SMS and MMS FAQs

OnSIP’s SMS & MMS Messaging Platform enables businesses to send and receive text (SMS) and multimedia messages (MMS) directly from their business phone numbers. It supports one-to-one communication and integrates seamlessly with your OnSIP business phone. 

Do I need a new phone number? 
No. In most cases, your existing business phone number can be SMS/MMS-enabled. 

Can I use toll-free or landline numbers for texting? 
Yes. Both toll-free and most landline numbers can be enabled for SMS and MMS. You can also send messages from your web and desktop apps.

What’s the difference between SMS and MMS? 

• SMS (Short Message Service) is plain text only and up to 160 characters.  

• MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) allows for over 160 characters and includes multimedia for pictures, vCards, emojis, documents, audio or video files.  
  
  

Can multiple people monitor/reply to the same number? 
Yes, account admins can create shared message boxes in the admin portal where multiple users/people can be added to a message box so that they can all view and send SMS/MMS conversations from the same message box.

Can SMS and MMS messages be sent and replied to by a group/shared message line? 
Yes, groups of users can be assigned to a DID. 

Where can I view reports of SMS and MMS? 
In the OnSIP app you can see a dashboard of message activity including reports detailing inbound and outbound sends by user and by campaign.

How do I get started sending and receiving messages?
If you currently do not have a registered messaging campaign, you will need to complete the TCR registration process outlined here. Once that is approved, you can enable messaging on your account by following these steps. Need help? Contact us at support@onsip.com. 

What use cases are included and what are not? 

Use Cases Include: 

• Customer notifications & reminders 

• Two-way support & service communication 

• Multimedia sharing (all picture, audio & video files are supported) 

• Basic requirements / limitations for MMS messaging, as per typical best practices: 

• Text: text/plain for plain text. 

• Images: image/jpeg, image/png, image/gif, image/bmp, image/webp, image/bmp. 

• Audio: audio/mpeg (for MP3), audio/mp4, audio/ogg, audio/wav, audio/amr. 

• Video: video/mp4, video/mpeg, video/quicktime, video/3gpp, video/3gpp2, video/ogg. 

• Documents/Other: application/pdf, text/vcard (for contact cards), text/calendar (for iCal files).  

• File size limits: Up to 5 MB. The total message size includes all attachments plus the text 

• Up to 1 attachments per message 

• Toll free messaging 

• Send and receive across OnSIP’s desktop, & browser-based apps smartphone, tablet and mobile device and OnSIP mobile app 

• Threaded, real-time chat-style interface & in-line response 

• Click to call / tap-to-visit URL support capabilities 

Use Cases do NOT Include: 

• Internal messaging or team alerts (IM/Team messaging) 

• Short codes, extensions  

• Support for #keyword triggers for auto-response or drip campaigns 

• Marketing promotions, campaigns (building or bulk messaging), high-rate broadcasts, bursting, throttling, and scheduling automation (including time-zone awareness) 

• RCS (Rich Communication Service) capabilities 
  
  

Are there any restrictions on messaging? 
Yes. Mobile carriers set rules around the types of messages and campaigns you can send. Please review our Acceptable Use Policy to understand these restrictions and requirements.  

Who do I contact if I need support? 
Reach out to our Support Team at support@onsip.com or call toll-free at (800) 801-3381, Option #2. 

For a full list of questions and answers, please see our Knowledge Base.