com/docs/messaging-session-auto-end-threshold-time).
- The Conversation is closed by clicking **Close & Next** or **Close**.
- The last incoming SMS is marked as [No Reply Needed](https://help.gladly.com/docs/mark-a-conversation-as-no-reply-needed).

### Opt-out of SMS messages

You won't be able to send SMS to Customers who have opted out of receiving SMS messages. See [SMS Opt-Out Keyword](/docs/opt-out-of-sms-messages) and learn how this works in Gladly.