Below we provide responses to many of Frequently Asked Questions about how to make best use of our Web SMS service. In addition, the Web SMS section contains more information on the features and benefits.
How do I access Web SMS from my PC and send my first text?
Web SMS is accessed from our website home page, www.esendex.com. From this page click the Messenger Sign in link. You will then be asked to sign in using your username and password. You may wish to set this page as one of your favourites or to create a shortcut icon.
Once you have signed in you will be presented with your Inbox if you have a 2-Way account or the Compose screen if you have a Send Only account. Simply select Compose to send your first message. Enter the mobile number to send to (either in national or international format), together with your message text and then press Send.
Are there any limitations on who I can send a message to?
Not really. You can send a message to a mobile phone on any of the UK networks, including the "virtual networks" such as Virgin. You can also send messages to them whilst they are overseas provided that they have set-up their phones for international roaming. You are also able to send a message to the vast majority of international users.
What happens if my message is longer than 160 characters?
Web SMS supports both standard text messages up to 160 characters in length as well as long messages of up to 612 characters. Long messages are specially constructed text messages that are sent in multiple parts for the receiving phone to reassemble.
The character counter at the bottom left of the compose page will tell you how long your message is. For long messages this also tells you how many SMS messages will be required to send your message to each recipient.
How do other people send me a text?
They simply send a message to your unique number, as they would when sending a text to another mobile user. They can also simply reply to a message that you send to them as long as you have not set a Service Alias in the Options screen.
What happens when I receive a message?
The Inbox page of Web SMS displays all new messages. Simply click on each new message to read, reply or delete it. If you have set up Email Forwarding from the Options page then an email will be sent to the address or addresses you have specified. You may find this a more convenient way to be notified of new messages if you are not always online. Each email message contains a link that will allow you to reply directly to the message.
Can I send the same message to more than one person?
Yes, simply separate each entry with a comma or click each contact in your contacts list to add them to the message. You are also able to upload a file of numbers and messages for broadcasts to larger number of users.
How do I schedule a message?
Messages can be scheduled to be sent at a later time or date. This can be done easily from the compose page. Just enter in the message which needs to be sent, enter in the recipient and click on the schedule message link to display a series of scheduling options.
Once you have filled in the appropriate scheduling details and are happy with when the message will be sent, just click on the send button. More information about scheduling can be found here together with details on how to cancel scheduled messages.
How do I set an expiry date on a message?
If a message is time sensitive, an automatic expiry time can be set so that if the message isn't delivered within a certain time, it won't be retried. This is called a validity period and can be set in the options section.
The validity period is measured in hourly increments, so if you will be available for a meeting in two hours but not for the rest of the day, the validity period can be set for two hours.
A message can then be sent to those who wish to meet with you at that time. If their handset isn't available to take receipt of that message until after the two hour window, when having a meeting won't be possible, the message will expire.
How do I forward a received message via SMS or email?
If you're going to be away from your PC or don't want to be logged into the messenger portal all the time but need to know when a message comes into your account, you can have it forwarded to your email or mobile handset.
The forwarding page in the options section allows you to enter in one or more mobile phone numbers so inbound messages can be forwarded on immediately.
These forwarded messages will appear in the sent messages page and will be deducted from your message balance. You can also have the messages forwarded to one or more email addresses. Just enter in a comma separated string and click on save.
What happens if I forget my password?
If your username is a valid email address (recommended), enter your username as usual into the sign in page and click the Reset Password link. A new password will be generated and sent to you. You can also change your password from the Options page.
How long are stored messages saved for?
The full message body is stored for three months, and a shortened message summary is stored for six months. It is recommended that important messages are downloaded and stored separately to avoid any loss of data.
What happens if I have used up my messaging limit?
Our system actively monitors the message limits of all our accounts and will send you an email when your message credits are reaching zero. If you are a prepay customer with a broadcast account, you can buy additional messages from us at any time using our secure ecommerce platform.
Just login to your account and select the Buy Credits option from the menu bar. If you are a pay monthly customer, you may find it more convenient to extend your existing message limit or if you are a pre-pay customer and have a 2-Way account we recommend you contact your account manager or email your local sales team.
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call 0845 356 5758 to find out more about our Web SMS service.