What is “Incoming SMS” in MyOperator?

What is “Incoming SMS” in MyOperator?

Applies to: MyOperator accounts with GSM SIM-based Virtual Mobile Numbers (VMN)

📚 Table of Contents

🧭 Overview

Incoming SMS lets customers text your Virtual Mobile Number instead of calling. Messages are captured in your MyOperator panel, so your team can read, tag, assign, and reply quickly.

Benefits

✅ Low-effort, familiar channel for customers

✅ Centralized conversation history in one panel

✅ Ideal for non-urgent updates and quick Q&A

Who is it for?

  • Support, sales assist, logistics/dispatch, account managers

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🎯 When to use

  • Customers prefer texting over phone calls
  • You need short, asynchronous interactions (order status, addresses, quick checks)
  • You want a fallback during peak call volumes

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🧰 Prerequisites

  • A GSM SIM-based MyOperator VMN is assigned to your account
  • Incoming SMS is enabled for that number
  • Panel permissions for teammates who’ll view/reply

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🔄 How it works (flow)

  1. Customer sends an SMS to your VMN
  2. MyOperator receives and logs it
  3. Message appears in SMS → Inbox
  4. Team reads, tags, assigns, and replies
  5. Conversation history stays with the contact

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5) ⚙️ Set up Incoming SMS (steps)

  1. Sign in to your MyOperator panel
  2. Go to Communications → SMS → Settings
  3. Select your GSM SIM-based VMN
  4. Enable Incoming SMS
  5. (Optional) Configure notifications (email/desktop/mobile)
  6. (Optional) Set routing/tags for auto-triage
  7. Save and test from a real device
💡 Tip: Keep a test contact to verify end-to-end delivery.

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💬 View & reply to messages

  • View: Communications → SMS → Inbox → filter by status, assignee, tag, or date
  • Reply: Open conversation → type → Send
  • Speed-ups: Assign owners, add tags, use Quick Replies

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✅ Expected outcome

  • Inbound texts to your VMN display in the panel within seconds
  • Teammates can read, search, and reply in one place
  • Customers get timely updates without calling

Success check

  • New SMS appears in Inbox with the correct timestamp/sender
  • Sending a test reply reaches the customer’s device

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🚧 Limitations & behaviors

Area

Behavior / Note

Number type

Required: GSM SIM-based VMN

Toll-Free

Not supported by default for incoming SMS

Message length

~160 GSM chars (or ~70 for Unicode). Longer texts may split

Media

MMS is not supported unless enabled in your plan

Delivery

Minor delays may occur due to network conditions

Compliance

Follow local regulations for personal data processing

Billing

Inbound SMS charges depend on your plan

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🛠️ Troubleshooting

Symptom

Likely cause

Fix

No messages appear

Feature not enabled on VMN

Re-enable in SMS → Settings, then test

Calls work, SMS don’t

Number is Toll-Free or non-GSM

Switch to GSM SIM-based VMN

Out-of-order threads

Long messages segmented

Encourage shorter texts; panel consolidates

Can’t reply

Role/plan limits

Check permissions and plan entitlements

No alerts

Notifications off

Configure alerts in Settings

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💡 Use cases & best practices

Use cases: Order status, delivery windows, address confirmation, appointment reminders, simple support queries

Best practices

  • 📣 Publish your VMN on receipts and tracking pages
  • ⚡ Create Quick Replies for FAQs
  • 🏷️ Tag conversations by intent (e.g., Orders, Returns, Billing)
  • 🌙 Set an off-hours auto-reply with response-time guidance

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❓ FAQs

Q1. Can I receive SMS on my Toll-Free number?
A. Not by default. Use a GSM SIM-based VMN. See Related articles below.

Q2. Is there a cap on the number of SMS I can receive?
A. Practical limits depend on the plan and fair-usage. For high volumes, contact Support.

Q3. Can I integrate incoming SMS with my CRM?
A. Yes, if your plan includes integrations or webhooks. Ask Support for enablement.

Q4. Do you support Unicode (emojis/non-Latin scripts)?
A. Yes. Note: Unicode texts may split into multiple parts.

Q5. Can I auto-reply after hours?
A. Yes—configure an off-hours auto-reply in SMS → Settings.

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🔗 Related articles

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🆘 Escalation & support

If issues persist after troubleshooting:

  • Open in-app chat from your MyOperator panel, or
  • Contact your Customer Success Manager

Include: account ID, affected VMN, timestamps, and a test message example.

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SEO schema — paste into your CMS as JSON-LD

{  "@context": "https://schema.org",  "@type": "FAQPage",  "mainEntity": [    {      "@type": "Question",      "name": "Can I receive SMS on my Toll-Free number?",      "acceptedAnswer": {        "@type": "Answer",        "text": "Not by default. Use a GSM SIM-based Virtual Mobile Number (VMN) for Incoming SMS.",        "url": "/kb/incoming-sms-on-toll-free"      }    },    {      "@type": "Question",      "name": "Is there a cap on the number of SMS I can receive?",      "acceptedAnswer": {        "@type": "Answer",        "text": "Practical limits depend on your plan and fair-usage policies. For high volumes, contact Support."      }    },    {      "@type": "Question",      "name": "Can I integrate incoming SMS with my CRM?",      "acceptedAnswer": {        "@type": "Answer",        "text": "Yes, if your plan includes integrations or webhooks. Contact Support for enablement details.",        "url": "/kb/webhooks-incoming-sms-crm"      }    }  ]}

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