Setting up SMS

Zoom Phone SMS allows phone users to send and receive text messages (SMS) using the Zoom desktop client or mobile app. You’ll also gain security and granular controls around company messaging as well as holistic usage and charge reporting. Follow this article to set up SMS for your account's phone users.

To learn about the limitations of SMS, see our frequently asked questions about SMS. You can also set up SMS for a call queue or auto receptionist.

Note: You can set up 10DLC for person-to-person messaging.

Requirements for setting up SMS

Note: To use SMS, additional prerequisites are required for phone users.

Table of Contents

How to enable or disable SMS/MMS

You must enable SMS at the account level before enabling it at the site or extension level.

Account

To enable or disable SMS/MMS for all users in the account:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management, then click Account Settings.
  3. Click the Zoom Phone tab.
  4. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  5. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
  6. (Optional) To prevent all users in your account from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Group

To enable or disable SMS/MMS for a group of users:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit groups.
  2. In the navigation menu, click User Management then Groups.
  3. Click the applicable group name from the list.
  4. Click the Zoom Phone tab.
  5. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  6. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
    Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at the account level and needs to be changed at that level.
  7. (Optional) To prevent all users in the group from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Site

To enable or disable SMS/MMS for select sites:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management, then Company Info.
  3. Select a site from the list.
  4. Click the Policy tab.
  5. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  6. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
  7. (Optional) To prevent all users in your site from changing this setting, click the lock icon , and then click Lock to confirm the setting.

Auto receptionists

To enable or disable SMS/MMS for select auto receptionists:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management, then Company Info.
  3. Select a site from the list.
  4. Click the Policy tab.
  5. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  6. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
  7. (Optional) Click Allow List to add users to a list who will be allowed to send messages by using the number of the auto receptionist.

Call queues

To enable or disable SMS/MMS for select call queues:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management, then Company Info.
  3. Select a site from the list.
  4. Click the Policy tab.
  5. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  6. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
  7. (Optional) Click Exempt List to add users to a list who will be allowed to send messages by using the number of the call queue.

Phone user

Enable or disable SMS/MMS for a phone user. After enabling SMS at the account level, you can access policy settings to enable SMS at the phone user level.

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management, then click Users & Rooms.
  3. Click the Users tab.
  4. Select a phone user from the list.
  5. Click the Policy tab.
  6. Under General, click the SMS/MMS toggle to enable or disable it.
  7. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change.
    Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the site or account level. You need to contact your Zoom admin.

Enable SMS for a phone user template

You can also enable SMS for phone user templates, which can be applied to several users at once.

How to enable international SMS

You can also enable international SMS to allow phone users to send SMS messages to certain countries/regions.

Notes:

Specify allowed countries/regions for SMS

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Account Management then Billing.
  3. In the Zoom Phone row, click View All Plans.
  4. Click View/Edit Countries/Regions.
  5. In the dialog box, select the SMS tab.
  6. Search for or check the countries/regions where users can send SMS.
  7. Click Save.

Allow international SMS

  1. Ensure SMS is enabled at the level that you want to manage.
  2. Under SMS, select Allow International SMS.
  3. Click Manage Country/Region.
  4. In the dialog box, select the countries/regions that phone users can send SMS messages to, then click Save.

How to enable or disable additional settings in SMS messages

Enable or disable emojis and attachments

Account owners and admins can manage the use of emojis and attachments in SMS messages sent through Zoom Phone. They have the option to enable or disable all emojis completely, or select a specific set of emojis that users can use. Additionally, admins can choose to enable or disable attachments in SMS messages. This feature allows users, call queues, and auto receptionists to send and receive messages.

Notes:

  1. Ensure that the SMS feature is enabled at the level that you want to manage.
  2. Under the SMS feature, enable or disable the features that you want:
  3. Click Save.

Enable or disable redact personal and sensitive data

  1. Ensure that the SMS feature is enabled at the level that you want to manage.
  2. Under the SMS feature, select the Redact Personal and Sensitive data checkbox to enable it. De-select the Redact Personal and Sensitive data checkbox to disable it.
  3. When the Redact Personal and Sensitive data checkbox is selected, click Edit to select a personal and sensitive data group that will be applied to recordings, then click Save.
  4. Click Save.

Enable or disable SMS scheduled response

Users with SMS can schedule a time when a response will be sent. 

Notes:

  1. Ensure that the SMS feature is enabled at the level that you want to manage.
  2. Under the SMS feature, select the SMS scheduled response checkbox to enable it. De-select the SMS scheduled response checkbox to disable it.
    Once enabled, SMS users will be able to send messages at a scheduled time.
  3. Click Save.

How to set up the data retention policy

You can set a data retention policy for SMS using site-level policy settings.

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Company Info.
  3. Click the name of the site you want to edit.
  4. Click the Policy tab.
  5. In the Auto Delete Data After Retention Duration section, click Edit.
  6. Next to SMS/MMS, select the data retention period for SMS.
  7. In the After Retention Duration drop-down menu, select what happens to SMS messages after the retention duration.
    Note: This setting applies to all phone data listed including SMS.

How to view SMS logs

You can view SMS logs to see SMS messages sent and received by phone users.

Notes:

  1. Sign in to the Zoom web portal as an admin with the privilege to edit account settings.
  2. In the navigation menu, click Phone System Management then Logs.
  3. Click the SMS tab.
  4. On the top right, click Export to CSV, to export the data to a CSV file, and download it.