# SMS reminder not delivered

Why a text reminder doesn't reach a registrant, and what you can do about it.

- Applies to: SMS reminders sent from a webinar's Notifications tab
- Status: Live
- Verified: 2026-10-26
- Canonical page: https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/troubleshooting/sms-not-delivered/

## Symptom {#symptom}

A registrant says they didn't get your **Welcome SMS** or **Reminder SMS**, or some registrants got it and others didn't.

## Why it happens {#why}

Most texts arrive within seconds. When one doesn't, it's usually for one of these reasons:

- **The number can't receive texts**, for example a landline or office number.
- **The number is wrong**: a missing digit, the wrong country, or a number that's no longer in use.
- **The phone was off or out of signal** for a long time.
- **The person replied STOP** to an earlier text, which stops further texts to them.
- **Their mobile network filtered the message as spam**, which can happen to texts with shortened links or wording that reads like an advert.

## Fix it {#fix}

1. **Send a test to yourself.** Use **Send Test SMS** on the message, picking your country from the flag dropdown. If it arrives, the message itself is fine and the cause is on the registrant's side.
2. **Check the number.** Keep the **Phone** field on your [registration form](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/webinars/registration/custom-fields/#set-up-the-form) with its country selector, so people pick their country rather than typing a dialling code, and ask for a mobile number.
3. **Use full links and plain wording.** Use your webinar's own join link rather than a link shortener, and keep the text factual: the webinar's name, the time and the link.
4. **Ask an opted-out registrant to reply START** to the number the texts came from if they want texts again.

## Verify the fix {#verify}

**Send Test SMS** arrives on your phone with the merge fields filled in. For registrants, email reminders keep going out as normal, so they still hear from you.

## Related problems {#related-problems}

### One text arrived as two {#split}

It hasn't; the registrant sees one message. A longer text is carried in segments and each is charged. See [what a segment is](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/reference/sms-rates/#segments).

### Replies don't reach me {#replies}

Texts come from an EasyWebinar number, not your own, so replies don't reach your phone. Put an email address or link in the message for questions.

### A WhatsApp message didn't arrive either {#whatsapp-too}

WhatsApp has its own reasons, such as limits on marketing messages. See [WhatsApp message not delivered](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/troubleshooting/whatsapp-not-delivered/).

## Prevent it next time {#prevent}

Ask for a mobile number and permission to text on your registration page, keep reminders short and factual with a full link, avoid sending the same text twice, and test every message with **Send Test SMS** before your webinar.

## Common questions {#common-questions}

#### Why did one person get the text and another didn't? {#faq-some-not-all}

Usually the second number is a landline, mistyped, or belongs to someone who replied STOP.

#### Someone replied STOP. Can I still text them? {#faq-stop}

No. Their choice is respected for further texts. They can reply START to the same number to receive texts again, and they'll still get your emails.

#### Can I resend a text that wasn't delivered? {#faq-resend}

Only if the cause was temporary, such as a phone that was switched off. Resending to a landline or someone who replied STOP won't work.

#### Do links get my texts blocked? {#faq-links}

Shortened links are a common reason networks filter texts. Use the full join link.

#### Do registrants still get my emails? {#faq-email}

Yes. Email reminders are separate and go out as normal.

## Still stuck? {#still-stuck}

Contact EasyWebinar support with the webinar name, the registrant's country, the time the text should have gone out, and a screenshot of the message settings. Don't share registrants' full phone numbers in public screenshots.

## Next steps {#next-steps}

- [SMS rates by country](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/reference/sms-rates/): segments, and how SMS is charged.
- [WhatsApp message not delivered](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/troubleshooting/whatsapp-not-delivered/): the WhatsApp version of this page.
- [Webinar reminder emails](https://easywebinar.com/product-docs/webinars/notifications/reminder-emails/#sms-whatsapp): where text reminders are set up.