9. SMS Inbox

SMS Setup
Setting up SMS with SwitchBase couldn't be easier — we do it for you!
What We'll Do
SwitchBase will set your system up with Twilio — the popular, scalable, legally compliant, and reliable cloud-based platform for sending and receiving SMS messages. And we'll complete the following tasks:

A. Number Acquisition → SwitchBase will acquire the standard 10-digit long code number to be used by your organization

If you have numbers already in use for SMS, let us know!

B. Opt out → SwitchBase will provide a clear and legally compliant way for recipients to opt out → ex. by replying STOP

C. Training → We'll get your SMS Group trained, including the tips and tricks you'll need to get the most from your SMS experience

D. Support → SwitchBase will provide ongoing support, including training, troubleshooting, and assistance with compliance

What We Need to Know
That said, SMS implementation requires a bit of planning, so we'll need to learn a few things about your needs:

A. Target Audience → Who will benefit from SMS?

Patrons, guests, fans?

Staff?

VIP Guests?

B. Distribution → How do you want to share your SMS number?

Printed/posted?

Text number?

QR code or NFC tag?

C. Venues → How many separate venues are you planning on?

D. Expected Volume → How many messages do you expect for:

Various Event types?

Ongoing operations?

How to Use SwitchBase SMS → Quickstart

Open your Inbox
- A Green Dot will notify you of incoming messages
- Select a conversation
Send pre-written Quick Replies to speed things up
Hover over a message → and pick the orange + Create Record icon to start a new Record
Select a Form → and choose Create Blank → or save time with either SwitchBase:
- Shortcuts → pre-fill Forms for specific Issues
- Ask AI Auto-fill → auto-generate the Record from the SMS Thread
Go to the related Dashboard and act on Records → ex. change status from Open to On Scene

Create Records with AI Auto-fill

Turn inbound messages into actionable Records by:

Hovering over a message
Clicking the orange + Create Records icon
Selecting the Auto-fill from message icon → to instantly pre-fill Forms based on the conversation
Editing Fields as needed
Clicking Create

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Before you can Assign Threads to members of your team, you'll need to Share the Inbox.

SwitchBase sharing ensures that the Group of Users assigned to your Inbox stays focused on the messages they need to act on.

To start sharing:
- A. Click the Share Button, or
- B. Click Settings (. . .) → and pick Share inbox
Pick the Group(s) or Users you wish to Share your Inbox with:
- A. Groups → ex. Guest Services, Housekeeping, Usher, etc.
- B. Users → ex. Austin, Benji, etc.
Set the *Permission level → ex. usually Member
- Only Members and Inbox Managers can Assign Threads
- Viewers can't Assign Threads
Click Save Changes

Dive Deeper into Inbox Sharing

We've added a lot of SMS Sharing options to meet the security needs of a vast variety of venues

Complete instructions are found in our Share Inbox article

Learn about *Permission levels in our Set the Permission Level section

Assign Threads

Why Assign Threads

No duplicate replies → ex. team members who share one Inbox can claim a Thread → and everyone knows it's covered!
Clear ownership → every Thread has one person responsible for it
Quieter notifications → only the person handling the Thread gets pinged

Claim or Assign a Thread

Claim a Thread yourself, or assign it to a teammate, so everyone can see who's handling what. No more having two people answer the same message at once!

Tip: Claim a Thread before you start typing your reply → so your team will know right away that it's being handled.

There are two options:

A. Open the assignment menu in the top-right corner of any Thread → and select yourself or another team member
B. Claim the Thread as yours → by selecting Assign to me

Who Can Assign Threads?

Anyone who is a Member of the Inbox's Group can assign Threads, to themselves or to another team member

Viewers can't assign Threads

Learn how to assign Member-level status to Groups & Users in our Share a Group with Users article

Why can't I assign a Thread?

You may only be a Viewer of the Inbox instead of a Member

Ask the Inbox's Owner or your Admin to change your access to Member

How Threads Are Organized

The right sidebar groups Threads in this order:

GROUP	WHAT YOU WILL SEE
Unassigned	Always at the top. Shows 5 by default → expand to see more
Assigned to You	Your Threads come next
Assigned to Others	Everything else falls to the bottom
Tip: Quick Actions	Appear right above the message box → claim, respond, and close in one spot

Closing & Reopening Threads

Closing a Thread automatically clears its assignment

If the customer messages back, the Thread reopens as Unassigned, ready for someone to claim it again

About Thread Notifications

Once you claim a Thread, only you receive its Notifications, until you close it or unassign it.

