Using SMS Conversations: Two-Way Texting
See every text you send and every reply in one thread. Learn how to start, read, and reply to SMS conversations in the TNZ dashboard.
What is SMS Conversations?
Conversations is a tool in the Online Dashboard for holding a 1:1 text conversation with a mobile number. Every message you send, and every reply that comes back, sits together in a single threaded window.
You'll find it under Conversations in the dashboard's left-hand menu.
Who It's For
Conversations is built for dashboard users who log in to send SMS and then need to keep track of the replies.
It suits you if you:
- Send messages that expect an answer, and want to follow each one as a thread.
- Deal with the same contacts more than once and want their history in front of you.
- Handle any text conversation that runs over several messages.
⭐ Key Features
🧵
Full message history
Sent and received messages appear in one thread, in order, so nothing is split across separate logs.
🏷️
Contact names, not just numbers
When a number matches an Address Book contact, the dashboard shows their name instead of a bare mobile number.
⚡
Quick replies
Type your response straight into the open thread and send, without leaving the conversation.
🔵
Unread messages surfaced
New replies mark a thread as unread and bold, and an Unread filter and counter let you jump straight to what needs a response.
🔍
Search your threads
Filter the list by name or number to find a conversation quickly, even once you have a lot of them.
✨
Auto-create on reply
Optionally start a new thread automatically whenever an SMS arrives from a contact you haven't messaged before.
➕ Starting a Conversation
To begin a new thread:
| 1. Open Conversations from the dashboard menu. |
| 2. Click New at the top of the conversation list. |
| 3. Optionally give the conversation a name. Leave it blank and the dashboard will name it for you. |
| 4. Add the mobile number under Destinations, or search your Address Book to pick a saved contact. |
| 5. Click Create. The thread opens, ready for your first message. |
💡 Tip: add the contact to your Address Book
If you save the mobile number as an Address Book contact, their name shows on the thread and in your list instead of the raw number, which makes a busy conversation list much easier to scan.
↩️ Reading and Replying
Click a conversation in the list to open it. The thread loads with the earliest message at the top and the most recent at the bottom.
To reply, type into the message box at the foot of the thread and send. Your message is added to the thread straight away, and any response from the contact drops in underneath when it arrives, keeping the whole exchange in one view.
⚠️ Sender numberReplies work because the contact is answering the number your SMS was sent from. Which number that is (a TNZ short code, a dedicated number, or a custom Sender ID) depends on your service and destination. See
Setting the Sender on SMS Messages for detail.
🔵 Finding Unread Messages
When a contact replies, their thread is marked unread: it moves up the list, shows in bold, and adds to the unread count.
Above the conversation list are two filters:
- All shows every conversation.
- Unread shows only threads with messages you haven't read yet, with a count beside it so you can see at a glance how many are waiting.
Use the search box at the top of the list to filter by a contact's name or number when you're looking for one particular thread.
✨ Auto-Create Conversations
You don't have to start every thread by hand. The dashboard can open one for you whenever an SMS arrives from a contact you haven't been messaging.
To turn it on for yourself:
| 1. In Conversations, click Settings at the top of the list. |
| 2. Switch Auto-Create Conversations to Yes and update. |
⚠️ This setting applies to your login onlyTurning on Auto-Create Conversations affects just your own login. To switch it on for other users, go to the
Users menu, select a user, open the
SMS tab, and toggle
Auto-Create Conversations for each one.
⚙️ Renaming, Marking and Deleting Threads
Open a conversation's own settings to manage it. From there you can:
- Rename it — give the thread a clearer name, or change who it's addressed to under Destinations.
- Mark it as unread — flag a thread to come back to, so it stays on your Unread list even after you've opened it.
- Delete it — remove the conversation when you no longer need it.
⚠️ Deleting removes the thread view
Deleting a conversation removes the threaded view from your Conversations list. Your underlying sent and received messages remain in the dashboard's message records and reporting.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Why does a thread show a number instead of a name?
The contact isn't in your Address Book, so there's no name to display. Add them as a contact and their name will show.
|
Do replies from my contacts come into Conversations automatically?
Replies to an existing thread appear in that thread. For a brand-new contact, a thread is created automatically only if you've switched on Auto-Create Conversations; otherwise the reply still arrives in your SMS Received records.
|
Can other people in my account see my conversations?
Conversations and the Auto-Create setting are tied to each login. Other users manage their own threads and settings from their own logins.
|
If I delete a conversation, do I lose the messages?
No. Deleting removes the threaded view only. The individual sent and received messages stay in your dashboard records and reporting.
|
Is there another way to send SMS from the dashboard?
Yes. Conversations is one of several sending tools. See How to Send SMS Using the Online Dashboard for Quick SMS, broadcasts, recurring messages and more.
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📞 Additional Assistance
If you have any questions or need a hand getting started with Conversations, the TNZ team is happy to help.
Contact TNZ Support →
Topics:
Dashboard
SMS