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What are the regional limitations for SMS?

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Some regions of the world have local telecom regulations that prevent us from reliably sending SMS messages. These restrictions can vary by country and are often outside of Timely’s control. This guide explains why these limitations exist, what they mean for your business, and what you can do to communicate effectively with your clients.
 

 

Regions where SMS is not currently available

Timely’s SMS features are currently not available in the following regions due to local telecom restrictions:

  • Qatar

  • Saudi Arabia

  • United Arab Emirates

  • Ghana
     

 

Why SMS isn’t available in some regions

Certain countries have strict telecommunications regulations that impact how businesses can send SMS messages. These may include:
 

  • Mandatory registration of Sender IDs before any messages can be sent

  • Bans on generic Sender IDs (like INFO, SMS, or NOTICE)

  • Limitations on when marketing SMS can be sent (e.g. specific hours only)

  • Prohibitions on certain types of content such as marketing, URLs, or links

  • Network-level filtering or blocking by local carriers
     

Because of these rules, SMS sent through Timely may be blocked, delayed, or rejected in affected regions. Rather than risk failed or inconsistent delivery, we’ve chosen to disable SMS functionality where we can’t guarantee reliable performance.
 

 

What this means for your business

If you’re located in a region with telecom restrictions, the following features may not be available:
 

  • SMS reminders and confirmations

  • Ad-hoc SMS

  • SMS marketing campaigns

  • Consultation forms sent via SMS

  • SMS login for your clients

  • Two-factor authentication (2FA) by SMS

 

 

What you can do instead

Here are some simple ways to keep clients updated without SMS:
 

  1. Switch SMS to email

    • Head to Setup > Customer Messages in Timely and change your automated reminders and confirmations to email.

    • Emails can include all the same booking information your clients are used to.

    • Getting started with email in Timely
       

  2. Update your cancellation and changes policy

    • Add a link in your email reminders so clients can reschedule or cancel directly online.

    • This keeps the process simple and reduces the need for back-and-forth.

    • How to set up your cancellation policy

       

 

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  • Why is this happening?
    Each country has its own telecom laws and content filtering systems. In some places, business SMS must go through government-approved channels or pre-registered IDs, which prevents Timely from sending messages directly.
     

  • Can I use my own SMS provider?
    Timely doesn’t integrate directly with third-party SMS providers.
     

  • What’s the best alternative to SMS?
    We recommend switching to email messages for reminders and confirmations. This ensures your customers still get all the important booking details. Learn more in our email messaging help section here.
     

  • Will SMS become available again in these regions?
    We’ll continue to review local telecom regulations. If restrictions are lifted or delivery reliability improves, we’ll reassess availability in those countries.

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