Incoming texts on a powered down phone.

[Zipy]

Seems a silly question I know, but, I have a phone that I was expecting a text on that was powered down. When powering it on several days later there was no incoming text message showing. Voice mails pop up when I turn it on, not texts?

[Slepy]

Text messages usually have a limited life time to be delivered, around 48-72 hours. If your phone is off the whole time, then the message expires and goes poof.

[zapjb]

Text messages usually have a limited life time to be delivered, around 48-72 hours. If your phone is off the whole time, then the message expires and goes poof.

I didn't know this. Thanks.

[hapollo8]

Text messages usually have a limited life time to be delivered, around 48-72 hours. If your phone is off the whole time, then the message expires and goes poof.

Does that depend on carrier? had text messages show up days/months later after phone is off. especially those "glove box" phones

[Slepy]

Does that depend on carrier? had text messages show up days/months later after phone is off. especially those "glove box" phones

Yeah, it depends on the carrier. 48-72 hours is the safe limit. Some US carriers might keep trying for 7 days to a month. Text messages are not like emails, which are stored server side. Text messages are best effort in networking terms, with a TTL (time to live). If it cannot reach the recipient/destination within the allotted time, it gets dropped.

Or use something like a VoIP solution like Google Voice/TextNow, which does store your messages on a server when received.

I can try to do a test with one of my Tracfone VZ lines and the FreedomPop (Tmo) line to see if the text is received after one week. I use my other lines more often.

[PaulCrawhorne]

Yes TextNow is good for receiving SMS for one line on all your screen devices.

Synchronization is no longer perfect though but might be because I have dozens rotating

[GPz1100]

Google voice user here.. Have texts going back to sometime in 2011!

Sure there's the privacy aspect of it, but it's all accessible on a pc via web browser, tablet (app), and phone (app).

I used to have a textnow account but seems it's been closed due to non-use. Not sure how long they let you go dormant for. With google it's 3 months which triggers an email giving you another 30 days to do some activity to keep the account active.

[PaulCrawhorne]

Yes best to use a TN account regularly.

Purely free app-only mode, they reco weekly but you can stretch that.

Get the $1 SIM and port in a number, in theory they won't ever drop it, but I'd still do every couple months. No need to ever use the SIM though, can just stash it or carry for emergency backup - I have my kids do that.

Any paid plan at all (I have a few lines grandfathered on $8/year) should resolve the issue completely.

[Serial Port]

From my recollection, it has always been this way with text messages, even back when pagers were in common use by many.

[sillyette]

Yes best to use a TN account regularly.

Purely free app-only mode, they reco weekly but you can stretch that.

Get the $1 SIM and port in a number, in theory they won't ever drop it, but I'd still do every couple months. No need to ever use the SIM though, can just stash it or carry for emergency backup - I have my kids do that.

Any paid plan at all (I have a few lines grandfathered on $8/year) should resolve the issue completely.

Just want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly - if someone ports in a number, Textnow won't deactivate the number even if there's no activity - even on a free plan - is that correct? Thanks!

[PaulCrawhorne]

In theory.

Read carefully what I wrote though

[kevdogg32901]

I ported a number to text now and I get a monthly reminder to use or lose the number. Since it is a non spammed number I keep it going.


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[PaulCrawhorne]

That does not necessarily mean it would ever get dropped from non-use.

That would be a pretty crappy policy.

I would not bother asking a CSR either.

Obviously only worth testing by porting in a number you don't care about.

I used to (years ago before they introduced SIMs into the mix) talk at length online with the founder directly, I'll see if I can dig up their contact info.

Part of my strategy I posted is converting the ported-number line from app-only to SIM-based, that definitely changes the line's status internal within their systems.

[robbyrobby]

seems that certain area code get reclaimed much faster. i have textnow accounts(none with important numbers) in 3 different area codes. on one of them if i do not do anu calls or texts for a week or two it gets reclaimed(and the SIM deactivated - but i can active again no issues) the other 2 area codes i can go months at a time and no reclaim or SIM de-activation.

in my case the SIM being active or not does not seem to be a factor. i have never ported in or out.

[PaulCrawhorne]

Yes certain exchanges have a much higher demand vs supply ratio.

My strategy did involve Porting + SIM + (regular usage OR some paid service)