Learn how to send an SMS message to one or more people.
UCare provides two options for sending SMS.
Option 1 - My Phone
When using the UCare app on an iPhone or Android phone, UCare will send messages using your phone’s SMS app. This uses the phone credits included with your phone plan, so there are no additional costs. When sending messages using your phone, SMS networks cap the maximum number of recipients between 16 and 32. If you’re using an iPhone, the Messages app will try to send messages as an iMessage, meaning recipients will see each other’s phone number and “reply all.” To avoid this, open the Settings app, go to SMS settings, and turn off iMessage.
Option 2 - over the web using the 3rd party Clickatell SMS service
This option requires the SMS service to be activated in SMS settings; your church will also need to purchase credit with the third-party service. After you are granted SMS permission, Clickatell will send a verification code to your phone the next time you sign in. Enter this code in UCare settings to confirm that you own the mobile number listed in your access.
By default, messages are sent from the mobile number registered when your UCare account was created. You can change this number by changing your access.
If a Sender ID is set under SMS settings, it will also be available as a From option. Note that the Sender ID needs to be registered and approved with Clickatell before you can use it.
Note: By default, the max length of messages is 160 for normal characters or 70 for non-Latin/Unicode characters. If you would like to send longer messages, you can change this in SMS settings.
Note: Before sending a bulk SMS message to many people, please make sure there is enough credit in the Clickatell account for all people. If your Clicaktell account runs out of credit during the send, the message will not be sent to the remaining recipients.
Inserting emoji on Mac or PC
Using emojis in SMS messages has become a regular option for most smartphone users. Here’s how to take advantage of them when using your Mac or PC.
How to insert emoji on Windows 10
- Place the keyboard cursor where you want to insert the emoji.
- Use the keyboard shortcut WIN +. (the period / full-stop punctuation mark) to open the character viewer.
- Click on the emoji you want, and keep clicking until you have inserted all the emoji you want. You can even type a word to find the right emoji.
How to insert emoji on macOS
- Place the keyboard cursor where you want to insert the emoji.
- The keyboard shortcut Control + Command + Spacebar opens the Character viewer.
- Double-click on the emoji you want, and keep double-clicking until you have inserted all the emojis you want. You can search to find just the right emoji.