# Start a Messaging Session with a Customer on the Mobile App

There are times when you need to reach a customer first, whether it is an appointment reminder, a service notification, or an outbound marketing message. From the Cloud Voice App on your mobile device, you can begin an outbound conversation without waiting for the customer to contact you.

:::note
Sessions you start yourself are limited to the SMS (Short Message Service, plain text messages sent to a phone number) channel. You cannot proactively open a conversation over other messaging channels.
:::

:::caution
Before you send an outbound message, especially a marketing one, make sure you have the recipient's consent and that you honor any opt-out request. Unsolicited messaging can breach carrier rules and messaging regulations, which can get your channel number blocked.
:::

## Before you begin

Confirm the following so the SMS option is available to you.

**PBX server**: The PBX (Private Branch Exchange, the phone system that routes your organization's calls and messages) is managed by your administrator. Check with them that the platform is running version `84.23.0.24` or later and that at least one messaging channel has been configured.

**Cloud Voice App**: Update the mobile app to a supported release:

- iOS: version `5.25.15` or later
- Android: version `5.25.14` or later

## Start the session

![New outbound SMS conversation form in the Cloud Voice App](/images/pbx/mobile-ceate-sms-session.png)

1. In the Cloud Voice App, open **Chat** and switch to the **External Chat** tab.
2. Tap the add icon ![Add](/images/pbx/add-macbook.png) in the top-right corner.
3. Choose **Create SMS Session** from the menu that appears.
4. Set the two ends of the conversation:
   a. Under **Sender**, pick the channel number the message will be sent from. This list shows the messaging channels your administrator set up on the platform.
   b. Under **Recipient**, choose the country or region code, then type the customer's number.
5. Tap **Create** in the top-right corner.

:::caution
Pick the country or region code that matches the customer's actual number. A wrong or missing code sends the message to the wrong place or causes it to fail.
:::

:::note
If a conversation with the same sender and recipient is already open, and the channel permits duplicate sessions, you will be asked to confirm. Tap **OK** to continue. Rather than starting over, you are handed the existing session with its full message history intact.

![Confirmation prompt for taking over an existing conversation](/images/pbx/duplicate-session-mobile.png)
:::

## What happens next

The conversation is ready, and you can start typing messages in the chat window.

:::tip
A brand-new session stays hidden from the External Chat list until you send its first message.
:::