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Group SMS has Arrived to Mobile! Now Available on the RingByName™ Mobile Application

Group SMS has arrived to mobile! The Ringbyname mobile application now includes group texting, where you can chat with multiple people at once and get everyone's input for collaboration or guide groups of users by text all at the same time! For instructions on how to send text messages via the web application, please visit our help guide article located here.

What is Group SMS Service? Is it included?

Group SMS is included with your SMS service and allows you to text up to 10 different contacts in a single group chat. There's no limit on the number of group chats you can create. When you send your first message out to a new group chat, all participants get that message, and any responses are sent to everyone in the group!  

How do I add SMS Texting Service to my RingByName Account?

Check with your system administrator to make sure that SMS is enabled and active on your account, and that you have been granted access to access SMS service. As long as you have SMS, you have access to Group SMS! If you are the account owner, you can add SMS Text Message service to your account by contacting the Customer Service Department by calling 855-345-7464 or by emailing us at service@ringbyname.com.


How can I send a Group SMS Text message?  

  1. Click on the SMS icon located at the bottom of the RingByName mobile application


  2. Click on the create new message icon located at the top right corner of the screen.


  3. Enter a business number in the From field or select one from the drop down.


  4. Next in the To field enter a number. If it is found on an existing contact their name will be displayed and If it is a new number just the number is displayed. For both, a clickable link will appear for the number you enter. Click on it to add that contact to the group SMS chat. 


  5. You can continue adding contacts to the group here.
  6. When finished, you can begin typing up your message at the bottom of the page, then click the send button to start the group SMS chat. Anyone who responds will appear as a separate person in the group chat. 
            



How are Group SMS Text Messages stored in RingByName?
Group SMS messages are attached to your contact cards and automatically stored in your RingByName account just like fax records and notes. They appear separately from 1 on 1 SMS conversations. Both group chats and direct chats appear in contact cards or SMS conversation searches.
Your SMS history is permanently stored in your logs and will be accessible even if you deactivate SMS service on your account.


Are there any group text limits?


You can have as many active group text chats as you like. Group chats are limited to 10 contacts per chat. Any SMS limitations are based on your SMS service plan. Reach out to our Service team for more information regarding increasing limits or adding MMS!

 

How can I access old my SMS Text Message history?


SMS messages can be accessed by clicking on the SMS navigation icon located at the bottom of the RingByName mobile application.



After clicking on the SMS icon, the application will display a list of all the SMS messages that have been sent or received from your SMS-enabled company numbers.
To view the contents of an SMS message, or to continue the conversation, simply click on one of the conversations from the list.


Alternately, you can open the contact card in your company address book and view the SMS message history by clicking on the SMS history icon below the contact details. All SMS messages sent and received will be located in the history if they have been received at a number associated with that contact.




  

What does SMS Text Messaging Cost? How many texts can I send?


Costs are determined based on 10DLC policies per telecom regulations. You can send and receive SMS messages within the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. Currently Mass or Bulk SMS messaging isn't available but it is in development!

If you would like to add additional SMS number on your account, simply purchase an add-on company for your business and let us know you want to receive SMS messages.
To add an additional Company Number or activate SMS, contact Customer Service at 855-345-7464 or email us at service@ringbyname.com.  


Why don't I receive pictures that have been sent to my SMS number?

  Please be sure you have SMS enabled. If your able to see regular SMS messages you should be able to receive MMS messages. Try sending an image from another phone to be sure the other party is able to send MMS to others.  



How do I send pictures via text message?

On mobile, follow the steps below to send MMS messages. Simply click on the Paperclip and select an image file under 3.5mb. Any image larger than 3.5mb may not send or be automatically resized and may lose details. The numbers you send images to will need to support MMS to receive them. File types .json,.ogv,.oga,.ogx,.ogg,.pdf,.rtf,.zip,.tar,.xml,.gz,.bz2,.gz,.smil,.js,.m4a,.m4p, .m4b,.m4r,.mp1,.mp2,.mp3,.m1a,.m2a,.mpa,.oga,.flac,.webm,.wav,.amr,.3ga,.3gp,.bmp,.dib,.gif,.jpg,.jpeg,.pjpeg,.png,.svg,.tiff,.tif,.webp,.ico,.css,.csv,.html,.cal,.txt,.js,.vcf,.vcard,.wap,.xml,.avi,.mp4,.m4v,.mpg,.mpeg,.m1v,.mpv,.ogv,.ogx,.ogg,.spx,.ogm,.mov,.qt,.webm,.wmv.flv.



  

Will I receive notifications when a new text message is received?


You will receive notifications for any new text messages for any new SMS-enabled telephone numbers to which your administrator has granted you access. You will also receive notifications for any SMS conversations that you have been assigned as owner.

A new message notification icon will appear in the navigation area at the top of the web application showing you a count of new unread text messages.
 

Any new SMS messages will have a green dot next to the unread message(s).

 


Can I assign the text message conversation to a team member?


To assign ownership of an SMS conversation, follow these simple steps:

  1. Click on the SMS icon located at the top of the RingByName web application


  2. Click on a conversation you would like to assign from the listing of SMS conversations.

  3. Click on the drop down labeled "Assigned to:" and select the person to whom the conversation will be assigned. The conversation owner will be the only individual that can mark a conversation as read or delete a conversation. They also receive notifications of new messages for that client, however any user that has been granted access to the SMS feature can read and reply to an SMS.  



    

How can I change ownership of a text message conversation?


Once an SMS conversation has been assigned, only the current "owner" can assign it to another team member. To reassign the conversation, follow the instructions here.



How do I grant my team members access to use SMS?


In order to grant access to a team member please follow these steps:

  1. Login to your RingByName account at https://login.ringbyname.com

  2. Click on your name in the top right corner and click on your name, then click on "System administration" from the drop down menu. If it does not appear, then you do not have administrator permissions to your system.



  3. Click on "RingByName Setup" from the navigation bar at the top of the screen.


  4. Click on the "Phone Numbers" icon located on the left side of the screen.


  5. Locate and click on one of the locate your SMS-enabled number from the list of your company numbers.


  6. Scroll to the bottom of the phone number settings located in the last column. Click on all users that should be granted access to receive or send SMS messages, and click "Save".





Are there any rules or regulations to using SMS or group SMS?


There is a strict character limit per text of 2048 characters per message. Please be sure to limit your messaging to roughly 2000 characters per message for fastest delivery. 

For Texting Campaigns, to be compliant with CTIA (Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association)
the following rules should be followed with any ad campaigns sent to your customers.
1. Get consent from your users
2. Send an opt-in confirmation
3. Identify your Brand in your messages
4. Use a private domain for URLs in messages.
5. Be sure your users can opt out of receiving messages.
Any campaign web URLs should be from a single, specific domain.

Each campaign should be associated with a single web domain owned by you, the customer. Although a full domain is preferred, a URL shortener may be used to deliver custom links.

You should avoid common, public or shared domain shorteners. Below is a list of some examples of common URL shorteners you should avoid.  For more information refer to https://api.ctia.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/190719-CTIA-Messaging-Principles-and-Best-Practices-FINAL.pdf 

bit.ly
goo.gl
tinyurl.com
Tiny.cc
lc.chat
is.gd
soo.gd
s2r.co
Clicky.me
budurl.com
bc.vc

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