This is the FAQ for the Webtext iPhone Application.

How do I create an account?

To create an account, go directly to the website of your chosen web text provider, e.g.  VoipBuster. Creating an account is free, buy you will need to buy credit on your account before you can use Webtext.

Where do I enter my account details?

Enter your account details in the “Settings” application of your iPhone or Touch. There will appear a new “Webtext” item.

I get the error “Invalid Provider”.

Please ensure you have configured the correct provider in your iPhone’s Settings for Webtext. Choose the provider, enter your account details (if necessary) and the sender’s (your) number.

My messages do not come from my number.

Please ensure you have specified your number in your iPhone’s settings for the Webtext application. For some providers you may need to also register your number on the provider’s website. Some providers don’t support setting the sender’s number, or may not support it for all destinations (e.g. messages sent to the U.S.).

Sending fails with an “invalid number” error.

Please ensure that the number you are sending to is in the international format, e.g. for U.S. numbers the format is “+16155551234″. For regional providers, you can specify the number without the international prefix. Also ensure you do not have any spaces between the numbers.

How do I set-up Clickatell as my provider?

Webtext only works with the “Clickatell Central (API)” product. If you have an account with another Clickatell product you must transfer some or all credit to the Clickatell Central using a voucher.

In Clickatell Central, under “Manage My Products” add a HTTP connection. The resulting API ID is the 4th credential entered in Webtext settings. (Do not use your ClientID).

How do I set-up Ipipi.com as my provider?

Webtext uses ipipi’s HTTP API. This requires a ’special account setting’ on your ipipi login. This is free and available to all, but you must contact them to enable this setting.

Please visit this page for more information.

How come some providers don’t work for me and are marked “Out of Date”?

Support for contributed providers has been contributed by external developers. As the interface to these websites is proprietary, they may change over time and without warning and will stop working until the contributor fixes the problem. These providers are private (i.e. we don’t have an account), so we cannot maintain these providers ourselves. Therefore the availability and correct functionality of these providers comes without guarantee.

In the case of a broken provider, please use one of the officially supported providers.

Where do I receive replies to my messages?

Assuming you have correctly set up your Sender Id (in both your chosen provider and in Webtext settings), your message will appear to the recipient as if you sent the SMS as normal (i.e. from your cell/mobile phone).

Therefore, replies to your message will be delivered to your mobile number as normal. You will receive them on your mobile phone only. 

On the iPhone, they will appear in the default SMS application.

[iPod Touch] Does webtext support incoming text messages? Can I have my own number?

No. Webtext is strictly for sending messages. To receive replies you must have your own mobile contract and number. Webtext does not support any incoming messages.

What is the 4th credential setting for?

The “4th Credential” setting is currently used by the Clickatell Central provider only. It should contain your API ID.

How should the ”Sender’s (Your) Number” setting appear?

Please precede your number with a “+” and your country code (leaving off the leading 0 of your number if applicable). Examples: +447781488126 or +12125551212.