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Sending & Receiving SMS

RingCentral for NetSuite Pro sends and receives SMS through your RingCentral number, with threaded conversations grouped by contact.

Prerequisites

  • RingCentral connected (Settings → Integrations).
  • SMS enabled on your RingCentral plan.
  • RingCentral for NetSuite Pro open in at least one tab to receive real-time inbound messages.

The Messages tab

Open the Messages tab to see all your SMS conversations. Each row shows:

  • The other party — contact name when known, raw number otherwise
  • The most recent message preview
  • The timestamp of the latest message
  • An unread indicator when applicable

Sending an SMS

From the Messages tab

  1. Open Messages.
  2. Click New message (or the compose icon).
  3. Enter a phone number or pick a contact.
  4. Type your message and click Send.

If a conversation with that number already exists, your new message appends to it.

From a contact or call

  • Contacts tab: click a contact → click the SMS icon on the contact card.
  • Recent calls / voicemails: open the call detail → click the SMS icon.

Reading a conversation

Click any conversation row to open the thread. Inside, you see:

  • Messages in chronological order with timestamps and sender labels
  • A participant panel showing all numbers on the thread
  • A Call icon in the header — dial the other party directly from the conversation

Press Escape to close the participant panel.

Real-time inbound

Inbound SMS arrives via a RingCentral WebSocket subscription. You don't need to refresh — new messages appear in the conversation list and inside open threads automatically.

The WebSocket status indicator (small dot, usually in the header or status bar) shows whether the real-time connection is live:

  • 🟢 Online — receiving real-time updates
  • 🟡 Reconnecting — temporarily offline; messages will sync on reconnect
  • ⚫ Offline — no real-time updates; refresh manually if waiting on a message

Number formatting & normalization

Numbers are normalized to E.164 format internally (e.g. +15551234567) so the same contact looks consistent across calls, voicemails, and conversations — even if you typed (555) 123-4567.

Limits

Item Notes
Inbound Unlimited; arrives in real time.
Outbound Subject to your RingCentral SMS plan limits.
MMS / attachments Not currently supported. SMS text only.
Group SMS Threads with multiple recipients are visible but outbound replies go to all participants.
  • Contacts — saving numbers as contacts gives every SMS thread a friendly name.
  • Making a Call — start a voice call from inside any conversation.