An end-user guide to sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages with the Unified Connector App in Microsoft Teams
Recommended app for SMS, calling, and chat
The Unified Connector App is the strategic direction for ConnecttoTeams. It consolidates SMS, PBX, CallApp, and Chat into a single app inside Microsoft Teams, with a simpler setup and a consistent experience.
All new capabilities ship exclusively on the Unified Connector App, and the CallApp and Chat services are available only here. Retirement plans for the legacy SMS, PBX, and CallApp apps will be announced separately.
If your organization has deployed the Unified Connector App, this is the guide for you. If you are still on the legacy SMS Connector App, see Using the SMS Connector App (Legacy)
About This Guide
This guide shows end users how to send and receive SMS and MMS messages in Microsoft Teams using the Unified Connector App. It covers where your conversations appear, how to use the SMS Page and Teams group chats, and how to send messages with the AI-Powered Chat tab and the AI Messaging Assistant. Notification behavior is also covered.
If your organization uses the legacy SMS Connector App instead, see Using the SMS Connector App (Legacy) — most of what's described here is handled differently in that app.
Before You Begin
Your enterprise administrator must configure your user for SMS and assign a phone number to you (or to an SMS group you are a member of).
Your organization's Global Admin must have deployed the Unified Connector App to Microsoft Teams.
Your service provider may have renamed the app for your organization — use the name and icon your Enterprise Admin provided.
Knowing When the App Is Ready
Follow these steps to confirm the Unified Connector App is ready for you to use:
In Microsoft Teams, navigate to the Teams app catalog.
Under Apps › Built for your org, locate the app. (The app name may vary if it has been customized by your service provider. Use the name and icon your Enterprise Admin provided.)
The app is ready when the button next to it reads Open.
Once available, click Open to start using the app. For quicker access in the future, you can pin the app to your Microsoft Teams sidebar.
If the button stays on “Add”
If the button is still on "Add" after 24 hours, contact your enterprise administrator. They can work with your service provider to redeploy the app at a higher version number.
Where Your SMS Conversations Live
In the Unified Connector App, SMS and MMS messages appear directly in your Microsoft Teams chat list as regular Teams group chats. Your text conversations live alongside your team conversation — one place for everything.
Each SMS conversation is named in the format source(destination), where source is your hosted SMS number and destination is the remote party. If the remote party matches an Outlook contact, their name is shown instead of the raw number.
Search the Teams chat list for your SMS number or the contact's name to open the thread. Send your message and view incoming texts just like a normal chat. Send MMS by attaching a file to your message before sending.
The SMS Page (Inside the App)
The SMS Page is the central hub inside the app for managing your text messages.
From the SMS Page, you can:
View, send, and receive SMS and MMS messages.
Broadcast messages to multiple recipients.
Send group texts (if supported by your assigned SMS number).
Manage your Outlook Contacts directly within the app.
Accessing the SMS Page
For complete instructions on using this page, see the Using the SMS Page within the App guide.
Group Texting and Messaging Using an SMS Group Number
Group texting is a standard SMS feature available across most carriers and devices — one message sent to multiple recipients, with each recipient able to see and reply to the thread. SMS Group is a ConnecttoTeams concept: a set of Teams users who share phone number(s), where any member can send from it and all members receive messages sent to it. The two are not interchangeable.
Group Texting
To initiate a group text
Ask the AI Messaging Assistant or the app's Chat tab. The AI will walk you through building the group text.
To reply to a group text
Search for the Teams chat containing the existing group text messages. Search for any string that identifies your group text — the group name, source number or any number or contact who is a participant in the group text. The Source number (green box) and the Group Recipients (orange box) are pinned in the chat for easier identification. Any text and media messages you enter here (blue box) will be sent as a group text message.
Messaging Using an SMS Group Number
In an SMS Group, every member sees every message sent or received on the shared number — there is no private side channel between members. Common uses include shared Sales and Support lines.
To initiate SMS from an SMS Group Number
Launch the SMS Page from the Unified Connector App. For details, see Launching the SMS Page > From the Unified Connector App section of the SMS Connector App vs Unified Connector App article.
From the drop-down at the top left, select the sending Group number.
Click New icon.
In the Enter Recipients Mobile Number box, enter recipient numbers or contact names (up to 10). Everyone added can see and reply to the thread.
Type your message. To attach a file, click the image icon.
Click the Send icon.
Monitor responses here, or continue the conversation in the Teams group chat created for this thread.
To reply using an SMS Group Number
Simply search for the relevant Teams chat.
From the Teams chat search box, search for any string that identifies your SMS Group conversation. You could search for your source SMS Group number or any number or contact who is a recipient. The Source number (green box) and the recipient(s) (orange box) are pinned in the chat for easier identification. Any text and media messages you enter here will be sent as a group text message.
MMS limitations
When sending MMS, carrier-imposed limits apply to file types and sizes. Review the MMS limitations guide before sending media attachments.
AI-Powered Chat Tab
The Unified Connector App includes an AI-Powered Chat tab that lets you send SMS messages using natural, everyday language. Instead of navigating to the SMS Page or composing a message manually, you can describe what you want to do and the AI assistant handles the rest.
Available in system upgrade 2.19.0 and later
AI-powered actions were introduced in ConnecttoTeams version 2.19.0 (March 17, 2026). The Unified Connector App must be upgraded after March 17th for the AI Chat tab to be available.
How It Works
The AI-Powered Chat tab is available directly within the Unified Connector App. Type a plain-language request in the Chat tab and the AI will compose and send the SMS or MMS on your behalf.
Example Requests
You can use natural language to perform SMS actions such as:
“Send a text to 555-123-4567 saying I'll be 10 minutes late.”
