In Microsoft Teams (free), there are different ways to chat with SMS participants. You can start a chat with an SMS participant in supported countries, see How to chat via SMS on Microsoft Teams (free). You can also link your Android in Microsoft Teams (free) to connect your phone to Teams—get access to your SMS text messages and contacts, and receive notifications.
As an SMS participant, they can send and receive messages from a chat. Currently, rich media messages are not supported. Participants who are not active in any group for 30 days will be automatically removed due to inactivity. After they are automatically removed, they must be added back to the chat via invitation.
Note: SMS is only available in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Japan, Mexico, or the U.S. SMS participants from other countries will receive an invite to join Microsoft Teams (Free) and join this chat. Standard SMS messaging rates may apply to SMS recipients who reply to chats.
Commands
SMS participants can use the following list of commands:
#continue: To continue getting SMS from a chat without sending a message to the chat.
#mute: To pause getting messages for a chat. Messages will not be sent until the user says #unmute. Upon joining Microsoft Teams (free), the SMS users will see all messages in the Microsoft Teams (free) chat.
#unmute: To resume getting messages for a chat.
#groupdetails: To show the group name and list the group participants.
#listcommands: To list all available SMS commands.
#exit: To leave a group.
#myname: To enable SMS user to rename herself in a group chat.
#stopall: To stop all SMS from Microsoft Teams (free). This command will remove you from all your groups. Teams App users will not be able to add you to any group or initiate a direct chat with you.
#startall: To resume all SMS from Microsoft Teams (free). Teams App users will be able to add you to group and initiate a direct chat with you. You can send this command to +1 585-666-6650 or to any chat that you were part of when you used #stopall command.
#export: To export your SMS conversations. You need to send this command in any of your active conversations to get a copy of all conversations in which you are currently a participant. You will not be able to export any chats that were already deleted by another chat participant in Microsoft Teams (free).
Limits of SMS group chat
SMS participants can receive up to 1,000 SMS messages per group chat. Messages will not be delivered to the chat's SMS participants who’ve reached the 1,000 SMS message limit. The only way an SMS user can continue receiving SMS or reply in that particular chat is to join Microsoft Teams (free) and download the app.
Import your SMS chats
If you log into Microsoft Teams (free) and have SMS messages associated with the phone number(s) on your Teams identity, you can import those chats and continue the conversation on Microsoft Teams (free), if you can verify that you are in possession of the numbers.
If you receive a text message at a phone number that is not associated with your Teams identity, you can still join that conversation by verifying that you are in possession of the number. When importing your chats, the number you have been using for SMS chats will not be added to your Microsoft account. You will continue the conversation using your Teams identity that is not associated with the SMS number. If you wish to add this number, please visit accounts.microsoft.com.
People can search for you in Microsoft Teams (free) with the phone numbers on your account. If you choose not to add this number to your account, people won't be able to search for you with that number. Learn more about managing how people find you in Microsoft Teams (free).
Deleting SMS chats
Deleting a chat with an SMS user will mean that the user will no longer receive SMS messages from that chat. In order to message the SMS user, start a new group or chat with that user.
Contact us
For more help, contact support or ask a question in the Microsoft Teams Community.
