A Flash SMS is a type of text message that - without user action - appears directly and fullscreen on the mobile phone. In this article we'll talk about the following topics:
Common use cases for Flash SMS
Some of the most common use cases for Flash SMS include the below. Flash SMS are usually suitable to use for time- or content-sensitive information such as:
- Emergency notifications
- One-time passwords (OTP)
- Time-critical communication
- Any other type of highly important SMS messages
Benefits of using Flash SMS
Below we have listed a few reasons why you might consider using Flash SMS rather than regular SMS:
- Users can't ignore your message because it appears fullscreen and needs to be closed actively
- It's safer than standard SMS because the message isn't stored in the inbox. Information can't get stolen along with the phone
- Users can receive Flash SMS even if they have no storage on their phone
- Users still have the option of saving Flash messages, with the appropriate sender ID, if they choose to do this
Note if Flash SMS isn't supported by an operator or mobile phone, the message is still sent as a standard SMS. In case of multiple Flash messages being sent, it’s important to keep in mind that your users will only be able to see the last message they receive.
How to send Flash SMS
Unfortunately it's not possible to send Flash SMS via the MessageBird Dashboard at the moment. You can send Flash SMS through our API by simply classifying the message as 'type: flash' in the API call, as shown below:
"type":"flash"
You can find more information on how to do so in the SMS messaging section on our website for developers.