The recipient received nothing

Once the gateway has accepted a message, it leaves our reach. Causes of non-delivery therefore sit almost entirely downstream, and some cannot be checked at all — a limit worth knowing before spending long looking.

The causes, from most to least common

1. 1

   The number was valid but wrong

   A correctly formatted but mistyped number goes out without error: it reaches someone else. This is by far the most common cause.

2. 2

   The phone was off or out of coverage

   The network holds the message and delivers it later, usually within hours of the phone returning to the network.

3. 3

   The operator filtered the message

   Operators apply their own anti-spam filters to gateway traffic. A message can be blocked without either you or us being told.

4. 4

   The recipient blocked the sending number

   Our gateway number is shared. If it has been blocked on the recipient's phone, your messages will not appear.

What to do

1. 1

   Check the number digit by digit

   Read it back from its original source rather than from the form, where the initial mistake will simply repeat.

2. 2

   Give it a few hours

   A phone that was off receives its pending messages when it comes back on. Resending immediately only duplicates.

3. 3

   Ask the recipient to check their filters

   Some phones file messages from unknown numbers in a separate folder, where they are easily missed.

4. 4

   Use another channel if it is urgent

   Neither we nor you can force delivery. For a message that absolutely must arrive, a phone call remains safer.

Frequently asked questions