This article explains the management of deactivated, swapped, and suspended phone numbers within the SimpleTexting platform and how this impacts your ability to send to your contacts.
Why This Matters
Mobile phone numbers are frequently recycled, when an end user gives up their number, carriers may quickly reassign it to a different person. If businesses continue sending messages to a recycled number, it can result in:
Unsolicited message complaints
Carrier penalties or shutdowns
Risks to both your business and our partnership
To prevent this, SimpleTexting automatically checks carrier reports to identify deactivated numbers and updates your contacts to ensure compliance and protect your deliverability.
What Happens When Numbers Change Status
| Status | What it means | What we do | What you'll see |
| Deactivated | The number has been permanently disconnected and potentially reassigned. | We permanently unsubscribe the number from SMS and remove personal info (name, email, DOB, notes, custom fields, etc.). | The contact cannot resubscribe. If deleted, the number will be treated as brand new if it comes back into use. |
| Swapped | A user’s number has changed (old phone replaced by new one). | We update the contact record by removing the old number and adding the new one. | Your contact list will only show the new number going forward. |
| Suspended | The number is temporarily inactive (e.g., service interruption). | We keep the previous subscription status so it can be restored if the number comes back. | During suspension, subscribed numbers are temporarily marked unsubscribed. |
| Reactivated | A previously suspended number is active again. | We restore its subscription status to what it was before suspension. Personal info is kept. | The contact appears just as it did before suspension. |
How You’ll See This in Your Account
When a phone number is deactivated, swapped, suspended, or reactivated, you’ll see a banner on the contact’s profile. The banner explains the current status of the number and whether you can message that contact.
This helps you quickly understand if a number is active, temporarily unavailable, or permanently unsubscribed.
Key Benefits
Prevents accidental messaging to recycled numbers
Protects your business from carrier penalties or shutdowns
Reduces compliance and audit risk
Improves deliverability and trust across the platform
Adding a Deactivated Number Again
If a contact has been deactivated, this change is permanent. The old record and all associated details have been securely removed to protect their privacy.
If that phone number has since been recycled and belongs to a new subscriber, you can add them as a new contact:
Delete the deactivated contact record.
Create a new contact with the recycled number and enter the new subscriber’s details.
⚠️ Please ensure you have consent from the new owner before adding them as a contact.
Note: No action is needed on your part. SimpleTexting manages these updates automatically based on carrier reports.