This topic

SMS messages on Digital Voice?

MCGrant — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 19:36:12 GMT

Before we were switched to Digital Voice, it was possible to receive SMS messages on our landline number - they were simply read out by a computer generated voice. This no longer seems to be the case, as I have just been trying to help my stepfather make an online payment - before we had Digital Voice the bank would send an SMS with a passcode to our landline and he'd simply answer the phone there'd be a short announcement and then a request to press 1 to listen to the message.

It says online to ring the Text Store on 0845 602 1111 but it says there were no voicemails, though I can see from the call log that the bank called four times.

Has BT done away with this text to landline facility altogether?

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

jac_95 — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 19:40:09 GMT

Hi MCGrant,

Thanks for the post and welcome to the Community.

This is an automated response as I can see you have a question about BT’s Digital Voice service. Rather than waiting for a response from the Community, you may find an answer to your question by using the search bar on the Community homepage. We also have a thread that contains a wealth of info related to BT’s Digital Voice, click this link to take a look, Digital Voice FAQs.

To learn more about the nationwide change to this Internet based voice service visit landlinesgo.digital

If you have already looked for the answer to your question and have not found anything that can help, then please ignore this message. One of our Community members will be along shortly to help you further.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Keith_Beddoe — Thu, 19 Jan 2023 19:41:14 GMT

@MCGrant

That facility is no longer available on BT Digital Voice.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

kclem — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 09:02:33 GMT

That is not acceptable as it should have been made clear before switching of the loss of this service. It is necessary for services such as account verification on Google which means I can no longer use my Google account! Is there no way to get SMS via fibre?

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

imjolly — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 09:07:03 GMT

as @Keith_Beddoe posted there is no SMS facility of DV can you not just change verification to a mobile number instead

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

gg30340 — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 09:28:47 GMT

Google account can be verified by a call if you can not get texts.

Turn on 2-Step Verification - Android - Google Account Help

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

kclem — Sun, 09 Jul 2023 20:02:58 GMT

But only if you have access to the account!

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Tim123 — Sat, 22 Jul 2023 23:29:15 GMT

I'm shocked to learn that BT does not provide an SMS/text messaging service on Digital Voice!!! What a retrograde step. They've kept that very quiet! So that's another useful feature that will be disappearing - along with Ring Back When Free, Reminder Call, etc... All in the name of progress(!!)

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Pete_R — Sat, 25 Nov 2023 17:43:00 GMT

Having just been switched (Nov-23) to BT Digital Voice (connecting via the BT supplied Smart Hub 2), I tried texting my landline from my mobile and the SMS message worked fine, coming through on the free Voicemail service.

In other words, SMS messages on Digital Voice do in fact work OK, at least as of now.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Speckotts29 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:02:47 GMT

It was the first time I had used my online bank account to get a passcode to my landline and it didn’t work, tried again no joy had to resort to using my mobile and going up stairs to get a signal one reason why I preferred the landline. As previously mentioned what a backward step. Why are we only finding out these things afterwards. I have just listened to the bt video explaining how digital voice would work not a mention about this or the fact that we know perfectly well that it is not true 99% of phones are compatible they are NOT, we do not change our landline phone like we have to change our mobiles

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Anonymous — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 10:26:43 GMT

@Speckotts29wrote:
I had to resort to using my mobile and going up stairs to get a signal

Does your mobile not support WiFi Calling?

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Speckotts29 — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 12:44:42 GMT

I’ve only just updated my mobile as ee were no longer supporting 3G and although it’s an old iPhone it doesn’t appear to be the case.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Subwoofer — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 15:14:11 GMT

Get TXT relayed as voice but whichever way BT tries to peddle this it's **bleep**.

The voice relay thing is hard work with long pin nos. especially since they are read out as 'five hundred and fifty six thousand, nine hundred and forty two' and if they move up to longer pins !!!!

My phone would send a txt to let me know I had an answer phone message, can BT kindly explain how that's supposed to work with whatsapp ?

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Anonymous — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 15:28:14 GMT

@Speckotts29

How old an iPhone? Google suggests anything back to the 2014 iPhone 6 should support WiFi Calling.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

licquorice — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 15:36:43 GMT

But not all providers support WiFi calling though. It is a fairly recent innovation for Tesco Mobile.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Stevek1311 — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 21:18:44 GMT

This link https://www.bt.com/help/landline/set-up-and-use-bt-text appears to say the text message to a landline will be delivered as a synthetic voice message

It also says 'We have contacted all users of the text service to inform them of the upcoming changes and will support them in finding alternative solutions with our partners if needed' well all I can say is they never contacted me as I was completely unaware BT had deleted this service.

I rather suspect as a mere home customer, one of those people that pays BT for a service, they decided I didn't count.

Poor form BT.

FWIW other suppliers of landline services seem to be going down the same 'deliver as synthetic voice' route. I know not is they actually warned their customers as BT didn't.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

deehillsp — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 17:53:09 GMT

Hi, To link your mobile to your BT Digital landline, first think of a 6 digit pin as you need this then 1.from the home phone number dial 1571 2 to link your mobile press 2 then 4 this will ask you to set your pin number 3 Enter your mobile numberfollowed by hash 4 Press 1 to link this mobile to the answerphone, 2 to enter a different number or 3 to unlink this mobile from your mailbox, press 4 if you would like to change your pin or just hang up. I found this on the internet, linked my mobile and now, when a message is left my mobile is sent a text message . My mobile cannot make 1571 work so I need to use a landline extra hand set. As it only appears to allow one monile to be linked, I need to forward any intended for any other members of the family. Otherwise it is a good service.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Jane2018 — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:19:55 GMT

So it looks like from that linke just above that people can still send text messages to my landline now it is digital voice? If that is no longer possible that needs to be added to my list of 100 things BT don't tell you about the changes with digital voice. I don't often get these but quite a few companies have my landline as my main number of deliveries and sometimes a read out message comes over the telephone.

Re: SMS messages on Digital Voice?

Katie_B — Fri, 13 Feb 2026 18:25:55 GMT

Hi @Jane2018.

That's right, you will still receive text calls if you've been sent a text message.

Katie