FAQs
Why does my message show Delivered, but my user hasn't received it?
Bird obtains delivery reports (DLR) from receiving networks to confirm message delivery. However, some networks only provide network confirmation without actual handset delivery status. To troubleshoot, collect multiple message samples (either to different numbers or to the same number spaced several hours apart) and share these samples with our support team via ticket.
What does a "Not Delivered" status mean, and what should I do?
Check the specific status reason in your Message List Dashboard. Here's what different reasons mean:
My message failed, but no status reason is present.
Bird will always provide, in a standardized way, all available information regarding your message failures. If none is available, it is because our downstream carrier didn’t share them. To help us troubleshoot this, collect multiple message samples and share these samples with our support team via ticket.
What does "Unknown Subscriber" mean?
This indicates that the recipient's number doesn't exist or is not linked to active subscriber. You should remove it from your database. For detailed troubleshooting steps, visit our SMS Delivery Status Documentation.
What causes an "Unavailable Subscriber or Network Error"?
The recipient's device may be turned off or out of network coverage. For network errors, the carrier is likely addressing the issue. Try resending later. Our SMS Delivery Status Documentation provides additional troubleshooting tips.
What does "Capacity Limit Reached or Carrier Rejected" mean?
This typically indicates that your SMS may not comply with carrier or country restrictions. Review the regulations of your target country, check your registration status, or submit a new registration at our Registered Originators Dashboard.
Why did my message status change to "Expired" and what can I do?
An expired status can occur for two reasons. First, if marked as "unavailable subscriber," the recipient was temporarily unreachable during retry attempts within the validity period. For non-time-sensitive messages, consider extending the validity period—learn how in our SMS Validity Period Documentation.
Second, if marked as "DLR not received or Expired," the device wasn't connected to the A2P network within the validity timeframe. Try sending the message again.
Why has my message been stuck in "Sent" status for a long time?
This temporary status means we've sent the message but haven't received final delivery confirmation. The recipient might be unavailable, triggering our retry process which can last up to 72 hours. You can shorten this by adjusting the validity period. If you can access the receiving device, try restarting it to refresh the network connection.
Why has my message been "Buffered" for a while?
Your message is in the delivery queue. Delivery time varies based on message volume and network activity. You can check for any current outages at our Status Page.
I have trouble delivering a special character to a phone
Using special characters, Unicode, and GSM-T charsets for sending SMS in different languages
SMS can be sent out using different charsets or character sets. For SMS, we use the charsets GSM-7 and Unicode. Below we will explain a bit about each charset and what this means for your SMS.
GSM-7
SMS are typically sent out with the GSM-7 charset, which covers most characters. When SMS are sent in the GSM-7 charset, each character is seen as just one character in an SMS message.
See this table here, you will find the standard characters under the GSM-7 charset. All characters in the table are considered standard characters but may not show on the receiver’s phone, depending on the handset’s capabilities.
The following characters are part of the GSM-7 charset but equate to two characters in a text message:
\ ^ ~ [ ] { } | ~ €
Unicode
When using the Unicode charset, each character is seen as two characters. This decreases the number of characters you can put in your SMS from 160 to 70. Read more here about the length of an SMS: How long can an SMS message be?
Using GSM-7 vs. Unicode
When you send a text message via your MessageBird Dashboard, and you enter a Unicode character, you will have 2 options:
Automatically adjust the Unicode character to a related basic character, or leave the character out. With this option, you will send the SMS in GSM-7, and the maximum amount of characters allowed in 1 SMS remains 160.
Show the Unicode character. With this option, you will send the SMS in Unicode, which will modify the maximum number of characters in 1 SMS from 160 to 70.
Local restrictions
Due to restrictions in some countries, it is not always possible to send messages in a different language other than English or the selected country's primary language. If your content is changed, then make sure that is not related to the country restrictions.
