SMS Messages and Shared Inboxes

Learn how to send and receive SMS/MMS messages and access Shared Inbox threads within the Sync desktop and browser apps.

Written By Sara Mosher (Super Administrator)

Updated at September 14th, 2026

Depending on your organization’s Sync bundle and enabled features, the Messages tab in the Sync app hosts External SMS conversations, allowing you to communicate directly with customers or manage conversations through Shared Inboxes. Messages is available in the Sync desktop, browser, and mobile apps, so you can stay connected with customers and coworkers wherever you work.

Messages and Company (Inboxes)

Use Messages and Company for different types of messaging workflows:

Messages (previously labelled Interactions) — View, send, and receive SMS and instant messages, including External, Direct, and Channel conversations.

Company (previously labelled Inboxes) — Access shared conversations managed by your organization. If Shared Inboxes are enabled, teams can use Company to view, assign, respond to, and manage conversations within a shared workflow.

For individual or standard messaging conversations, start in Messages. Use Company when working with conversations routed to a shared team inbox.

Example: Sync app navigation displayed vertically on the left rather than horizontally along the bottom.
 

SMS Registration

SMS capability must be registered on the assigned user's phone numbers. If you need SMS and currently do not have access to an SMS registered phone number, talk to your Administrator or reach out to net2phone Canada Technical Support. 

 

Open the Messages tab

Access the Messages tab from the bottom navigation bar in the Sync app.

  1. Open the Sync app.
  2. Depending on your app version, select Messages or Interactions from the navigation pane.
Example: Sync browser app displaying an external SMS Message thread, and the Messages tab icon highlighted in the left navigation pane. 

Messages tab labelled Interactions in previous app versions 

Depending on your app version, Messages may be labelled Interactions, and the navigation tabs may appear vertically on the left or horizontally along the bottom. The available messaging features remain the same.

Example: Messages (Interactions) tab opened in the browser app. 
 

Understand the Message filters

Use the filters at the top of the Messages tab to switch between conversation types.

  • All — Displays all available conversations in one list.
  • External — Displays SMS and MMS conversations with external contacts and customers.
  • Direct — Displays one-to-one internal messages with other users.
  • Channels — Displays group conversations used for team communication.

Select a filter to focus on the conversation type you want to review or continue.

Example: The Messages/Interactions tab displays messaging filters for All, External, Direct, and Channels conversations.

Send a new message

Start a new conversation from the Messages tab using the compose icon.

  1. From either the Activity tab or the Messages (Interactions) tab, click the compose message icon.
  2. Search for a contact or enter a phone number. 
  3. (Optional) If your account has been assigned multiple SMS numbers, click the From dropdown menu to change your outbound number. 
  4. Type your message in the message field.
  5. Select the Send icon.
Example: New message thread open with the outbound “From” phone number dropdown open. 

Message notifications

New messages appear in the Messages/Interactions list and will display unread indicators depending on your notification settings. Select a conversation to view new messages and reply.

⚠️ Device Notification Settings

Notification behaviour may vary depending on your device settings and browser notification permissions.

 

Reply to a message

Continue an existing conversation directly from the conversation panel.

  1. Open either the Messages or the Activity tab.
  2. Select a conversation from the list to open it in the middle panel. 
  3. Enter your message in the Write a message field.
  4. Select the Send icon.

Conversation history remains visible in the thread, so you can review previous messages before replying.


Use messaging tools in a conversation

Additional tools are available in the message composer and conversation header to support daily messaging tasks.

  • Emoji — Add emojis to a message.
  • Attachment — Attach a file or supported item to a message.
  • Call — Start an audio call from a conversation, when available.
  • Video — Start a video call from a conversation, when available.

Available options may vary depending on the type of conversation and your assigned permissions.