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Using the Amazon SNS SMS sandbox

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Using the Amazon SNS SMS sandbox - Amazon Simple Notification Service

Newly created Amazon SNS SMS accounts are automatically placed into the SMS sandbox to ensure the security of both AWS customers and recipients by mitigating the risk of fraud and abuse. This environment serves as a secure space for testing and development purposes. While operating within the SMS sandbox, you have access to all Amazon SNS features but are subject to certain limitations:

  • You can only send SMS messages to verified destination phone numbers.

  • You can have up to 10 verified destination phone numbers.

  • You can delete destination phone numbers only after a minimum of 24 hours have passed since verification, or the last verification attempt.

Once your account transitions out of the sandbox, these restrictions are removed, and you can send SMS messages to any recipient.

First steps

New Amazon SNS SMS accounts are placed into an SMS sandbox. Use the following steps to create and manage phone numbers in your sandbox, create origination numbers and sender IDs, and register your company.

  1. Add a destination phone number to the SMS sandbox. For details on adding, managing and moving phone numbers out of the Amazon SNS SMS sandbox, see Adding and verifying phone numbers in the Amazon SNS SMS sandbox.

  2. Create an origination identity that your recipients see on their devices when you send them an SMS message. To learn more about origination identities, including the different types you can use, see the Origination identities for Amazon SNS SMS messages documentation.

  3. Register your company. Some countries require you to register your company's identity to be able to purchase phone numbers or sender IDs and review the messages you send to recipients in their country. For information on which countries require registration, see Supported countries and regions for SMS messaging with AWS End User Messaging SMS in the AWS End User Messaging SMS User Guide.

  4. Send your messages to a topic or mobile phone. For more information, see Sending SMS messages using Amazon SNS.

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