Troubleshooting
Why is this number greyed out?
What it means when Cradle greys out a number in the SMS recipient picker, and what to do if it's a mobile you should be able to message.
When you start a new SMS in Cradle, some numbers in the recipient picker show as greyed out and can't be selected. This article explains what that flag means and what to do if you think it's wrong.
What "greyed out" means
Cradle greys out a number when it doesn't look like a mobile that's likely to receive SMS from your Cradle SMS number. The two main reasons:
- The number isn't in a recognised mobile range. Landlines, toll-free numbers, and service numbers usually don't accept SMS.
- The number is in a different country to your Cradle SMS number. SMS is country-confined: AU numbers send to AU mobiles, UK numbers send to UK mobiles. See SMS availability today.
Greying isn't a guarantee one way or the other. It's a heads-up that you're unlikely to get through, not a hard block.
What to do if a greyed-out number is genuinely a mobile
If you know the number is a current, active mobile in the same country as your Cradle SMS number, contact Cradle support. We can have a look at why Cradle didn't recognise it.
When you get in touch, include:
- The recipient's mobile number (with country code).
- The Cradle SMS number you're trying to send from.
- How you know the number is a working mobile (e.g. "I've called them on it this week").
What to do if you're trying to send across countries
Cradle SMS doesn't support cross-country messaging in a way we can stand behind. AU-to-UK, UK-to-US, and similar cross-country sends might still go through, but they aren't supported, and Cradle support can't help diagnose delivery problems on them.
We recommend keeping messages within your number's country: AU to AU, UK to UK.
If you regularly need to message customers in another country, the right path is to ask an admin to switch SMS on for a Cradle number in that country. See Getting SMS switched on for a Cradle number.
Still stuck?
Open the chat at help.cradle.io, submit a ticket, or email help@cradle.io. Support hours are 8:30 am – 5:00 pm New Zealand time, Monday to Friday.