Understand why SMS links may not work

Summary

Learn how device settings and message types affect whether URLs in SMS appear as clickable links.

This article covers:

• Overview  
• Why this happens
• Alternative actions

Overview

When SMS messages in Box+Dice are sent as plain text, whether URLs appear as clickable links depends entirely on the recipient’s device and settings, not the sender’s configuration.

Why this happens

If a link appears as plain text rather than a clickable hyperlink, it’s usually because the receiving device hasn’t recognised the URL format or is applying security filters to messages from unknown senders.

In particular, Apple devices (iPhones) often restrict hyperlinking URLs in SMS from unknown numbers as a security precaution. This means that even valid links may appear unclickable until the sender is saved in the recipient’s contacts.

Alternative actions

If you receive an SMS where the URL doesn’t appear as a clickable link:

• Copy the link from the message and paste it into your web browser’s address bar to open it manually or,
• Save the sender’s number to your contacts

Once the number is saved, your device (especially iPhones) is more likely to recognise future messages as safe and display URLs as clickable links.