Test your Twilio’s trial account Inbound messages functionality with Text Now App

Firstly, What is Twilio?

Twilio is a US based web application which allows users to programmatically send and receive text messages, phone calls and perform other related functions using its APIs.

There are lot of salesforce clients who want to send messages to their leads time to time, for them Twilio is the best.

Software Developers can’t directly reply to the Twilio number on their trial account, so there is a misunderstanding between many of them that trial accounts doesn’t support inbound functionality but it is not true, you can test your inbound messages by following these steps:-

• Twilio trial accounts can only receive text messages from those numbers which are verified by Twilio, open your Twilio trial account’s console .
• Now click on All products and services button, it is a hamburger menu button on the left side of your console.
  
• This will open a side bar menu, click on # Phone Numbers under the Super Network section.
  
• You can see your all Active Twilio numbers here, click on Verified Caller IDs button.
  
• Click on plus sign button(+) to add your number which will be verified by twilio, this will open a pop up.
• Select the country code and type the number from which you want to send messages to twilio numbers.
• Then click Call me button, you will receive a call on your mobile phone from twilio where you have to type verification code shown on your console.
  
• After providing the code you can use this number for replying to Twilio.

Now, What is Text Now App?

Text Now is the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) android app that will give you one US phone number from which you can send and receive text messages and phone call over Wi Fi.

• Install Text Now app on your phone.
• Open this app and click on Get a free phone number button.
• Now type any US area code(for example – 203) and click Continue.
• This will show the list of five phone numbers whose area code is 203, select any one and click Continue.
  
• Now add this number to Verified Caller IDs as told earlier and use this to test your Inbound Texts.