Text Messaging (SMS/MMS): New Functionality & Guidelines (as of August 2025)
After a pause on outbound text messaging (SMS/MMS) because of regulatory changes, we’re happy to introduce an alternative and regulatory-compliant version of outbound text messaging. (If you’re not familiar with the changes that went into effect due to 10DLC regulations, you can read more here.)
In short, we’ve received a new classification called P2P to enable outbound text messaging. However, in order to comply with P2P messaging requirements, we’ve made the following changes to our text messaging functionality.
- Text messages are for “person-to-person” (P2P), individual and personal use only. Not for business use.
- You can send and receive text messages only in the NumberBarn mobile app, via one device at a time. (You can still view all messages in your account from any device.)
- To avoid spam and misuse, daily limits apply.
- You can activate text messaging within your account for a fee of $1 a month. (If you previously had inbound texts and only need inbound text messaging, please see below.)
Personal Use
What is considered personal use? To achieve P2P classification, NumberBarn outbound text messaging users must only use NumberBarn SMS/MMS for personal, conversational text messaging between individual users without the purposes of business solicitation, spam, or business communications.
(In other words, using NumberBarn SMS/MMS for casual, everyday conversational texting - great! Using NumberBarn text messaging for business interactions, mass marketing communications or spammy, unsolicited texting - not allowed!) If you’re interested in business text messaging and your brand has a government-issued EIN, learn more about activating business SMS with String.
Outbound Text Messaging (SMS/MMS) via the NumberBarn Mobile App
Why did this change?
In order to receive and maintain a P2P classification and text messaging functionality, NumberBarn must show carriers that conversations occur in a way that average consumer texting occurs. Carriers consider “average consumer texting” as occurring between two mobile devices. (This differs from NumberBarn’s previous classification, something called A2P, or Application-to-Person, which is now considered non-consumer, business texting.)
What this means for you?
NumberBarn text messaging is now available through the NumberBarn mobile app only, via one device at a time. So if two people are logged into the same account from two different devices at the same time, SMS/MMS can only send from one device. The system will prompt the user to verify the app as "this is the app I send from." This scenario does not apply to most NumberBarn users, but helps protect against misuse by potential spam texting from the same number from multiple devices.
You can still view all text messaging conversations and logs in your desktop and NumberBarn account on any device. You can also continue to receive email notifications when new text messages arrive.
Daily Limits
As we just mentioned above, to ensure continued outbound text messaging functionality for NumberBarn customers, NumberBarn must demonstrate safeguards against spam, fraud and business text messaging. To avoid system abuse, we are imposing fair and reasonable limits on daily messaging. Limitations include the following:
- Excessive messaging per minute
- Excessive messaging per day
- Excessive message recipients per day
For instance, accounts rapidly sending a thousand messages to hundreds of recipients a day, may appear as non-personal use. Such use cases will receive an error message notifying that they have exceeded the daily P2P limit. Avoid flagging and blocking by sticking to individual, conversational, personal-use texting.
Monthly Fee
You can activate text messaging in your NumberBarn account. Click on the phone number in your account you wish to activate, then click the Messages tab, followed by the “Activate SMS” button. You will be billed an additional $1 texting fee in your monthly billing cycle. You can cancel or deactivate text messaging at any time. No refunds or prorating will apply.
If you temporarily deactivate text messaging, then reactivate within the same month, we will still consider it under the original $1 per month charge. You will not be charged additionally each time you reactivate it within the same month.
*Note that if you previously activated SMS (prior to August 1, 2025) you can still receive inbound texts without the $1 month texting fee. If you’d like to send outbound text messages, you will need to enable texting by deactivating and then reactivating your SMS for the desired number in your account. (In other words, you just need to turn off and then turn on the “Activate SMS” button in your account.) All new phone numbers added to your account after August 1, 2025 will need to activate SMS for $1 a month to send and receive SMS.
Need Business Use or Toll-Free Texting?
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will I be able to text via the number barn app on a wi-fi only android tablet that doesn't (and can't) have its own phone number?
Thanks
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Hey JudithMeyers, absolutely! As long as you're able to install our Android app on the tablet it should work great. Let me know if you run into any issues at all.
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Thanks. I will now buy a not-too-expensive tablet and see how it goes. I've been receiving texts on my account for years and was sending texts while that was still available. so..do I have to briefly turn off texting in my account and turn it on again to be able to send outgoing texts?
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JudithMeyers, I went ahead and pushed the button in your account to activate texting, including outbound and we're working to get that fully activated now.
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swell, thanks. Just ordered a brand new android 16 tablet on huge sale, should be arriving in a few days. comes with a keyboard and mouse, so hopefully it could feel almost like a laptop to me once I get it set up and get used to it.
thanks again to whoever suggested using the app on a tablet. At 81, it will be an adventure, but I'm game for it. Creeping cautiously into the 21st century. I'll let you guys know how it goes and if I need any help.
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I am finding this sudden change to be rather problematic, as SMS was functioning just fine before (personal use, not business use) - then suddenly everything is broken and even after agreeing to paying a $1 more - now more than 24 hrs later, I am still seeing problems with SMS texts not coming in. Not cool at all.
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JudithMeyers keep me posted on how that works for you. I know you can also even get a bluetooth keyboard for many tablets to make it behave even more like a laptop.
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Hulettk I hear you and am sorry about the hiccups. Our team is working to address these issues that have arisen since publish. I'm opening a ticket for you and will follow up as we have updates.
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still broken... verification texts not coming through, impacting access to personal accounts.
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Hi Hulettk, we are working through issues with our carrier in receiving text messages from short codes. I'll keep you updated on the status of this.
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I was receiving text messages from short codes just fine before the new system kicked in.
I've missed most of my usual reminders. Hopefully you'll get this ironed out soon.
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Hey JudithMeyers Adam Valerius Hulettk I'm working to get an update for y'all on that. Hopefully very soon.
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Same thing happening to me, used to receive shortcode messages for 2FA apps and not working anymore.
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I’m still unable to receive any texts from short codes. This continues to prevent me from verifying certain accounts
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Hey Adam Valerius and Agustin Lopez the root issue is that we migrated to a new carrier which allow you to send and receive but NOT receive short code messages.
I can move you back to our old carrier and short codes will work but outbound won't work. Let me know if you'd like me to make that update.
(We are still working on a better solution and aren't out of the woods yet)0 -
Hi Jeremy. I need outbound to work so please keep me with your new carrier. If I must pick outbound or short codes one or the other then outbound is far more important to me.
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Thank you, Adam Valerius. I will keep it as is. We are actively working to get short codes working and will keep you posted.
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