Turning on text messaging
How to enable SMS for your troop, and what it does and does not do.
Text messaging is off for every troop until an admin turns it on. Go to Admin > Settings > Text Messages (SMS) and flip the switch.
While it is off, the Send SMS button on every event page stays disabled, and nothing your troop does can send a text.
What turning it on does not do
Enabling SMS does not opt anybody in. It only makes the feature available to your leaders. A member is texted only if they have added a phone number and checked the SMS consent box on their own profile — a number you typed in or imported is never enough on its own. See Communication tools overview for the full set of conditions.
Why it costs money
Unlike email, every text your troop sends costs a small amount. That is the main reason this is a deliberate switch rather than something that is simply on:
- If your troop does not use texting, leave it off and you will never be charged for it.
- If you do turn it on, your troop still has daily and monthly send limits, so a mistake cannot run up a large bill.
You can turn it back off at any time. Doing so immediately disables the Send SMS button everywhere and blocks any further texts, including from connected AI assistants.