Configure SMS Groups

This article guides the Enterprise Admin on how to configure an SMS Group.

Definition of SMS Group

Group Texting

SMS Group is not for group texting. To know more about group texting, check this article.

Shared SMS Numbers on the Embedded SMS Page in SMS Connector Apps

Both the legacy SMS Connector App and the Unified SMS Connector App include an embedded SMS page within the app interface.

To proceed, click the SMS Number selector (highlighted in the red box in the screenshot below).

All Microsoft Teams users who are members of an SMS Group will have access to the shared SMS phone number.

When a member selects the shared number:

• They can view all SMS conversations associated with that number.

• They can also send SMS messages from the shared number directly via the embedded SMS page.

The SMS Group in Legacy SMS Connector App

In addition to the embedded SMS page, the Legacy SMS Connector App also represents an SMS Group as a Microsoft Teams team.

In the example below, the team named "TM SMS Group" displays:

• The members of the SMS Group.

• Channels representing individual SMS conversations with external phone numbers.

As per standard Microsoft Teams behavior, all members of the team can view and participate in the conversations within each channel.

The SMS Group in New Unified Connector App

The Unified SMS Connector App also includes the embedded SMS page, but it represents the SMS Group differently — as a Microsoft Teams chat.

Each member of the SMS Group will see the shared SMS number as a group chat in their Teams chat list. This chat thread displays:

• All SMS conversations conducted via the shared number.

• The ability for each member to send and receive messages from the shared number within the chat interface.

This approach provides a more native, streamlined messaging experience within Teams.

More info about this chat experience is described in this guide: Accessing a Message from Chat (uses the Unified Connector App).

Before You Begin

• • SMS Service Activation: Your Enterprise account must have the SMS service enabled. Please contact your service provider to add this feature if it's not already active.

  • User Group Membership: If you've restricted access to specific user groups, make sure the target Teams user is a member of one of the listed groups. If no groups have been defined, no further action is required here.

Note to the Reseller:

• There must be an SMS Carrier Profiles at the Reseller level that is assigned to the Enterprise or “All Enterprises”, and that should successfully connect to your SMS providers. See SMS Carrier Configuration as a Reseller Admin.

• There must be uploaded phone numbers assigned to the Enterprise.

Listing SMS Groups

From the Enterprise portal, navigate to Enterprise> SMS > SMS Groups.

The page will show all available SMS groups, the member count, and the phone numbers assigned to the SMS group. Click on the group name to see the group member composition or to update the SMS group.

Creating an SMS Group

1. From the Enterprise portal, navigate to Enterprise > SMS > SMS Groups.
   

2. Click the Add New Group button.

   

3. Enter the group name, group owner and select the group members. The group’s owner and members need to be SMS enabled users and these users need not have individually assigned phone numbers.

   

4. Assign the phone number(s) to the group by moving the numbers to the Assigned DID(s) area.
   

5. Click Save.

Result:

The new group will be added to the SMS Group table, but will not get reflected in the member users’ Teams client until the SMS app is sync’d. To sync, see the Sync the SMS App to Finalize the Changes section below.

Updating SMS Groups 

1. From the Enterprise portal, navigate to Enterprise > SMS > SMS Groups.

2. Click the group name to edit the SMS group.
   

3. You may update the group name, group members or phone numbers.
   

4. Click Save.

Result:

The SMS Group configuration will be updated but will not get reflected in the member users Teams client until the SMS app is sync’d.

IMPORTANT

These changes will not be reflected for the Teams user until the relevant connector app is synchronized.

To perform the sync, continue to the Sync the App to Finalize the Changes section below.

Deleting an SMS Group

1. From the Enterprise portal, navigate to Enterprise > SMS > SMS Groups.

2. Under Actions, click ... and click Delete Group.
   
   

   A pop up displays.

3. Click the Delete SMS Group.

   

Result:

Deleting the SMS group automatically unassigns the phone number and returns it to the enterprise pool.

The SMS Group appears to be deleted from the SMS Group table but will not get deleted in the member users Teams client until the app is sync’d.

IMPORTANT

These changes will not be reflected for the Teams user until the relevant connector app is synchronized.

To perform the sync, continue to the next section.

Once the app is sync’d, the corresponding team in MS Teams will have its name appended with _ARCHIVED and the date of the deletion.

Sync the App to Finalize the Changes

To finalize the group creation, the Microsoft Global Admin (or the provider if granted the proper consent) must sync the app to Microsoft.

SMS Connector App Option

If the enterprise is using the legacy SMS Connector app, go to the Enterprise Dashboard and click the Sync SMS App button. More details about this step is presented in this guide: Deploy the SMS App to a Microsoft Teams Organization

Unified Connector App Option

If the enterprise is using the new Unified Connector App, go to the Enterprise Dashboard and click the Sync Unified App button. More details about this step is presented in this guide: Deploy and Sync the Unified Connector App.

If need to create more SMS Groups or update more SMS groups, repeat the applicable procedure described above.

Further Reading

If need to configure Teams users for SMS, see Configure SMS Users or Configure SMS Users in Bulk.