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How do I receive a text?

1. Choose a number: Open the number directory, check its allocated country or region, open the inbox and select “Copy number”.
2. Request your text: Return to the service you are verifying, enter the number and request the code. If its form has a separate country-code selector, do not repeat the country code in the number field.
3. Read your message: Return to the same inbox. New messages appear automatically. Check the sender and time, and use only the code you requested for this attempt.

You do not need a ThisSMS account or an app to read public inboxes. Check that the service accepts this kind of number before requesting a text.

How do I send a text for free?

Open the free online texting page, create a ThisSMS account and sign in. The system chooses an available shared sending number for your account. Open Send in your account, enter the recipient's full international number, write your text and submit it.

Sending is free. Your current allowance and sending instructions appear in your account. The assigned number is shared; creating an account does not remove it from the public directory.

The form shows message length and sending guidance. Follow the prompts. For a walkthrough, see the browser-based texting guide.

Does “Queued” or “Accepted by network” mean my text arrived?

“Queued” means the request is waiting to be sent. “Accepted by network” means the network accepted the request, but a delivery report is still pending. Only “Delivered” confirms a delivery report—not that the recipient has read the text. If a result is being checked or remains unconfirmed, follow the original record instead of creating duplicate messages.

Replies appear in the number's public inbox and your account. Do not use shared numbers for private conversations.

For more help, read why a submitted text may not arrive (Chinese). To understand where replies appear, see the shared-number replies guide (Chinese).

How do I find a number?

Search a full number or just a few digits. Select “With messages” to find inboxes that have received texts, or sort by recent activity.

Start with the number directory, choose a number and stay in its inbox. The combined feed of all numbers has been retired; individual inboxes still update in real time.

What kind of numbers are these? How do texts appear online?

The US numbers currently offered by ThisSMS use physical SIM cards. Messages arrive on the corresponding mobile line and then appear on the website. Reading a message in a browser does not make the number a VoIP number.

See the number directory for the countries and regions currently available. You do not need to buy a SIM, top up a balance or subscribe to read public messages.

Can other people see these texts?

Yes. These are public inboxes. Other visitors can read the messages and verification codes, and no visitor owns a number exclusively. A physical SIM describes the number's source, not the inbox's privacy.

Use a number you hold long-term for banking, your main email, business accounts and password recovery. Learn more about public and private numbers (Chinese).

Do I need to submit identity documents?

No account or identity documents are needed to choose a number and read public messages on ThisSMS. Other platforms may still have their own identity checks; their requirements continue to apply.

How do I enter the country code?

The region beside a number describes its area-code allocation, not the current location of a phone, SIM or person. For example, +1 201 is allocated to New Jersey, US, and +1 416 to Ontario, Canada. +1 also serves parts of the Caribbean; it does not always mean the US. Non-geographic codes, such as toll-free codes, are labeled separately without guessing a state or city. Source: NANPA area-code reports. Data dated October 17, 2026.

Check the region beside the number and the form's country selector. For a US number, the country code is +1. If the form already selects +1, the number field usually needs the remaining ten digits. If it asks for a full international number, follow that format instead.

If a service only accepts numbers from a country that is not listed, choosing a different area code will not solve that restriction. Do not guess a number's country from its length alone.

Why has my verification code not arrived?

Check the service's own message first. Some services reject VoIP numbers, require a private number or accept only certain regions. A physical SIM is different from VoIP, but it still does not guarantee acceptance by every service.

Then check the number you entered, the inbox you opened and the connection status. Wait until the service allows another code request before trying again. See missing-code troubleshooting (Chinese).

What happens when I save a number?

The star saves an inbox shortcut in this browser for your next visit. It does not reserve the number or save a separate copy of its messages. Saved shortcuts do not automatically follow you to another device or browser, or survive clearing website data.

How long does a number stay available?

Numbers can change or be replaced, with no fixed retention period. A saved number may also stop being offered. Messages for an old number do not transfer to a replacement number.

If a saved number does not open, check the current number directory. Choose another number for a new temporary task. For an existing account, use that service's change-number or account-recovery options. See what to do when a saved number disappears (Chinese).

Why has the message count gone down?

The count is the number of messages currently available, not an all-time total. It rises when new messages arrive and may fall when messages are removed or a number is retired. Saving the number does not keep an extra copy.

Are saved numbers and account sign-in the same thing?

No. Saved shortcuts stay in this browser and do not sync across devices. Live inboxes use necessary temporary storage and session cookies to keep the connection working. Account sign-in uses a separate cookie.

Password-reset emails go to the email address on your account, not a public SMS inbox. To register, enter your username, email, password and password confirmation, then complete the browser check.