Learn How to Text From a Landline and Text Enable Landline Phones with a Landline Texting Service
People could be trying to text your landline phone number right now.
But you’ll never know… unless you enable landline texting with a landline texting service.
So how can you text from a landline phone?
In this article, I cover:
- What a text to landline service is
- Advantages and benefits of text-enabling your landline
- How to text enable a landline
- The 10 best text to landline services
- Answers to frequently asked landline texting questions
By the end, you’ll have everything you need to know to add texting to your landline.
Read on for more.
How Do Text to Landline Services Work?
A text to landline service works in two different ways. This depends on your provider.
Option 1: Transcribe incoming text messages into voice recordings
Some text-to-landline services convert incoming text messages into voice recordings. Here’s how this type of text to landline service works:
- A text message gets sent to your landline phone number.
- The carrier checks your landline to confirm if can receive texts.
- The text is transcribed and recorded as a voice call.
- The text-to-landline service rings your landline phone.
- The incoming text message gets “read” aloud as a voice message.
- Emojis and texting acronyms like LOL read as “happy face” and “laughing out loud”.
Option 2: Text-enable a landline with texting software
Text-to-landline services are different from text-enabling your landline phone. When you text-enable your landline, you’re using text messaging software with your existing phone number provider.
Texting software gives you an interface for sending and receiving texts from your landline number using any device. I explain more about how this works and how to set this up below.
Advantages and Benefits of Text-Enabling Your Landline
Text messaging is so popular and pervasive that more and more people assume every phone number is text-enabled. Some 58% of people even prefer SMS communication over email and voice (especially for appointments, scheduling, and reminders).
But what happens when someone texts your landline and it isn’t text-enabled? The inbound text goes undelivered. You’ll never get the text message.
So people could be trying to text your number, but you’d never know it.
Here are some additional advantages and benefits of text-enabling your landline:
1. Enhanced customer communication
People prefer texting: Statistics show that 85% of people favor texting as a communication method, especially with businesses.
Texting is convenient: Text messages provide a quick and efficient way for people to communicate. Texting allows people to start more conversations with you, receive updates and alerts, and resolve issues without a phone call.
2. Efficiency and productivity gains
Texting reduces call volume: Text-enabling your landline means people can text you instead of calling. This can significantly reduce your daily call volume, freeing you up to handle more complex tasks.
Automating texts is easy: Text-enabling your landline with texting software makes it easy to send automated text messages. This includes responses to frequently asked questions, appointment reminders, and promotional messages. This can save time and create more consistent communication patterns.
3. Better customer engagement
High open and engagement rates: Text messages get up to a 98% open rate, compared to roughly 20% for emails.
Faster response times: Texting provides fast responses. This improves overall engagement and satisfaction and better customer support and service.
4. Centralized communication:
Shared team inbox: Many text-to-landline services, like MessageDesk, offer shared team SMS inboxes. Inboxes centralize text and voice communications. They make it easier to manage all threads from a single inbox.
Consistency: Using the same number for calls and texts is a clean solution. It ensures that people recognize and trust your number when calling or texting.
How to Text Enable a Landline
Every text messaging service or software has steps to text-enable a landline phone. These steps for text-enabling a landline generally include:
- Verifying your landline number can be text-enabled
- Selecting a landline texting service
- Submitting a letter of authorization (LOA)
- Configuring your landline phone number
- Getting carrier approval for text messaging
Here’s an outline of MessageDesk’s text-to-landline process for reference.
1. Verify that your landline is compatible with a landline text message service
Before you add texting to a landline, you’ll want to validate your landline phone number. You can do this using MessageDesk’s online phone number validator or a tool like phonevalidator.com.
A phone number validator can help you identify your phone number type. It also indicates the phone company currently controlling your landline phone number.
Knowing this information in advance can help you choose a landline texting service. Your landline text service provider will also verify if your existing landline number can be text-enabled.
But it’s best to know this ahead of time to avoid any restrictions associated with your current phone line setup.
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2. Choose a landline texting service
The second step to getting an SMS phone number is choosing a landline texting provider.
There are many great texting services out there (especially for business), including MessageDesk. These platforms often support both 10-digit local phone numbers and toll-free phone numbers.
Other services like Verizon and Spectrum also offer text to landline services for consumers and businesses as well.
Below is a list of some of the best text to landline services currently available.
