DND stands for ‘do not disturb’. It is a service that prevents the phone number registered on it from receiving any form of bulk or promotional SMS. The service was created by the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to protect individuals from unsolicited text messages.

The NCC put forth a common short code, 2442, across all mobile networks to enable network subscribers to manage their DND status.

Typically, DND services may be full (where a subscriber is completely blocked from receiving any unsolicited SMS) or partial (where a subscriber filters out a category of such messages which they want to receive).

An individual may choose to activate a full DND status by texting 'STOP' to 2442. The subscriber may also choose to activate a partial DND status by texting 'HELP' to 2442 and following the guide.

A subscriber who has activated the DND service would appear on the DND blacklist which is a list of subscribers who have opted out of receiving promotional SMS.

When you receive an error code '2050' upon sending an SMS to a subscriber, it would mean that the subscriber is blacklisted in the DND blacklist of the network operator. An error code is a code used to specify a particular type of error, indicating that something has gone wrong.

To remove yourself from a DND blacklist

• First confirm if you have a DND service activated on your phone number by texting 'STATUS' to 2442.
• After receiving the confirmatory message, text 'ALLOW' to 2442 to deactivate the DND service.

Business Solution to DND Numbers

As a business, it is important to have seamless communication with customers via SMS to keep them informed about any promotions. As a result, you will not want your customers to have an active DND status, whether full or partial. 

Endeavor to always tell your customers or recipients to check their DND status. Explain to your customers the benefits of deactivating their DND status as it pertains to your business. Also, you could guide them on how to deactivate their status by following the procedure already outlined above.

Sending Bulk SMS to DND Numbers

SmartSMSSolutions can help you reach DND numbers with an active DND status. We provide four methods to help you get your messages delivered, and they are:

1.  Using Voice OTP.

2. The International Route.

3.  The SIM hosting service.

4. The transactional Bind/Bank Route.

Read more on our blog article about DND- all you need to know.

It is also important to note that there are certain instances where DND numbers may still not receive your messages. These instances can be:

•  When the phone number is turned/switched off.
•  When there is a network delay as at the time the message was sent.
•  When the phone number has been banned on the network.

To find out more on how to send messages to DND numbers click here. 

If you are still having trouble sending your bulk SMS or deactivating your DND status, do leave a comment and we will reach out to you.