SMS best practices

Before using a Photon number to receive a login or verification code, check its line type and the sender’s number. SMS numbers, iMessage lines, and personal WhatsApp lines do not handle verification codes the same way.

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Short codes are not supported

Photon numbers cannot send messages to short codes or receive messages from them. Short codes are the short numeric addresses some services use for automated text messages. A verification code sent from a short code will not arrive, even on an SMS number where general verification-code filtering is off. Do not build a workflow that depends on sending to or receiving from a short code.

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Verification-code filtering depends on the line type

A one-time passcode (OTP) is a temporary code used for sign-in, account verification, or account recovery. The SMS filtering policy does not guarantee that a third-party service will accept the number or deliver a code.

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Avoid using SMS numbers for third-party account registration

We do not recommend using Photon SMS numbers to register accounts with third-party services. Use a number or another authentication method that the service supports instead. You are responsible for complying with each third-party service’s terms of service. Do not use Photon numbers to bypass its registration, verification, or account restrictions. Receiving a code does not grant permission to use the number with that service. If a login code does not arrive, first check the line type and whether the sender uses a short code. Then follow the third-party service’s supported verification or account-recovery process rather than repeatedly requesting codes on an unsupported line.