SMS Conversations
Manage your SMS inbox, send messages, add MMS attachments, track delivery status, and use Click2Dial to call contacts.
SMS Conversations
The SMS Conversations view is your inbox for all SMS and MMS activity. Conversations are sorted by most recent activity, and you can send new messages, attach media, and track delivery status—all from a single interface.
Inbox Overview
The inbox shows all your SMS conversations sorted by most recent first. Each conversation displays:
- Contact name or phone number
- Last message preview
- Timestamp
- Unread indicator (if applicable)
- Delivery status on outbound messages
Click any conversation to open the full thread and view or continue the exchange.
Sending a Message
Select a conversation or click Compose — Open an existing thread to reply, or click the compose button to start a new conversation.
Choose your SMS number — Select which business phone number to send from (if you have multiple).
Enter the recipient number — For new conversations, enter the recipient's phone number in E.164 format (e.g., +15551234567).
Type your message — Compose your text in the message field.
Press Send — Click the Send button or press Enter to deliver the message.
MMS Attachments
Send images, videos, and PDFs with your SMS messages using MMS.
- Open a conversation or compose a new message
- Click the attachment icon in the message composer
- Select one or more files (images, videos, or PDFs)
- Each attachment must be 5MB or less
- Add your message text (optional) and press Send
Attachment size is limited to 5MB per file. Large videos or high-resolution images may need to be compressed before sending.
Delivery Modes
When sending MMS, you can choose between:
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Faster | Standard delivery—optimized for speed. Best for most use cases. |
| Higher Quality | Preserves media quality at the cost of slightly longer processing. Use when image or video fidelity matters. |
Select the mode before sending; it applies to that message only.
Message Status Indicators
Outbound messages display status icons so you know their delivery state:
| Icon | Status | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Clock | Pending | Message is queued or being sent |
| Single check | Sent | Message was successfully sent to the carrier |
| Double check | Delivered | Message was delivered to the recipient's device |
| Red X | Failed | Message could not be delivered |
Status updates may take a few seconds to appear. Failed messages may be retried depending on carrier and configuration.
Click2Dial
Click the phone icon on any conversation to initiate a voice call to that contact. CrystalQore will place the call through your configured phone system, so you can seamlessly switch from SMS to a live call when needed.
Click2Dial requires that your phone system (e.g., FusionPBX) is properly integrated. If the phone icon is disabled, contact your administrator.
New Message Dialog
When starting a new conversation, the compose dialog provides several options:
Selecting a From Number
If you have access to multiple SMS numbers (personal or shared), select which number to send from using the From dropdown. This determines the caller ID the recipient sees.
Adding Recipients
Enter recipients using any of these methods:
- Direct phone number — Type or paste a number in E.164 format
- Contact search — Start typing a name to search your CrystalQore contacts
- Tag search — Search by tag to find groups of contacts
Using a Template
In the new message dialog:
- Click the Template button or search icon
- Browse or search your saved templates
- Select a template — the message body is pre-filled with the template text
- Variables like
{{first_name}}are substituted from the contact's data if available
MMS in New Messages
Attach media files in the new message dialog the same way as in existing conversations — click the attachment icon, select files, and choose the delivery mode.
Archiving and Searching
See Archiving & Search for details on:
- Archiving and unarchiving conversations
- Searching across conversations and within a thread
- Selecting and deleting individual messages
- Clearing chat history
Adding Contacts from Conversations
When messaging an unknown number, you can add the contact to your directory without leaving the conversation:
- Click the Add Contact button in the conversation header
- Enter the contact's name and details
- Save — the conversation now shows the contact's name instead of just the phone number
You can also edit an existing contact's details from the conversation header.
Tips
- E.164 format — Use international format (e.g., +15551234567) for best deliverability
- MMS limits — Keep attachments under 5MB; multiple smaller images often work better than one large file
- Threading — All messages to and from a number stay in one conversation for easy history
- Unread filter — Use the All/Unread toggle in the sidebar to quickly find conversations that need attention