---
schema_version: "1"
id: 1964153457b27f9a2754a542172ff19472b1b07eff29f758096f7264dc18a2da
title: Test Your SMS Channel
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/messaging_test_sms.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_test_sms.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 0dc0dd82e3cf63314219260b7153eff681da881bf91384e528d30ce3acf5ef5e
description: Test your new short code or long code Messaging channel to ensure that it’s working the way you expect. Using a sandbox is optional, but a good idea.
products:
  - Service Cloud
  - Digital Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Test Your SMS Channel

Test your new short code or long code Messaging channel to ensure that it’s working the way you expect. Using a sandbox is optional, but a good idea.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="vertical-align:top;"><a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_editions.htm&amp;type=5&amp;language=en_US" target="_blank">View supported editions.</a></td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <a name="messaging_test_sms__d593e1964"><!-- --></a><span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" id="messaging_test_sms__d593e1964" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/checkmark.png" alt="Checkmark"></span>
              <strong>This article applies to:</strong>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Standard SMS channels</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">
              <span style="vertical-align:text-bottom;display:inline-block;"><img style="margin-bottom:0;" src="https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/resources-global/_corporate/images/crossmark.png" alt="X icon"></span>
              <strong>This article doesn’t apply to:</strong>
            </td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Enhanced In-App Chat, Enhanced Web Chat v1, Enhanced Web Chat v2, Enhanced
              WhatsApp,Enhanced Facebook Messenger, Enhanced SMS, Enhanced Apple Messages for
              Business, Enhanced LINE, and Bring Your Own Channel</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table> <table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small permission">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
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        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="colgroup" class="slds-cell-wrap" colspan="2" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:top;" id="d42007e98">User Permissions
              Needed</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
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            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e98 ">To send and receive messages in Messaging:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e98 ">View Setup and Configuration</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="User Permissions Needed" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e98 ">To end Messaging sessions:</td>

            <td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e98 ">End Messaging Session</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

![Important](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/images/icon_important.png)

Important Standard SMS channels were retired on February 14, 2026. To avoid service interruptions, upgrade your standard SMS channels to enhanced channels now. Enhanced SMS offers many of the [standard SMS features you love](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_sms_compare.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "View a side-by-side comparison of standard and enhanced SMS channels. Going forward, new features are available exclusively in enhanced SMS channels.") plus session transfers and AI agent support. See [Upgrading from Standard to Enhanced SMS Messaging](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_upgrade.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "When you upgrade your standard SMS channel to an enhanced channel, you gain access to key customer service tools. Learn what to expect in an upgrade.").

![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support_channels-264-0-0-production-enus/f3c4b3d2-ff86-4f7c-9fe2-3d8b23d35109/images/icon_note.png)

Note An SMS channel can only be active in one org at a time. Make sure that the SMS channel is deactivated in your production org before you activate it in your sandbox org and vice versa.

To create an SMS channel in either sandbox or production, you must file a case with Salesforce Customer Support. When you file the case, we recommend requesting separate numbers for sandbox and production. A number can only be associated with a single org at a time.

Salesforce Support can also move a number from an SMS channel in sandbox to an SMS channel in production. However, using separate numbers makes your channel rollout easier and gives you more freedom to experiment in your sandbox org in the future.

If you’re testing an SMS channel associated with a short code, you might decide to use the same short code number for both sandbox and production, and ask Salesforce to move it from sandbox to production when you're done testing. Talk with your account executive to understand the cost of short code numbers. SMS messages sent through a sandbox org are treated as normal messages and deducted from your total conversation allowance.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:25%">
          <col style="width:75%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d42007e168">Action</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d42007e171">Instructions</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e168 ">(Optional) Set up Messaging in your sandbox.</td>

            <td data-label="Instructions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e171 ">
              <ol>
                <li dir="ltr">Contact your account executive for the Digital Engagement or
                  Agentforce Contact Center Digital add-on.</li>

                <li>Complete the steps in <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_prepare.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Ready to set up a Messaging channel in Salesforce? First, turn on Messaging in Setup and give service reps and supervisors access. Then, configure your routing preferences and add Messaging to the Service Console.">Get Started with Messaging</a>.</li>

              </ol>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e168 ">Test your channel in sandbox or production.</td>

            <td data-label="Instructions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e171 ">
              <ol>
                <li>Log into Salesforce as a service rep.</li>

                <li>From the app launcher, open the app that contains Messaging. This is usually
                  the Service Console.</li>

                <li>In the Omni-Channel utility or sidebar, change your Omni-Channel presence
                  status so that you’re online and available to receive messages.</li>

                <li>From your phone, send a text message to the phone number that is associated
                  with this channel.</li>

                <li>Look for the incoming message in Omni-Channel. Click the check mark icon to
                  accept the message and open the chat window.</li>

                <li>Exchange messages in the channel. Experiment with sending text and images, and
                  test the auto-responses that you’ve configured.</li>

                <li>When you’re done, click <strong class="uicontrol">End Chat</strong>.</li>

              </ol>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Action" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e168 ">(Optional) Switch from sandbox to production.</td>

            <td data-label="Instructions" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d42007e171 ">See <a href="https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.messaging_sandbox_data.htm&amp;release=264.0.0&amp;type=5" title="Learn best practices for moving Messaging channels, data, and configurations such as messaging components between sandbox and production orgs. This article applies to sandbox-to-sandbox, sandbox-to-production, and production-to-production moves.">Moving Messaging Data Between Sandbox and Production</a>.</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

#### See Also

- [Sandboxes: Staging Environments for Customizing and Testing](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.deploy_sandboxes_parent.htm&type=5&language=en_US)
- [Change Sets](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=platform.changesets.htm&type=5&language=en_US)