Receive SMS Online OTP Troubleshooting: Fix Delays

SMS delivery is affected by carriers, platform policies, regional routing, and request frequency. If your OTP doesn’t arrive, use this checklist to diagnose quickly and reduce wasted retries.

Before you start: confirm the basics

• You selected the exact service (not a generic “Other” entry) when available
• You selected the correct country/region
• Your order is still active and you’re viewing the right order details

Quick links:

• Supported platforms: Services
• Plans and credits: Pricing

A step-by-step troubleshooting checklist

Work top to bottom—most issues are fixed in the first few steps.

1. Wait 30–90 seconds
   • Many OTPs arrive quickly, but delays happen. Waiting a short window avoids unnecessary retries.
2. Request the OTP once more (not repeatedly)
   • Some platforms send only after a second trigger.
3. Avoid rapid retries
   • High-frequency requests can trigger throttling or temporary blocks.
4. Re-apply a new number
   • A fresh virtual phone number can succeed where a previous one fails.
5. Switch country/region
   • Routing quality varies; switching region is often the fastest fix.
6. Switch to the specific service entry
   • If you used “Other”, try the exact service entry if available.

Improve success rate (choose better combinations)

If you’re optimizing for success rate rather than minimum unit price:

• Prefer popular, stable regions for the target service
• Don’t chase the cheapest region if it fails frequently
• For multi-step onboarding, plan for multiple OTPs

See also:

• Credits and pricing basics: Pricing & Credits

For developers: retry logic that reduces failures

For compliant automation scenarios:

• Use timeouts and exponential backoff
• Poll order status at reasonable intervals
• Treat “no SMS yet” as a normal state, not an error

Related:

• API overview: API Integration

Compliance and safety

Do not use automated or repeated OTP attempts to bypass platform rules. Follow applicable laws and the platform’s terms.

• Terms: Terms of Service
• Privacy: Privacy Policy