Purchasing Twilio phone numbers
The instructions below are for desktops and laptops only.
To use the Twilio SMS channel in tawk.to and start communicating with your customers via text, you'll first need a Twilio phone number. This guide will show you how to find and purchase one using your Twilio Console.
Important note: If you plan to use more than one Twilio phone number, you'll need to upgrade your Twilio project account from the free trial.
How to find and buy a Twilio phone number
Note: When searching for a phone number, unselect the features you don’t need. For example, if you don’t need Voice capabilities with your phone number, uncheck “Voice”.
1. In the Twilio Console, go to Develop > Phone Numbers > Manage > Buy a Number.
2. Enter the criteria for the phone number you need and click Search.
- Country: Select the desired country.
- Capabilities: Choose the services you need for this number.
- Search Criteria: Search by digits, area code, prefix, phrases, or characters you want in your phone number.
- Advanced Options: Click this to show options for the desired phone number type (local, mobile, toll-free), address requirements, emergency calling, and to allow beta number results.3. After you click Search, you'll see a list of phone numbers that match your criteria. For each number, you'll see the phone number itself, its location, the type of number, what it can do (capabilities), and the price. To purchase a number for your current Twilio project, click the Buy button next to the number you want.
4. If you don't see a number you like, click the Refresh results button at the bottom of the page to see more options.
Important things to keep in mind
Regulations
Many countries have specific rules about who can own phone numbers and may require you to provide identification documents. If this is the case, Twilio will ask you to select or upload the necessary documents after you click "Buy." You can find more information on Twilio's Phone Number Regulations site.
Messaging in the US (A2P 10DLC)
If you plan to send SMS messages to the US using a US local phone number, you'll need to go through a registration process called A2P 10DLC. See Twilio's A2P help article for more details.
Billing
Once you successfully buy a phone number, your Twilio project will be charged the full monthly price for that number. You can find more information about pricing on Twilio's How much does a phone number cost page.
Searching for a number with a specific pattern
Sometimes, you might want a phone number that includes a specific sequence of numbers or even spells out a word. Twilio's search tool lets you do this.
On the Buy a Number page, use the Search criteria field and the Advanced Search options to specify the format you're looking for. You can search by specific digits, area codes, prefixes, or even words.
You can also specify where in the phone number you want your search criteria to appear (e.g., at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end).
If you know some parts of the number but not others, you can use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard, which means "any digit."
Example: If you're looking for a 916 area code number that ends with the letters "team," you could search for 916***team. This will find all numbers that start with 916 and end with "team," with any three digits in between.
Using a Twilio trial number for SMS
If you're still on a Twilio free trial account, there are some important things to know about using your trial phone number for SMS:
Limited usage
Trial accounts have limits on how many messages you can send and receive.
One number only
You can only send SMS messages from the specific trial phone number that Twilio assigned to your account. Messages sent from any other number won't be delivered.
Verified recipients
You can only send messages to phone numbers that you have verified through your Twilio Console. You'll need to add and verify recipient numbers before you can text them.
SMS only
Trial numbers typically support SMS messaging, but advanced features like sending pictures (MMS) might not be available.
International SMS may be limited
Sending SMS to phone numbers in other countries might be restricted or require extra verification on a trial account.
Compliance is key
Even with a trial account, all the messages you send must follow local rules and regulations, including getting consent and respecting privacy. If you're sending application-to-person (A2P) messages in the US, you'll still need to register for A2P 10DLC, even with a trial number.
Billing after upgrade
While you might not be charged during the trial, once your trial ends or you upgrade your account, you'll be billed for any services you use, including the monthly fees for any phone numbers you've purchased.
Upgrading your account
To remove these limitations (like message limits and recipient restrictions), you'll need to upgrade your Twilio account to a paid plan. This might involve providing identification and other documentation as required by Twilio.
Limited support
Trial users usually have limited access to Twilio's direct support. For help, it's best to check Twilio's official documentation first. It's also a good idea to read Twilio's Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy to make sure you're following their rules.
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