Cradle lets you send SMS to your customers from the same app you use for calls. This article walks through sending a message and what to expect after you do.

Before you start

You're signed in to the Cradle desktop app on Windows or macOS. SMS also works in the Cradle iOS and Android apps, and threads stay in sync across your devices; this article covers the desktop flow.
Your org has at least one Cradle SMS number switched on. If you don't see the messaging icon at all, see I can't see the messaging icon.
The number you're messaging is a mobile in the same country as your SMS number. See Why does my Cradle SMS need a separate number? for the why.

Steps

Click the messaging icon in the Cradle desktop app to open the messaging area.
Click New message at the top of the thread list.
In the To field, search for a contact by name, or paste a mobile number. For example, "Aroha Ngata" pulls up Aroha Ngata at Harbour City Accounting on +64 21 555 0148. For an AU customer, "Liam Chen" pulls up Liam Chen at Pacific Advisory Group on +61 455 500 404. For a UK customer, "George Whitfield" pulls up George Whitfield at Whitfield & Partners Solicitors on +44 7700 900111.
Pick the recipient. If you have access to more than one SMS-capable number that covers the recipient's country, choose which number the message sends from. You make this choice once, the first time you start the thread; the conversation keeps using that number from then on. With a single SMS number, Cradle selects it for you.
Type your message in the text box at the bottom.
Click the send button (or press enter) to send it.

What you should see

The new message appears in the thread. In Australia and the UK, two ticks underneath it mean the message has been sent and delivered to the recipient's network. In New Zealand you'll see one tick when the message is sent; delivery reports aren't available on the NZ network, so a second tick never appears. One tick on an NZ message is normal, not a failure.
The thread shows up at the top of your thread list with the most recent message preview.
Once the recipient replies, the thread moves to the top with an unread indicator until someone on your team opens it.

Your conversation is shared with your team

SMS in Cradle is a shared team inbox, not a private mailbox. If a teammate messages the same customer from the same Cradle SMS number, it's the same thread: they see the entire history, and the conversation shows up for both of you from then on. Treat every SMS conversation as visible to your team. See The shared SMS inbox for how joining works.

How long can a message be?

The SMS standard is 160 characters per message, and Cradle's reply box won't let you go over. When you reach the limit, the input stops accepting characters. If you need to send more than 160 characters, send a second message after the first one goes through.

If it doesn't work

The recipient number is greyed out. Cradle flags numbers that don't look like a mobile we can reach. See Why is this number greyed out?.
The message shows a failed status. Cradle shows an inline error when a message can't go through. See Why did my message fail to send?.
You can't find the contact. They may not be in your synced address book or CRM. Paste the full mobile number in international format (+64 …, +61 …, +44 …) instead.

Sending an SMS from the desktop app