Stuck on failed notifications leading you to wonder “why is my Vodafone SMS not working on phone?” Here’s all that you need to do to get back on the horse and texting right away.

One of the oldest network carriers in the United Kingdom, Vodafone has also spread across the world in regions such as India and Africa. Although the service provider is revered for its widespread coverage and support, there have been times when Vodafone customers have reported issues in cellular connectivity and data usage.

Why is My Vodafone SMS not Working?

One such roadblock experienced by users has been the SMS service, where customers of the Vodafone network are unable to send or receive SMS texts. The issue has led many users to wonder “why is my Vodafone SMS not working” and although there are a few fixes you can try to resolve this issue, there isn’t a universal one.

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From the settings not being configured the right way, to the SMSC settings not updated, there are plenty of reasons why the SMS issue could exist on your Vodafone SIM card, and here’s a guide to fix it all.

How to Fix Vodafone SMS Issues

Fix #1 – Set the SMSC in Settings

A common fix recommended by experts, you can update the SMSC (short message service center) settings from the configuration menu on your mobile phone. In most cases, the SMSC is updated automatically by the carrier, but in the event it fails to do so, here’s how you can do it manually:

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  1. Head to the Phone app on your mobile and open the Dialer screen menu.
  2. Type in the number *#*#4636#*#* and wait for the configuration screen to launch.
  3. Tap on Phone Information and scroll down to find the SMSC option in the list.
  4. Press the Refresh button and wait to see the result.
  5. If the refresh error message is displayed, press the Update button and enter the SMSC number manually.

Note: You can find a database of the SMSC number for you GSM mobile from the following list and add them manually.

Fix #2 – Set the SMSC Number from the Messages App

If you have used any other messaging app apart from the default SMS app on your Android or iOS devices, the error for Vodafone SMS can occur. You will need to manually add the service center number to the SMS app, which will then allow the network carrier to send and receive text messages from the app.

  1. Open the Messages app on your mobile phone.
  2. Pressing the Settings button and find SMS Center option as you scroll down.
  3. Tap on the option and enter the phone number “+447785016005” and hit the OK button to save the details.
  4. Press the Home button and now trying send an SMS to see if the issue is resolved.

The SMSC number we have used in the steps above is mentioned on the official Vodafone UK troubleshooting page and may differ based on your region.

Final Words

Apart from these quick fixes that will help you get the SMS feature on your Vodafone SIM up and running, you may need to do some basic fixes too. For instance, many users who complained about “why is my Vodafone SMS not working on the phone?” were also able to fix it by simply rebooting the device or performing a network reset. Do let us know in the comments, which fix worked best for you.