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3. Submit a letter of authorization (LOA) through your new landline text service provider
What is a letter of authorization (LOA)? An LOA is a letter to a phone number provider or carrier. An LOA grants a different provider access to your phone number. In some cases, an LOA authorizes a full number port, in other cases it authorizes just phone number hosting.
I explain the difference between phone number porting and phone number hosting in another article. But all you need to know is that a letter of authorization grants a new provider access to your landline number.
Typically you’ll submit an LOA through your text-to-landline provider. A representative will confirm your landline number is ready for text messaging when complete. The whole process takes roughly 1-2 business days.
Below is an example of what MessageDesk’s LOA looks like.
4. Configure your landline number for texting
The next step is configuring your text-to-landline service after submitting your LOA. You’ve got several different ways to configure your number for SMS. The option you choose will depend on your text to landline service.
Option 1: Set up text-to-voice transcription with a text to landline service
Consumer text to landline platforms like Verizon, Spectrum, and others offer SMS-enabled landline phones. Each provider allows you to opt-in to text to landline service. This is a transcription service that converts text messages into voice calls.
You can opt in to this type of text to landline service individually through your current voice provider. Each provider has unique policies and billing associated with the service. Providers typically charge per incoming text message at a rate of around $0.25 per message.
Option 2: Set up texting software with your landline phone number
Your second configuration option is setting up your existing landline number for use with business texting software, like MessageDesk. You can do this with both hardwired business landline numbers and existing VoIP phone numbers.
In both cases, your provider can help you text-enable your existing landline without disrupting your voice-calling functionality.
You’ll need to submit a landline phone number hosting request to enable either option. You can do this through your business text messaging provider.
A number hosting request is like an LOA. But it gives a new texting platform access to just the texting capability associated with your number.
This way, you get to keep your current voice provider. You’re just adding texting software to send and receive texts using your landline number.
At MessageDesk, this process takes 3-5 business days to complete. Once everything is good to go, we let you know so you can start texting.
5. Get approved by carriers for text messaging
All telecom carriers in the United States require businesses and organizations that text to complete A2P 10DLC carrier registration.
They do this to prevent phishing scams and SPAM messaging from bad actors.
To register with carriers you must use a business text messaging service, like MessageDesk. You also have to adhere to various standards like opt-in and TCPA regulations.
But the good news is that most business texting providers have features that help manage opt-in, compliance, and registration for you.
Every business texting service has its way of managing opt-in and carrier registration.
But here’s how we do it at MessageDesk:
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Step 1: Submit and validate your organization’s info with carriers through MessageDesk
We start the carrier registration process by validating that your organization is legitimate. We do this simply by submitting a form that collects the following information:
- Business identification: You need to provide proof of your business's existence and legality. This includes your Employer Identification Number (EIN) or other tax identification numbers.
- Business address: The official address registered with your organization.
- Contact Information: A primary contact within the business, including name, phone number, email address, and website.
- Messaging purpose and examples: Explain why and how your business uses SMS messaging. This involves providing message examples.
- Opt-in and opt-out processes: Describe how your contacts opt-in and out of receiving messages. This includes how you collect consent and how you manage and honor opt-out requests.
- Message content and volume: Carriers need to know about the volume and content of the messages you’ll send. This helps carriers understand your messaging patterns. It also ensures that your messages align with anti-spam policies.
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Step 2: Publish a carrier-compliant business text messaging policy on your website
You submitted and validated your organization's information. Next, the compliance team at MessageDesk will work with you or your web developer.
Carriers require that you have a website and that you publish a business text messaging privacy policy.
Your privacy policy must explain the following:
- The type of contact and personal information your organization collects
- How your organization collects information from contacts
- How your organization uses any information collected
- How your organization protects contact data
- That your organization does not share information
- How contacts can opt out of receiving text messages
Note: Having a website with a privacy policy is required for business text messaging. Without it, carriers won’t approve your organization for texting.
10 Best Text to Landline Services
I covered what a text to landline service is and how to get started.
Next is a list of the best text to landline services for businesses and consumers. Please note that I ranked these services in no particular order.
1. MessageDesk
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Who MessageDesk is best for:
MessageDesk is best for those who need to organize, route, share, or assign text conversations as a team. It works well for communicating reminders, follow-ups, logistics, dispatching, support, service, recruitment, staffing, and more.
MessageDesk overview:
MessageDesk is a landline texting service for businesses. It’s designed to enhance communication efficiency and customer service. It consolidates text conversations into a single, shared inbox, allowing teams to manage and respond to messages effectively.
