dialnote isn't just a phone system, it's a full messaging platform too. You can send and receive SMS and MMS messages right alongside your calls, all from one inbox. Every text conversation lives in the same timeline as your call history, so you've always got the full picture.
Whether you're following up after a missed call, sending appointment reminders, or just responding to a quick question, messaging in dialnote keeps everything in one place.
What You Can Do with Messaging#
SMS and MMS are fully supported on both the web app and mobile app. Here's what's available once SMS is turned on for the number in its Messaging settings:
- Send and receive text messages from your dialnote phone numbers (sending needs the Team plan or higher; every plan receives)
- Attach files - images (JPEG, PNG, GIF) and PDFs, one per message, up to 5MB
- Schedule messages to send later, from 15 minutes to 7 days out
- Set up auto-replies for incoming messages and missed calls, with separate rules for business hours and after hours
- Use canned responses to quickly send pre-written replies with a shortcut
Each message can be up to 1,600 characters. On the web app, you'll see a character counter in the compose area that turns yellow at 80% and red at 95%, so you'll always know where you stand.
Pro tip
Canned responses save a ton of time for common replies. Give each one a shortcut keyword, then search for it in the canned responses picker and click the response to insert it.
Message Tracking and Delivery#
Every message you send goes through a delivery pipeline, and dialnote tracks the status at each step:
- Pending → Sending → Sent → Delivered → Read
- If something goes wrong, you'll see Failed so you can follow up
Scheduled messages show as Pending until they're sent.
Your text conversations live in the Inbox, right next to your call history. That's where you'll read incoming messages, reply, and add private notes for your team.
Auto-Replies#
Auto-replies let you respond to messages and missed calls automatically. You can configure different replies for:
- Incoming messages - reply instantly when someone texts your number
- Missed calls - send a text when you can't pick up
Each auto-reply type can have separate messages for business hours and after hours, once business hours are turned on for the number. dialnote also rate-limits auto-replies (3 per conversation per hour by default) to avoid flooding anyone's inbox.
Note
Auto-replies won't trigger on outbound messages or other auto-replies, so you don't have to worry about reply loops.
Registration and Cost#
Turning SMS on isn't always enough. Carriers require some sending numbers to be registered first. US local numbers go through A2P 10DLC registration, US and Canadian toll-free numbers go through toll-free verification, and Canadian local numbers need nothing. Until a number that needs registration is approved, sending from it is blocked in the composer (receiving still works).
Start with the A2P quick start to get registered, and see A2P fees for what it costs.
On the billing side, the Team, Business, and Pro plans in the US and Canada include a pool of SMS segments. Plain SMS from a local number to a number in your region draws from that pool first, then from your wallet once it's used up. Other plans pay per text from the wallet. Toll-free, international, and media messages (MMS) always come from the wallet.
Watch your balance
If your wallet balance hits zero and your included pool is spent, outbound messages are blocked until you top up. Auto-recharge in Wallet keeps that from catching you mid-conversation.
What's Next#
- SMS - Sending and receiving text messages in detail
- Auto-Replies - Setting up automatic responses
- Canned Responses - Creating reusable message templates
- Inbox - Where every conversation lands
- A2P Registration - Getting your numbers cleared to text