Why Can't I Send Or Receive Text SMS Messages?

Troubleshooting steps to fix SMS issues.

If you experience an issue with the SMS service, follow the steps below to resolve it.

Which issue are you experiencing? 

I Can't Send OR Receive Text Messages

  1. Do You Have Coverage?
    • If you are in an area without coverage, you will experience a significant drop in our service.
    • If you are in the Truphone Zone and wish to check the coverage in your area, contact us.
  2. Have You Recently Ported Into Truphone?
    • If you have recently ported into Truphone from another service provider, please allow an hour after your port time for all services to be active.
    • If you have tried all the above and are still experiencing problems sending or receiving text messages, please contact us.

I Can Receive But Not Send Text Messages

  1. Do You Have Credit? (Pre-Pay Customers Only). Check your credit by dialing *124#. If you don't have enough credit, contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.
  2. Do You Have The Correct Service Center Address (SCA)/ Short Message Service Center (SMSC) Configured On Your Device? If the setting is empty or incorrect, the SMS will not be delivered. Contact us to obtain the corrrect SCA/SMSC.
  3. Are You Using The Correct Dialling Format? If you are traveling outside your home country, you will need to dial the correct international format. More information on Country Codes.
  4. Are You Trying To Text A Short Code? Truphone do not support outbound text messages to service providers which charges at a premium rate. More information on Why Can't I Send Texts To Short Codes?
  5. Are You Attempting To Send An MMS? In general, Truphone does not support the sending or receiving of Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS). For this reason, you may also experience errors if you are attempting to send a group message or a long text message (over 760 characters), as some handsets will convert these messages from SMS to MMS. We apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause. If you need to send a media file from your handset, please use messaging applications via data connection.
  6. Test From Another Phone.
    • If you have access to anothe phone, try putting your SIM card in it & see if you can send the SMS. If so, it may be an issue with your device.
    • If possible, try sending the SMS from a different SIM card. If it still doesn't work, it may be a problem with the number you are sending the SMS to.

Need More Help - Contact Us!

If none of the above helped resolve the issue, please get in touch with us & we'll be happy to assist you.

To help speed up trouble-shooting so we can get things working for you as quickly as possible, please take note of:

  • Which of the above steps you have undertaken and their results.
  • Your Truphone Mobile Number.
  • Where you experienced the issue, eg:  Road, Place, City, Country, Postcode etc.
  • What time and / or how long you have been having the issue.
  • Network you are connected to and whether you have signal or not.

Our award-winning support staff are available 24/7/365