MessageDesk features:
- Shared Team Inbox: MessageDesk centralized all text conversations, providing visibility and collaboration for team members.
- Text-Enable Existing Numbers: Allows businesses to use their current phone numbers for sending and receiving texts.
- Bulk Messaging: Send personalized bulk text messages to multiple recipients simultaneously.
- Message Templates: Use pre-saved templates for common responses to save time.
- Automated Messages: Schedule and automate text messages for reminders, updates, and notifications.
- MMS Support: Send and receive images.
- Contact Management: Organize and segment contacts for targeted messaging.
- Compliance: Ensures compliance with carrier regulations and improves message delivery rates.
What users say:
2. SlickText
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Who is SlickText Best for:
SlickText is best for those who want to leverage SMS marketing.
Overview:
SlickText is a comprehensive SMS marketing platform. It enables businesses to manage text message campaigns, automate customer interactions, and gather valuable insights through detailed analytics. The interface is user-friendly and it offers a variety of tools for customer engagement.
Features:
- Mass Text Messaging: Send bulk SMS messages to large groups efficiently.
- Two-Way Messaging: Engage in real-time conversations with customers.
- Automation: Automate text workflows, drip campaigns, and recurring messages.
- Loyalty Programs: Create and manage customer loyalty rewards programs.
- Mobile Coupons: Build custom, redeemable mobile coupons.
- Text-to-Win Contests: Run automated text message contests.
- Surveys and Polls: Collect feedback through text message surveys.
- Message Scheduling: Schedule text messages to send at specific times.
- List Segmentation: Create targeted lists based on subscriber data.
- Custom Fields: Store and use personalized subscriber data.
- Detailed Analytics: Access comprehensive reports on campaign performance.
- Integrations: Connect with platforms like Zapier, Mailchimp, HubSpot, and Shopify.
- Mobile App: Manage SMS campaigns from iOS and Android devices.
- Rollover Messages: Unused message credits roll over for up to three month
What SlickText customers say:
3. SimpleTexting
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SimpleTexting is best for:
SimpleTexting is best for text message marketing and two-way texting for support.
SimpleTexting overview:
SimpleTexting is a leading SMS marketing platform that provides tools for mass SMS marketing campaigns and 1-on-1 customer service. It allows businesses to send automated messages, manage customer interactions, and integrate with other applications for a seamless communication experience.
SimpleTexting features:
- Mass Text Messaging: Send bulk SMS campaigns to large groups.
- Two-Way Messaging: Engage in conversations with customers through SMS.
- Automation: Set up automated messages, including drip campaigns, recurring texts, and scheduled messages.
- API Access: Integrate SimpleTexting with other platforms using its API.
- Data Collection: Use tools to gather information from contacts and personalize messages.
- Templates: Create and use pre-saved message templates.
- Contact Management: Organize contacts into segments for targeted messaging.
- MMS Support: Send and receive MMS messages, including images and videos.
- Compliance Tools: opt-in management ensures optimal delivery rates.
- Analytics: Track message performance with reporting and analytics features.
- Integrations: Connect with popular apps like Zapier, Mailchimp, and Google Calendar.
- Team Collaboration: Assign conversations, leave notes, and manage multiple users under one account.
What SimpleTexting customers say:
4. Texty Pro
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Texty Pro is best for:
Texty Pro is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses that rely heavily on customer communication. It works well for those who need a streamlined, efficient way to manage text messaging. It’s great for retail, healthcare, real estate, and professional services, where timely and effective customer interaction is crucial.
Texty Pro overview:
Texty Pro is a user-friendly SMS service. It streamlines business text messaging by enabling existing business landline or VoIP phone numbers to send and receive texts. It offers a variety of features designed to enhance communication, boost engagement, and improve efficiency.
Texty Pro features:
- Scheduled Messaging: Send scheduled texts at specific times and dates.
- MMS Support: Send and receive multimedia messages, including photos, videos, and PDFs.
- Automated Responses: Set up auto-replies for first-time or after-hours messages.
- Shared Inbox: Manage text messages as a team with a shared inbox.
- Customizable Templates: Save time with pre-written, personalized responses.
- Private Notes: Leave internal notes on text message threads visible only to team members.
- Promotional Messaging: Send discount codes, coupons, and promotional messages.
- Referral Programs: Set up referral programs to encourage customer engagement and acquisition.
