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Can Handheld Contact send/record SMS (text) messages?
Posted by Craig S, Last modified by Craig S on 12 October 2018 05:34 PM
This article will explain the ability to send text/SMS (Short Message Service) messages.  These messages can also be attached to the contact as History to sync back to the Act! database.  See the directions below for the required operating system.


iOS:
Single Contact:
  1. Attaching SMS to History needs to be enabled first.  This feature can be done in two ways.
    1. Open Handheld Contact on the device.  From the Home view, select 'Settings'.  Select 'History' option.  In the History Preferences screen, toggle the setting for 'Save Text Messages in Act!?'.  All future SMS will be attached to the contact record.
    2. Open Handheld Contact on the device.  From the Home view, select 'Contacts'.  Find the Contact you want to message.  Open their record.  If they have a phone number listed, to the right of the number will be a blue message bubble.  Tap on this icon.  A message will appear reading "Save text message in Act! as History? - You can change this later in settings".  Pressing OK will give permission and this setting will be enabled moving forward.
  2. Select the 'Contacts' option from the Home view. 
  3. Search to find the contact required.  Open the Contact record.
  4. To the right of the phone number will be a blue message bubble.  Tap on this icon.
  5. A 'Enter text message' popup will appear.  Enter the message into the available field.  Press OK.
  6. This message will get compiled and sent to the operating system to perform the sending.
  7. Once in the iOS Messages app, press Send to complete the process.
  8. You will return to Handheld Contact and the same Contact.

Multiple Contacts (via Tagging):
  1. Open Handheld Contact and select 'Contacts' from the Home view.
  2. Tap on the lightning bolt icon in the upper right corner.  Under 'Options' section, choose 'Tag'.
  3. Select all of the contacts you want to send a message to.
  4. Tap the lightning bolt icon again.  Under 'Options' section, choose 'SMS Lookup'.
  5. A 'Enter text message' popup will appear.  Enter the message into the available field.  Press OK.
  6. This message will get compiled and sent to the operating system to perform the sending.
  7. Once in the iOS Messages app, press Send to complete the process.
  8. You will return to Handheld Contact and the same tagged contacts selected.
Note:  Text/SMS messages will be applied to History as the type 'E-mail Sent'.  The details of the message will start with "SMS:" followed by the message that was entered in Step 5 above.  The Date/Time of the History will be the matching time of when the message was sent.



Android:
Single Contact:
  1. Attaching SMS to History needs to be enabled first.  This feature can be done as follows:
    1. Open Handheld Contact on the device.  From the Home view choose 'Settings'.  Scroll down to the 'History' section.  Select the checkbox for 'Save text messages in Act!'.  All future SMS will be attached to the contact record.
  2. Select 'Contacts' option from the Home view.
  3. Search to find the contact required.  Open the Contact record.
  4. To the right of the phone number will be a grey message bubble.  Tap on this icon.
  5. A 'Prepare text message' screen will appear.  Enter the message into the available field.  Press the arrow in the upper right to proceed.
  6. This message will get compiled and sent to the operating system to perform the sending.
  7. Once in the messages interface, press Send. to complete the process.
  8. When you return to Handheld Contact, the same Contact will be open.

Multiple Contacts (via Tagging):
  1. Open Handheld Contact and select 'Contacts' from the Home view.
  2. Tap on the 'Tag' icon in the upper right corner.
  3. When Tag Mode is selected, choose all of the contacts you want to send a message to.
  4. Tap the lightning bolt icon.  In the popup that appears, choose 'SMS tagged'.
  5. A 'Prepare text message' screen will appear.  Enter the message into the available field.  Press the arrow in the upper right to proceed.
  6. This message will get compiled and sent to the operating system to perform the sending.
  7. Once in the messages interface, press Send to complete the process.
  8. When you return to Handheld Contact the same tagged contacts will be open.
Note:  Text/SMS messages will be applied to History as the type 'E-mail Sent'.  The regarding field of the History will read "sms:// +XXXYYYZZZ" and the details will include the message from Step 5 above.  The Date/Time of the History will be the matching time of when the message was sent.  Also, when sending Multiple Contact SMS messages, the 'Mobile Phone' field will be utilized.  If this field is blank, then this contact will not be available for Multiple Contact SMS.