SMS sending failed – this may be the reason

Send SMS failed? If the sending process is canceled, this may be due to your cell phone, your provider or the recipient.

SMS sending failed: Possible reasons

The SMS, pronounced Short Message Service, is still popular. When sending short messages, it does not matter which cell phone you own or which software version is installed. You also do not need Wi-Fi, because SMS are sent over the telephone network. This may be the reason why sending does not work:

• In football stadiums, on New Year’s Eve or at major events, the network can, in extreme cases, fail due to overloading. You will then have reception, but data transfer will not work.
• If technical problems occur abroad, this could be due to roaming. Messages are routed through various mobile networks. In this case, information may exceptionally be lost or unreadable.
• However, it is more likely that the roaming settings on your phone need to be updated or that your provider does not offer roaming in the country in question.
• Therefore, check your phone’s settings to see if roaming is activated and/or if your provider supports roaming in the respective country. Please note that additional costs may apply for calls, SMS and data services outside the EU, on ships and in aircraft.

SMS Troubleshooting: practical solutions and tips

What you can do if you have problems sending SMS messages:

• Restart: In most cases, you can solve the problem by restarting your cell phone. The system is completely shut down, boots up again and your cell phone re-registers with the network.
• Check the phone number is correct: Check that the recipient’s phone number is correct. You may find the cause of the SMS problem in an incorrect area code or transposed digits.
• SIM card error: If you have a smartphone with dual SIM, try the other slot. It is possible that your cell phone does not recognize the card because you inserted it in the “second” slot. If your smartphone still does not recognize the SIM card, try it in another smartphone.
• Check the network coverage: Insufficient network coverage can also be the cause. Make sure that your cell phone has a stable connection. To do this, check the signal strength in the status bar. If the reception is weak, change your location. Often, a simple change of location can fix the problem.
• Set the correct time: An incorrect time setting can also cause problems with synchronization and thus with sending SMS messages.