Can't send SMS (but can receive)

[somagardens]

Hi just started a zoom phone plan. I've setup my account and followed the instructions on https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360054155112-Using-SMS and https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/360054631031, however I can only receive texts and not send them. I tried wiping my android device's cache and clearing the app data, but I still can't send SMS from the Zoom app.

The error at the bottom of my screen (where the typing/input box should be) says "Your Direct Number has been removed by your admin. You cannot send messages." However my direct number is assigned to me, and I have not reassigned my direct number in several hours.

Edit Oct 18, 2021 -  I attached a screenshot of the error message I'm getting.

[FORE-Craig]

Hello,

Go to your Zoom profile account webpage, then click Phone System Management (on left toward bottom)> Company Info > Account Settings > Policy (screenshot 1) then scroll down to verify that SMS is turned on (screenshot 2).

Then still under Phone System Management, go to User & Rooms, click on your email address, and the click Policy verify that the same SMS option is stitched on, and that under Profile a valid calling package and phone number appears.

Good luck!

Craig

[somagardens]

Hey! Thank you for checking out my post and replying.

I just followed your instructions to double check that both the account-wide setting for SMS is enabled and my user's setting for SMS is enabled. I also verified under my user's profile that my (only) package is assigned and my phone number is assigned. 

I tried texting my new zoom number again this morning, and I can still receive text messages but not send them. I've attached a screenshot of the error I'm getting.

[FORE-Craig]

You're welcome! 

Hmmm.... again under Phone System Management go to Phone Numbers, and verify that your phone number appears under the assigned group, and that your User name appears as assigned to it.

Good luck!

Craig

[somagardens]

Attached a screenshot showing that the number is assigned to the correct user. The number has been assigned to me personally (and has not changed assignment) since a several hours before I made my original post. An hour or so before I made my original post, I enabled the SMS feature.

More about how I may have gotten into this situation:

Yesterday when I first started, I had the number assigned to the company. Then I realized that I wanted the number to be assigned to an individual, not the company, so I unset the phone number from the company, and set it on me as an individual.

Then, I enabled the SMS feature as we already reviewed, and I discovered that I could make outgoing and incoming calls to my zoom phone number, and I could send texts to this zoom number and read them on the zoom app, but I still cannot send texts from  the zoom app. It displays the error message (see original post's screenshot).

I reassigned the phone number from the company to me a few hours before I enabled SMS feature yesterday. It seems like the system thinks my number is not assigned to me personally (perhaps it thinks my number is set to the company and not to me?), but that isn't the case and hasn't been since about 24 hours ago.

[FORE-Craig · Accepted solution]

I remember when we assigned numbers after they had been ported, there was an email saying that the SMS feature could take 24 hours to be active, or something similar. 

[somagardens]

Good to know! I'll wait until tonight to try again before reporting a bug, in case it takes 24 hours to resolve.

[Ninja]

I am in that section. I see: assogn sms and unassign sms. I see my user name, extension 100, phone number (incoming and outgoing), Toll Number.  But I cannot place a call. Error message is: "Unable to complete your call , due to restrictions set by your administrator." I am the admin

[somagardens]

I think there might be an bug somewhere?

I just logged into the Zoom for Windows app and discovered that I can send and receive SMS messages using my zoom phone number.

However, I just uninstalled Zoom for Android (clearing all app data), and then reinstalled it, logged back in, and I still cannot send messages from Zoom for Android.

[FORE-Craig]

Ahah! Good detective work! That might be it. I’m sorry, I don’t have an Android device to test for you. 

[somagardens]

It works now, after waiting the 24+ hours. So perhaps there was a caching issue somewhere or some other bug. Thank you for the help!

[FORE-Craig]

I’m happy to hear it.  It may have been just allowing enough time for the activated number to propagate to various servers that the apps use. 

[dtswcan]

Our account was set up in October 2022, placeholder numbers where created, The SMS Campaign hoop was jumped throught, approved and tested to be working. Number porting was completed on January 10, 2023; we were well-supported during the porting process.  Now that the porting is complete.  support seems to be swapped out for a bunch that has no clue. SMS has not worked from the date of porting. there has been 25 email exchanged, of try this and try that, and send screenshots.   What is going on, who hard is it for a Zoom being a telco to get SMS working?   

[FORE-Craig]

Hi @dtswcan 

I feel your pain! Do you see the SMS tab under Phone in the Zoom desktop app for a User who has SMS switched on? Have you attempted to send an SMS?

[dtswcan]

In the beginning, NO, the SMS tab was not visible.  However, Zoom Support stepped me through what was needed to activate the TAB.  So now we can send a message, but the sent message does not arrive at the destination but appears as if it was successfully sent,  Nor does the number receive messages 

[FORE-Craig]

Hi @dtswcan 

Thank you! Are you in the USA or Canada? Is the phone number associated with a User Account, or with an Auto Receptionist/Call Queue? Are you using E.164 format (+1nnnnnnnnnn) to send? 

[dtswcan]

These are Canadian Numbers, and we are a Canadian organization.  The number is in the E.164 format, associated with a User, With the user in a Answer Group.  Thanks Ken

[FORE-Craig]

HI again, @dtswcan !

Thanks for the clarification, Ken! I don't know if the routing of SMS works the same way in Canada as it does in the US... knowing that Caller ID does not (no Canada bashing intended 😊 ). In the US, there is a propagation process of phone number-to-carrier link updates. It might be significant in figuring out why it is not functioning.

When you have communicated with the Zoom Support people, have you made it clear that you are in Canada?  I have had some less-than-stellar slow and fruitless interactions with some Zoom Support representatives; don't hesitate to ask them to elevate your support request if you feel they don't understand it!

[dtswcan]

Craig,

Thank You for the feedback, I am upset at myself for not doing more investigation on how Zoom supports their customers. I was with Jive / Goto I thought their support was lacking. In comparison to Zoom, Goto is amazing.

[FORE-Craig]

Ken,

My experience with Zoom Support has been "hit and miss"; sometimes I've had an obvious-to-me North American support person who immediately "gets it", and sometimes I've had exhausting experiences with support personnel who clearly don't understand the issue explained and follow some sort of checklist, one email at a time.

I work for a small company and can't justify Zoom's paid support options. Again, don't hesitate to request your issue to be escalated!!!

[dtswcan]

In a time when the quality of IT support is at an all-time low, across so many online applications. Zoom support seems to have established a new low point.

[FORE-Craig]

Fortunately, we have this community forum! Consider making a new post about your issue titling it "New Canadian Zoom Phone Customer - SMS Not Working". Perhaps other Canadians will  chime in with their experiences.

I hope that helps!