TextUs works best when we text-enable landlines, but in some situations where it’s necessary, we can also use VOIP phone numbers that are not cloud based. Mobile numbers cannot be used with our products because they are already text-enabled through the service provider, and if we were to use our service to try to text-enable them, the phones associated with the number would no longer be able to send SMS messages! At this time we are unable to text-enable toll free numbers.

The simple explanation: You can already send and receive text messages with your mobile phone, so there is no reason for us to text enable it!

The technical explanation: Every number that is text-enabled is associated with a SPID (Services Poivider ID) who issues the cell phone service – also known as a carrier. If we text-enable your mobile/cell phone number, you could send/receive messages on our SPID, but then you will lose the ability to send/receive messages through their carrier. In other words, this means your phone loses it typical texting capabilities as it’s impossible to have two SPIDs sending/receiving messages.

TextUs does not in any way effect your voice plan, carrier, voicemail or voice services. It operates completely independently of your existing voice plan and service.

Our agreement with our SMS gateway provider allows us to text-enable most landlines using our SPID (Service Profile Identifier). This process involves letting NetNumber, who routes all long-code (10-digit number) SMS messages through the various cell carriers, know that the owner of the number has given us permission to act as their Service Provider’s limited agent for the sole purpose of SMS message origination and delivery. This permission is provided to us in the form of an LOA from the owner, or the service provider, of that 10-digit number.
The provisioning process to activate the number does not in any way effect the voice communication, IVR, plan, carrier or any aspect of the voice service. The SMS capability works “over the top” of the voice platform. This capability has actually existed for a number of years (think Google Voice) but is just now coming to the forefront of B2C communication.

No! TextUs works using the Google Chrome browser which is available for both PC’s and Mac’s.