SMS Delivery Report: A Complete Guide (2024)

FAQs

What does SMS delivery report mean? ›

An SMS delivery report is the message you receive from an SMCS (Short Message Service Center) that notifies you that your SMS message sent from your device was delivered to the intended recipient. In other words, an SMS delivery report shows the current status of the text messages that you submitted to the carrier.

If you have enabled SMS delivery reports on your Android phone but are not receiving them or they are inaccurate, there may be some causes and solutions. To troubleshoot, first check your network connection and signal strength. If weak or unstable, your messages may not be sent or delivered properly.

The status of sent messages is tracked through check marks next to messages. One grey check mark means the message was sent; two grey check marks mean the message was delivered, and two blue check marks mean the message was read. Read receipts are turned on by default, but it's a toggle you can switch on and off.

Android to Android

Now, when you send a message to another Android user who has RCS messaging enabled, you will see a status below your message, such as “Delivered” or “Read.” If the recipient has also turned on their read receipts, you will see “Read” along with the time they read your message.

Underneath each message you send, there should be a small bar of grey text that says “Delivered” if your message went through, or “Read” if the recipient has read receipts turned on. If your past few messages have no status beneath them, it's possible they've been blocked.

By the way, received or sent means you have answered and the message has reached the other person. In other words, the message has been received but not yet read by the other person. Whereas, delivered means the message has been sent and has been viewed by the person.

An SMS delivery report is a notification sent by the mobile network to confirm that a message has been delivered successfully to its intended recipient. The delivery report includes information such as whether or not the sms message was sent, successfully received, and other metadata associated with the transmission.

Some common reasons why SMS messages may be failing to send: The destination handset is unreachable. The destination phone number does not support Text. The SMS message exceeds the 160 character limit.

A blocked person can't reach you via text. Technically, they can still send an SMS message to your phone number, and they'll see the regular delivery status at their end, just like with any other texts they send. But you won't receive the message in your phone's SMS inbox, essentially blocking the contact at your end.

Spyware or Malicious Apps: Malicious software or spyware installed on your phone can grant unauthorized access to your text messages. Cloud Backups: If you have enabled cloud backups for your text messages, they may be accessible to others if they gain access to your cloud storage account.

Can someone see my text messages from another phone? ›

Yes, it's definitely possible for someone to spy on your text messages and it's certainly something you should be aware of – this is a potential way for a hacker to gain a lot of private information about you – including accessing PIN codes sent by websites used to verify your identity (such as online banking).

When you text someone with Read Receipts turned on, you'll notice the word “Read” beneath your message, and the time it was opened. To turn on your Read Receipts in the iMessage app, click Settings, scroll down, and tap Messages. Enable Send Read Receipts. These steps work with Macs and iPads as well.

Check the caller ID: When receiving a call or text message, check the caller ID information. If the number is listed as a text number or a calling number, it is likely associated with a texting app [3].

SMS stands for Short Message Service. Invented in the 1980s and defined in the 1985 GSM standards, it is one of the oldest texting technologies. It is also the most widespread and frequently used. MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service.

If you receive a text where the “delivered” notice usually appears that says “sent SMS via server” or “sent as an SMS via server,” this means that the message was crafted using a device other than a mobile phone.

Delivered: The SMS was sent and arrival was confirmed via delivery receipt. Sent: SMS was sent but a delivery receipt has not been received yet. Rejected: The phone number was found to be invalid prior to sending. Failed: The SMS failed to be delivered.

Delivery Reports: Whether you receive a delivery report for a blocked contact's SMS message depends on the specific device and operating system you are using. In some cases, you may still receive a delivery report indicating that the message was delivered, even though you won't see the message in your inbox [2].

Usually, SMS messages are sent directly to a specific phone number. However, this isn't always the case. The SMS message may be sent to a network provider that won't allow the message to be delivered. If there is no automatic rerouting, the message can fail to deliver.