5. Heymarket
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Heymarket is best for:
Heymarket is best for businesses and organizations looking to enhance their customer communication through various messaging channels.
Heymarket overview:
Heymarket offers texting software for business with teams. It allows individuals to manage SMS, MMS, and other messaging channels from a shared inbox. It also facilitates seamless communication with customers, enhances team productivity, and integrates with popular business applications.
Heymarket features:
- Shared Inboxes: Manage all messages in a unified inbox accessible by the entire team.
- Omni-channel Messaging: Communicate via SMS, MMS, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messenger, WhatsApp, Apple Messages for Business, and web chat.
- Automated Messaging: Set up drip campaigns, scheduled messages, and auto-replies.
- Templates: Use pre-saved message templates to save time on repetitive responses.
- Integrations: Integrate with platforms like Salesforce, HubSpot, Slack, Zapier, and more.
- Contact Management: Organize and segment contacts for targeted messaging.
- Team Collaboration: Assign messages, leave private comments, and route messages to the appropriate team member.
- Analytics and Reporting: Gain insights into messaging performance with detailed analytics.
- Enterprise-Grade Security: SOC 2 Type 2, TCPA, and HIPAA compliance for secure messaging.
- Custom Fields: Personalize messages with custom data fields for each contact.
- Mobile and Web Access: Use Heymarket on iOS, Android, and web browsers.
What Heymarket customers say:
6. RingCentral
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Who RingCentral is Best for:
RingCentral is best for businesses and organizations looking for a comprehensive communication platform.
It’s particularly useful for organizations seeking to integrate voice, messaging, video conferencing, and collaboration tools into a single, unified system.
RingCentral overview:
RingCentral is a cloud-based unified communications platform. It offers a wide range of features, including VoIP calling, SMS, video conferencing, team messaging, and contact center solutions.
It enhances business communications with reliable, scalable, and flexible solutions that integrate seamlessly with other applications.
RingCentral features:
- VoIP Phone System: High-quality voice calls with global PSTN coverage.
- Video Conferencing: Host HD video meetings with screen sharing and interactive features.
- Business SMS: Unlimited SMS and MMS messaging capabilities.
- Team Messaging: Integrated team messaging for real-time collaboration.
- Cloud PBX: Comprehensive cloud-based PBX system with call routing, extensions, and voicemail.
- Call Management: Advanced call forwarding, call recording, and auto-receptionist.
- Internet Fax: Send and receive faxes without the need for a fax machine.
- Mobile & Desktop Apps: Access RingCentral features on iOS, Android, and desktop devices.
- Integrations: Seamless integration with Salesforce, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, and over 350 other apps.
- Analytics and Reporting: Detailed analytics and reporting for call performance and usage.
- Call Center Solutions: Omni-channel contact center with features like IVR, call scripting, and dynamic reply assistance.
What RingCentral customers say:
7. Verizon Text to Landline Service
Verizon Text to Landline service is best for:
This service is ideal for businesses and individuals who need to communicate with landline users. It ensures messages are delivered even if the recipient doesn’t have a mobile phone.
Verizon Text to Landline service overview:
Verizon’s Text to Landline service allows you to send text messages to landline phones. It converts inbound texts into a voice message. This service integrates with Verizon's wireless plans. It enables seamless communication between mobile and landline users.
Verizon Text to Landline service features:
- Text to Voice Conversion: Converts text messages to voice messages for landline phones.
- Automatic Service: Available without additional subscriptions or monthly fees.
- Multiple Recipients: Allows sending messages to multiple landline numbers simultaneously.
- Response Capability: Recipients can reply with a voice message if they answer the call live.
8. Spectrum Text to Landline Service
Spectrum Text to Landline service is best for:
Spectrum’s service is best suited for existing Spectrum customers who want to bundle texting with their existing services. It’s great for households and small businesses.
Spectrum Text to Landline service overview:
Spectrum offers a text-to-landline service. This service is part of its bundled communication solutions, including internet, TV, and phone services. This integration ensures reliable delivery of text messages to landlines within their network.
Spectrum Text to Landline service features:
- Bundle Integration: Works seamlessly with Spectrum's internet and TV services.
- Text to Voice: Converts text messages into voice messages for landlines.
- Customer Support: Backed by Spectrum’s comprehensive customer service.
9. AT&T Text to Landline Service
At&T Text to Landline service overview:
AT&T provides a text-to-landline service. It supports converting text messages into voice messages for delivery to landline phones.