This cuts down on Notification noise for the rest of your team.

Available on Mobile

Thread Assignments work in the SwitchBase mobile app, version 6.3.13 or later.

Tip: Don't see it yet? Fully close and restart the app. You may need to do this more than once to get the update.

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Take a quick look at the Toolbar features → explained in the Filters & Archival Actions section of this article

To see all the Related Records created for an SMS Thread, click the Related Records icon

Activate-Deactivate SMS

To turn your SMS service on and off:

Open your Inbox
Switch to Active → to start receiving messages
Toggle to Inactive → and temporarily turn off SMS

Rename Threads

To change the name of a Thread so it can be referenced easily:

Open the Thread → and click the Rename Thread pencil
Make your name change → and record it by:
- A. Clicking the ✓ or pressing Enter
- B. Clicking X to start over

Pin & Reposition Inboxes

Pin your Primary Inbox to the top of your list for quicker access. Drag the Waffle icons to move your Inbox to the preferred spot.

To pin, unpin, and reposition:

Hover over any Inbox to reveal its Pin → ex. Guest Services
Click the Pin!
- Pin as many Inboxes as you wish
To reposition → click and drag the Waffle icon up or down
To remove a Pin → just click it!

Show more / Show less

Choose Show more → to display unpinned Inboxes
Select Show less → to minimize the list

Five Tips

Pinned Inboxes always appear in the order you set

Unpinned Inboxes appear when a new message is sent to you

The number of new messages appears in a bubble

New, unpinned, and idle Inboxes float alphabetically below pinned messages

Click Show more to view all of your Inboxes → and Show Less to view only Pinned and Active messages

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After you create a Record from a Thread, you can open and update it by:

A. Clicking the View related records button → to open a thumbnail of the Record
B. Selecting the View in sidebar option → to pop open the Record in a right-side panel
C. Picking the Page View option → to display the Record on a full page

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Quick Replies

To save time, pre-write and use Quick Replies. Open the Replies Library by clicking the Chevron, and pick from the list.

Manage your Quick Replies

To open your Quick Replies library:

Click the Settings (. . .) menu
Pick Edit inbox settings
Review the parts of the Quick Replies Library:
- A. Active Quick Replies → select the text boxes to Edit or Delete Replies
- B. + Add Quick Reply button → click to Add a New Quick Reply
- C. Inactive Message → the reply sent when the Inbox is switched off
  - Learn to Edit the Inactive Message

Add a Quick Reply

To add a Reply:

Click + Add Quick Reply
Give your Reply a recognizable Quick Reply Name → ex. Sending Guest Services
Enter your Quick Reply's text → ex. Thank you. We are sending a Guest Services representative to you
Click Save Settings

Edit a Quick Reply

To reword your Quick Replies:

Click inside any of the text boxes
Make your edits
Click Save Settings

Delete a Quick Reply

To Delete a Reply:

Click the Trash icon next to the Quick Reply you wish to delete
Click Save Settings

Move Quick Replies Up or Down

You'll want to prioritize how your Quick Replies pop up in the list.

To adjust the order of your replies:

Snag a Quick Reply by its Waffle icon
Drag it up (or down) within your list

Click Save Settings

Edit the Inactive Message

The Inactive Message is sent whenever the Inbox has been Paused or Deactivated → ex. a text message arrives after hours

To reword your Inactive Message:

Click inside any of the text boxes
Make your edits
Click Save Settings

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About Notifications

SwitchBase can ping your phone with notifications when:

A Record is created or updated (including via SMS AI)
A Chat (DM or Group) is sent

The settings for notifications are set to your Mobile Devices → iOS or Android

Visit our Mobile App article called Manage your Notifications to learn all about it

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Filters & Archival Actions

Your SMS Toolbar is divided into two sections:

A. Inbox & Thread Filters → organize, filter, and rename conversations in your Inbox to reduce noise
B. Thread Archival Actions → star, retire, or mark Threads as unread

A. Inbox & Thread Filters

Use filters to organize and simplify your Inbox:

A. Inbox → to display the active Threads in a list
B. Starred Threads → to star Threads to be remembered
C. Closed Threads → to show your Closed or hidden Threads
D. All Threads → to show all new, starred, and hidden Threads
E. Rename Threads → to add a name or a descriptive title

B. Thread Archival Actions

Take actions to highlight, retire, or reorganize Threads that have been fulfilled.

A. Mark as Unread → to archive for possible later action
B. Close / Reopen Thread → to close Threads to clear your list
C. Star Thread → to mark key Threads with a Star to spot and filter easily

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