“Text +1-555-123-4567 that the meeting has been moved to 3 PM.”
“Send an SMS from +1-203-111-2222 to 1-555-123-4567 with the message: Please call me when you're available.”
“Send a group text from +1-203-111-2222 to 555-123-4567, 555-123-4577 and 555-123-4587 with the message: Our meeting with client ABC will push through tomorrow.”
Messages sent via the AI-Powered Chat tab appear in the relevant Teams group chat, the same as any other SMS conversation.
Do not begin your messages with these reserved keywords
The Chat tab also supports traditional commands using these reserved keywords:
echo
help
invite
initiate
When using natural language, do not begin your message with any of these — the app will interpret it as a traditional command rather than an AI prompt.
In a future update, these reserved keywords will be removed and the Chat tab will fully support natural-language processing for all inputs.
Text only via AI
AI-powered messaging is currently limited to plain SMS (text only). To send pictures, videos, or other media attachments, attach the file to the regular Teams group chat thread, or use the SMS Page in the app.
Sending with the AI Messaging Assistant
The AI Messaging Assistant is a Teams message extension that lets you start an SMS from any Microsoft Teams conversation. Your request is passed to the AI-Powered Chat tab, where you can continue the conversation with the AI.
In any Teams conversation, open the message extension menu and select the app name. (Your service provider may have renamed the app for your organization — use the name and icon your Enterprise Admin provided.)
In the prompt that appears, describe the SMS you want to send in plain language — for example, “Send an SMS to 12127773456 letting them know I'll be there in 5 minutes”.
Click Send. The AI composes and dispatches the SMS for you.
Click View Response to jump to the AI-Powered Chat tab.
Continue interacting with the AI in the Chat tab.
Receiving SMS and Notifications
You receive incoming SMS messages in two places:
In the Teams group chat that represents the conversation, where it appears as a new message just like any other Teams chat.
In the Microsoft Teams Activity feed as a notification.
If you use Microsoft Teams on a mobile device, you will also receive push notifications for incoming SMS messages.
Need More Help?
If your connector app is missing, your conversations are not appearing, or you have questions about features described here, contact your Enterprise Admin. They can confirm your hosted SMS number assignment, verify that the Unified Connector App is deployed to your account, and assist with any organization-specific configuration.
Related reading:
FAQ
Where do my SMS conversations show up in Microsoft Teams?
In the Unified Connector App, SMS and MMS messages appear directly in your Microsoft Teams chat list as regular Teams group chats — they live alongside your team conversations. Each chat is named in the format source(destination), where source is your hosted SMS number and destination is the remote party. If the remote party matches an Outlook contact, their name is shown instead of the raw number. Search the chat list for your SMS number or the contact's name to open the thread.
My app has a different name from "Unified Connector App." Is this the right one?
Yes. Service providers can rename the app during deployment. Use the name and icon your Enterprise Admin provided. You'll find it under Apps › Built for your org in Microsoft Teams.
The button next to the app shows "Add" instead of "Open." What do I do?
Click Open if you see it. If the button is still on "Add" after 24 hours, contact your enterprise administrator. They can work with your service provider to redeploy the app at a higher version number.
Can I send a picture or video using the AI?
No. AI-powered messaging is currently limited to plain SMS (text only). To send pictures, videos, or other attachments, attach the file directly to the Teams group chat thread, or use the SMS Page in the app.
What's the difference between a "group text" and an "SMS Group"?
Group texting is a standard SMS feature — one message sent to multiple recipients, with everyone able to see and reply to the thread. An SMS Group is a ConnecttoTeams concept: a set of Teams users who share a hosted phone number, where any member can send from it and all members receive messages sent to it. The two are not interchangeable.
Can other members of my SMS Group see all my messages?
Yes. In an SMS Group, every member sees every message sent or received on the shared number — there is no private side channel between members. Common uses include shared Support lines.
How do I start a new text from an SMS Group number?
To initiate a message from an SMS Group number, use the SMS Page in the app. Launch the SMS Page, select the sending Group number from the drop-down at the top left, click New Conversation, enter up to 10 recipients in the Mobile Number box, type your message, and send. The AI Messaging Assistant and the AI-Powered Chat tab do not yet support sending from an SMS Group number.
The AI Chat tab won't process my request — it returned an error or treated it as a command. Why?
The Chat tab supports traditional commands using the reserved keywords echo, help, invite, and initiate. If your natural-language message starts with one of those words, the app interprets it as a traditional command instead of an AI prompt. Start your message with different wording. In a future update, these reserved keywords will be removed and the Chat tab will fully support natural-language input for all requests.
Why does my contact show as a phone number instead of a name?
The Unified Connector App integrates with Outlook Contacts. If the remote party's number matches an Outlook contact, their name will appear in the chat. If you only see a number, save the contact in Outlook to have it resolve next time.
Will I be notified when I receive a new SMS?
Yes. Incoming SMS messages appear in the Teams group chat that represents the conversation, and as a notification card in the Microsoft Teams Activity feed. If you use Microsoft Teams on a mobile device, you will also receive push notifications.
When will the legacy SMS Connector App be retired?
Retirement plans for the legacy SMS, PBX, and CallApp apps will be announced separately. In the meantime, all new capabilities ship exclusively on the Unified Connector App, and the CallApp and Chat services are available only there.
My organization uses the legacy SMS Connector App — does this guide apply to me?
No. Most of what's described here is handled differently in the legacy app. See Using the SMS Connector App (Legacy) for that workflow.
Why did the AI Chat tab ask me which source number to use?
If you have more than one SMS number assigned to your account, the AI confirms which one to send from before composing the message. Reply with the number from the list, and the AI will send and show a "Message sent successfully" confirmation.