AT&T Text to Landline service is best for:
AT&T is ideal for existing AT&T customers who need to maintain contact with landline users. It’s great for businesses and families in areas with strong AT&T coverage.
AT&T Text to Landline service features:
- Voice Conversion: Converts text messages to voice for landlines.
- Network Reliability: Utilizes AT&T’s robust network infrastructure.
- Bundle Offers: Available as part of AT&T’s bundle deals.
10. T-Mobile Text to Landline Service
T-Mobile Text to Landline service is best for:
Best suited for T-Mobile customers, particularly businesses and families who need to reach landline users frequently.
T-Mobile Text to Landline service overview:
T-Mobile’s text-to-landline service converts text messages into voice messages for delivery to landline phones.
T-Mobile Text to Landline service features:
- Text to Voice: Converts texts into voice messages for landlines.
- Simple Activation: Automatically available for T-Mobile users.
- Multiple Recipients: Allows sending messages to multiple landlines.
Text to Landline Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Below is a list of frequently asked questions related to text-enabling business landlines.
What is a landline?
Landlines are phone lines that transmit signals through a physical cable. These lines are either buried or strung on telephone poles. A landline telephone also refers to traditional phones with handsets, cradles, and cords. Landlines still rely on hard-wired connections.
Landlines used to be the only way a home phone or office could send and receive voice calls. But this was before cell phones and satellite communications existed. When someone says they’re “cutting the cord” they mean they’re ditching their landline for a mobile phone.
What is a landline number?
A landline number is a traditional 10-digit local phone number that relies on physical wires to enable voice calls. Mobile cellphone numbers aren’t considered landline numbers. This is because they transmit radio waves and have internet connectivity for voice calls.
What happens if you text a landline?
When you text a landline, the phone service or carrier checks the number. This is to see if it's eligible for text-to-landline service. Your text message then gets recorded and the telephone service calls the recipient's landline phone.
Can you text a landline?
Yes, you can text a landline phone number from a mobile device. This process works the same as sending a text to any mobile number:
- Open the default text messaging app on your mobile device
- Enter the recipient's 10-digit landline phone number in the To field
- Compose your message and send it
The landline phone will accept the text and read it aloud. The recipient can respond by texting, which gets converted to a voiced message.
Some landline numbers can’t receive texts. This includes emergency operators, fax machines, and phone numbers outside the US.
You can also enable texting on your landline using a texting service like MessageDesk.
Can I use my existing landline or VoIP number for business texting?
Yes, you can text-enable any existing business phone. You can use your current 10-digit number, or VoIP to receive and send text messages. Do you need an additional number? Platforms like MessageDesk can also provide you with a new 10-digit phone number for texting.
Will text-enabling my landline affect my existing voice service?
No, in most cases, text-enabling your existing landline or business phone number doesn’t affect your voice service. You’ll still receive calls as usual, you can also send and receive texts from your landline texting service.
What is the difference between a landline vs. VoIP service?
VoIP stands for voice over Internet protocol. VoIP phones don’t transmit via twisted-pair copper wire like landlines. They transmit voice calls over the internet using a normal broadband internet connection.
VoIP phones don't rely on physical exchanges. They convert calls into digital signals within the phone itself.
Which telephone service providers support text-to-landline?
What’s the difference between a text-to-landline service vs. a business text messaging service?
A text-to-landline service converts texts sent to a landline into voice messages. It doesn’t have an interface for reading or responding to text messages. These services call the recipient’s landline phone number and deliver a text message via voice.
A business text messaging platform is software. It provides an interface with an SMS inbox for sending and receiving text messages and automating text responses.
Do I need additional hardware to text-enable a landline?
You don’t need additional hardware to text-enable a business landline. All text messaging gets managed with software using a business texting service like MessageDesk. You don’t need a special handset or landline phone with texting capabilities.
Are there any free text landline apps or services?
No there aren’t any free text landline apps or services. Some services offer free text messaging. However, these platforms offer limited functionality using new phone numbers.
Adding texting to an existing landline always incurs fees. These include per-message fees and/or monthly subscription fees. Fees vary depending on your text-to-landline provider.
How much does a text to landline service cost?
Many text to landline and business texting services don’t charge fees for text-enabling your landline.
Ready to start texting?
Ready to start texting? Your next step is to meet with a MessageDesk messaging expert.
MessageDesk is here to help you configure your business phone number and text-enable your landline. We make the whole process simple, easy, and transparent.
Start sending texts with MessageDesk today!