While trying to register an account at Google SMS Channel, I get the following error message:
- Invalid user error when trying to set nickname.
- Failed to send the text message when requesting for verification code.
Even sending a message from my mobile phone to 09870807070 number doesn’t seem to work anymore.
After a bit of Googling, I figured out I was not the only one. There are many threads in Google groups — like this — talking about the problems faced while registering and activating Google SMS account on their mobile phones.
If you have subscribed to various SMS channels, you will not even receive messages. I tried to setup a new account, but all my attempts reaped no solutions. And then I figured out what the problem was:
Google SMS Channel Discontinued
The Google’s mobile page (link) reveals the Indian SMS Channel has been redirected to the new Google SMS application. The old Google SMS Channel no longer works. That’s okay, I thought, and went ahead to register an account.
The new link (Google SMS application) doesn’t let me create an account — yikes!
Also, from what I’ve figured out, Google SMS application will make it easier for me to search Google via SMS on my phone — it will not let me subscribe to SMS channels. This SMS application seems to be a completely different product.
So I guess it’d be fair to say that Google, unfortunately, killed the SMS channel — it was a silent death that no one knows about!
