Confirm two-way SMS availability before you launch
If you just need the essentials, follow this quick path:
- Understand what “two-way SMS” means (and what it depends on)
- Use the country list as a starting point (then confirm in Twilio Guidelines)
- Verify sending permissions + number capabilities in Twilio
- Troubleshoot common “international sending” and routing issues
Two-way SMS is country-specific and can change—always validate before scaling.
Step-by-Step Process
Two-way SMS means you can both:
- Send SMS messages to contacts, and
- Receive replies to the same number/service
Whether two-way SMS works depends on:
- The country and its local carrier rules
- Your Twilio number type (and its capabilities)
- Your account settings (for example, Messaging Geographic Permissions)
[CAPTURE: Twilio Console view showing a phone number with SMS capability + a reference to messaging permissions/settings.]
Twilio coverage changes over time, so treat this as a starting reference and confirm the latest status in Twilio’s SMS Guidelines before you deploy. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}
Two-way SMS supported countries (snapshot list):
- Australia
- Austria
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Czech Republic
- Denmark (Beta)
- Estonia
- Finland
- France (Beta)
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Hungary (Beta)
- Ireland
- Israel (Beta)
- Italy (Beta)
- Lithuania
- Malaysia
- Mexico (Beta)
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Philippines (Beta)
- Poland
- Portugal
- Puerto Rico
- Singapore (Beta)
- South Africa (Beta)
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Vietnam (Beta)
- Virgin Islands
[CAPTURE: Twilio SMS Guidelines page for your target country, highlighting whether “Two-way SMS supported” is Yes/No.]
If international sending or inbound replies aren’t working, confirm these Twilio-side checks:
- Confirm your Twilio number/service is SMS-enabled.
- Confirm the destination country is allowed in Messaging Geographic Permissions (or equivalent settings in your Twilio Console).
- If you’re using a trial account, confirm any restrictions (trial accounts often require extra verification steps).
[CAPTURE: Twilio Console settings showing Messaging Geographic Permissions enabled for the destination country.]
When something fails, isolate whether the issue is:
- Country support (two-way not supported, or special rules apply)
- Twilio permissions (geo permissions / restricted destinations) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
- RapidPro.app routing (wrong channel, contact URN formatting, or disabled channel)
[CAPTURE: RapidPro.app message log showing a failed message with an error code/details, plus a reference to Twilio console logs.]
Common Issues & Quick Fixes
My number should work, but I can’t send internationally
Problem: Messages fail when sending to a destination country outside your default region.
Fix:
- Confirm the destination country is enabled in Messaging Geographic Permissions (Twilio Console). :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
- Verify you’re using an SMS-capable number or Messaging Service sender pool.
- Send a single test message and check Twilio/RapidPro.app logs for the specific error.
Outbound sending works, but replies don’t come back into RapidPro.app
Problem: Contacts receive messages, but their replies don’t appear in Messages or flow runs.
Fix:
- Confirm you’re using a true two-way SMS setup for that country (check Twilio Guidelines for your locale). :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
- Confirm the Twilio channel is enabled in RapidPro.app and is the one used for that contact.
- Verify the contact’s URN is correctly formatted (country code, no mismatched prefixes).
We launched, and later a country stopped working (or rules changed)
Problem: Two-way SMS behavior changed after deployment.
Fix:
- Re-check Twilio’s SMS Guidelines for that country—Twilio notes details may change without notice. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
- Review any new compliance/registration requirements in your provider account.
- Run a small live test (send + reply) before restarting large broadcasts.