# Text Customers > Start a text thread with a customer, reply to their messages, and retry a text that did not send. Source: https://jobwisepro.com/help/communications/text-customers Category: Communications Updated: 2026-10-22 [**Messages**](/go/communications/messages) is where you text customers and read replies. Texting needs an active business number and an approved registration. [Get a business number](/help/communications/get-a-business-number) covers the setup. ## Start a new text thread A thread holds every text with one phone number. 1. Select the square pen icon in the list header. - On a phone with no thread open, the floating button also opens the New Message panel. 2. In the **New Message** panel, select **Contact** or **Phone number**. 3. Find the contact or enter the number. - For **Contact**, type a name in the search box and select the contact. Only contacts with a phone number appear. - For **Phone number**, type the number, then select **Start chat**. An existing thread for that contact or number opens, or a new one starts. ## Send a text Replies go out from the text box in an open thread. 1. Select the thread in the list. 2. Type your text in the text box. A text can run up to 1,600 characters. 3. Select the send button. It stays off until the text box holds text. Your text joins the thread and the text box clears. Its status moves from **Sending…** to **Sent**, then to **Delivered** once Twilio reports delivery. A failed or undelivered text shows **Not delivered**. > **Warning:** Text you type stays in the box when you switch threads, and the next send goes to the open thread. ## Link a thread to a contact Linking puts the contact's name on the thread and attaches its earlier unlinked texts. 1. Select the thread for the number in the list. 2. Select **Save as contact** in the thread header. - On a phone, that button shows only an icon. Select the ellipsis button, then **Add as a client**. 3. In the **Link this conversation to a contact** panel, select **Existing contact** or **New contact**. - For **Existing contact**, select the contact under **Search**. The thread links as soon as you select one. - For **New contact**, fill in **First name**, **Last name**, and **Email**. Then select **Create and link**. The header and the list show the contact's name. A contact with no phone number also gets the thread's number. ## Retry a text that did not send A failed text shows **Not delivered** and a **Tap to retry** button. 1. Select the thread that holds the failed text. 2. If the thread has no linked contact, link it first as described above, because a retry is refused without one. 3. Select **Tap to retry** under the failed text. The retry sends the text again as a new message in the thread. ## Filter the list and assign a thread The **Unassigned** filter shows threads that nobody has taken. 1. Select **Unassigned** in the filters. 2. Select the thread you want to take. 3. Select the ellipsis button in the thread header, then select **Assign to me**. The thread leaves **Unassigned** and shows under the **Mine** filter. To release it, select **Unassign from me** in the same menu. ## Read the list and thread The list shows pinned threads first, then threads by latest text, up to 200. Archived threads do not appear. - Each row shows the contact's full name, falling back to the name stored on the thread, then the phone number. - A row shows a preview of its latest text, or **No messages yet** when there are none. - Opening a thread with unread texts marks them read. - Texts from customers are saved as **Delivered**. - The thread shows text only, and customer media is stored privately. Access levels are view, edit, and full. The Messages page needs view access to texting. Without edit access, the square pen icon, the text box, **Save as contact**, and the ellipsis button do not appear. Sending, retrying, assigning, and marking texts read need edit access. Blocking and archiving need full access. See [Create and edit roles and permissions](/help/team/roles-and-permissions) for how roles set these levels. ## Opt-outs and refused texts When a customer replies STOP, their number is opted out and any linked contact is flagged. Replying START, or sending any text that is not a keyword, clears the flag. Texts from opted-out contacts still save to the thread. Blocked numbers are dropped before anything saves. The thread shows a flag above the text box when the contact is opted out. > **Warning:** Texts you type to a linked contact still go out after that contact opts out, so check the flag before you send. A send is refused when: - The contact has no phone number on file. - Texting is turned off in [Phone & Texting settings](/help/communications/phone-and-texting-settings). - The business number is missing or not active. - Registration is not approved. - The thread has no linked contact, and that number or a saved contact with it has opted out.