What to Do If You Cannot Send an SMS while Roaming

If you cannot send text messages while roaming abroad, try these troubleshooting tips:

Check your account

• Ensure that your account is active.
• Ensure you have activated roaming service, including voice, while still in the Philippines. Find out how to check this before traveling. If you are already abroad, you may contact us on our social media channels or call our toll-free roaming hotline at +63288488878 using another Smart number.
• For Prepaid, check if you are subscribed to a roaming text package and have enough text allocation or if your balance is at least P20.00. Click here for Prepaid roaming rates.
• For Postpaid, check if your account is redirected. Pay-per-use charges are usually more expensive, so we recommend subscribing to a call and text plan. 

Connect to Smart’s official network roaming partners

• If you have low signal reception, try shifting locations, preferably somewhere more open and with fewer surrounding obstacles, such as concrete walls.
• Make sure you are connected to Smart’s official network roaming partners. Set your Network Selection on your phone’s settings to AUTOMATIC, and Smart will do the rest. For your reference, click here to check the list of our roaming partners at various country destinations under “Do I need to manually select a roaming partner?” FAQ.

Optimize your device

• Refresh your device by turning it OFF and then back ON.
• Try to use another roaming partner by manually selecting it on the device.
• If you cannot send to a specific mobile number, check if your device has a block list or block status feature. If the mobile number you are trying to text is in that block list, remove it from the list.
• Check if you are using the correct format for sending text messages: + [Country Code] [Mobile Code] [Mobile number] (Example: If sending a text message to a Smart number, +63 918 1234567)
• If you are using an IOS device, set your iMessage settings to “Send as SMS” if you want your device to automatically send an iMessage as a regular text message when there is no internet connection. 
• Reset your network settings. Take note that your saved WiFi passwords will be deleted once this is performed.

Try another device

• Transfer SIM to another working device to check if you can send a text message while roaming.

If the problem persists, reach out to us through our Smart Communications Facebook page or Twitter @SmartCares. You may also call our toll-free roaming hotline at +63 2 8848 8878.