Microsoft Teams has become a staple for workplace collaboration, offering chat, video conferencing, and file sharing all in one place. But when it comes to text messaging (SMS), its capabilities leave much to be desired. While Microsoft has introduced an SMS feature, it’s far from a complete business texting solution.
If your business relies on SMS for customer communication, sales, or support, you’ll quickly realize that Microsoft Teams texting isn’t enough. In this article, we’ll break down its limitations and explain why Falkon SMS is the smarter, more effective way to integrate SMS into Microsoft Teams.
What You Need to Know about Microsoft Teams SMS
Microsoft Teams now allows users to send SMS messages, but there’s a big catch. This feature is only available for Teams Calling Plan numbers. If your business uses Direct Routing or Operator Connect, SMS simply won’t work.
Beyond that, Teams’ built-in texting is incredibly basic. You can send and receive plain text messages, but that’s about it. There’s no support for MMS (pictures, videos, or files), no automation, no bulk messaging, and no CRM integrations. For businesses that need a robust texting solution, these limitations are a dealbreaker.
The Problem with Microsoft Teams SMS
Even though it's free, one of the biggest issues with MS Teams’ SMS feature is that it doesn’t provide a seamless experience for recipients. When you text someone, they may be prompted to join Microsoft Teams just to continue the conversation. This adds unnecessary friction—most customers just want to receive and reply to texts like they normally would.
And then there’s the lack of essential business features. Businesses today need automation, scheduled texts, CRM integration, and multimedia messaging to communicate effectively. Microsoft’s SMS function doesn’t offer any of this, making it unsuitable for serious business use.
Why Falkon SMS is the Better Solution
For businesses that need a full-featured texting solution inside Microsoft Teams, Falkon SMS is the answer. It seamlessly integrates with Teams while unlocking advanced SMS capabilities that Microsoft simply doesn’t provide.
Unlike Microsoft’s built-in SMS feature, Falkon SMS works with any business number including landlines, toll-free numbers, VoIP numbers, and even Direct Routing or Operator Connect numbers. That means you’re not limited to Microsoft’s Calling Plans, giving your business more flexibility.
More importantly, Falkon SMS delivers the features businesses actually need:
MMS Support – Send and receive pictures, videos, and documents, just like a normal texting service.
Seamless Two-Way Messaging – Customers can reply instantly, without needing to join Microsoft Teams.
Automation & Scheduling – Set up automated replies, schedule messages in advance, and manage bulk SMS campaigns effortlessly.
CRM & Business Software Integrations – Connect SMS with Salesforce, HubSpot, and other platforms to streamline communication.
Centralized Communication – Send and receive texts directly from Microsoft Teams, keeping everything in one place.
In short, Falkon SMS gives you the best of both worlds—the convenience of Microsoft Teams combined with the power of a premium SMS solution.
How to Enable SMS in Microsoft Teams with Falkon SMS
Getting started with Falkon SMS is easy, whether you have a Teams Calling Plan number or use Direct Routing or Operator Connect.
For Any Business Number (Landline, Toll-Free, VoIP, etc.)
You can text-enable your existing business number and start sending SMS right away. No need to switch providers or change numbers—just integrate Falkon SMS with Teams and you’re good to go.
For Microsoft Teams Calling Plan Users
If you’re using a Microsoft Calling Plan number, Falkon SMS can enable full SMS functionality by porting the number to Falkon VoIP Direct Routing. The process is straightforward:
Fill out a quick VoIP onboarding form
Sync your Teams number
Complete registration with Falkon SMS
Start texting immediately from Microsoft Teams
With this setup, you get the reliability of Microsoft Teams combined with the full texting capabilities your business needs.
Microsoft Teams SMS vs. Falkon SMS: A Clear Winner
When you compare the two side by side, it’s clear that Microsoft’s SMS feature is just too limited for real business use.
Feature | Microsoft Teams SMS | With Falkon SMS |
Works with Any Business Number | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Two-Way Messaging | ✅ Yes (Limited) | ✅ Yes (Full) |
MMS Support (Pictures, Videos, Files) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Automation & Scheduled Messages | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
CRM & Business Integrations | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
Bulk Texting | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
While Microsoft’s SMS feature is a nice addition, it’s not a serious business tool. Falkon SMS removes all the limitations and transforms Teams into a powerful SMS communication hub.
Why Businesses Choose Falkon SMS
For businesses that rely on SMS for customer service, marketing, or internal communication, Falkon SMS is the only real choice.
Customer Support – Quickly respond to customer inquiries without requiring them to install Teams.
Sales & Lead Follow-Ups – Engage prospects with personalized SMS conversations.
Marketing & Promotions – Send mass text campaigns with multimedia support.
Appointment Reminders – Reduce no-shows with automated reminder texts.
Internal Team Communication – Keep remote teams connected instantly via SMS.
Microsoft Teams’ built-in SMS simply doesn’t support these SMS marketing use cases, making Falkon SMS the smarter solution.
Final Thoughts: Microsoft Teams SMS vs. Falkon SMS
Microsoft’s attempt at adding SMS to Teams is a step in the right direction, but it falls short of what businesses actually need. With limited compatibility, no MMS support, and no automation, it’s simply not enough for professional use.
If you want seamless, full-featured texting inside Microsoft Teams, Falkon SMS is the way to go. It offers MMS, automation, CRM integrations, and compatibility with any business number—features Microsoft Teams SMS just doesn’t provide.