What is SMS (text) survey?
An SMS (text) survey is a short questionnaire sent to people by text message. It can collect quick answers by reply or send a link to a longer web form that opens in the recipient’s language.
An SMS survey delivers questions or a link to a survey through standard mobile text messages. There are two common approaches: sending single-question prompts that participants answer directly by replying (for example, reply 1 for Yes, 2 for No), or sending an SMS with a short message and a link to a web-based survey. SMS is useful when you need to reach people who mainly use phones, don’t have apps, or may have limited internet access. Keep in mind technical limits (160-character segments, possible message concatenation), costs per message, opt-in/consent rules and country-specific delivery constraints. In multilingual contexts, SMS can point recipients to Hearo’s multilingual survey experience or accept short replies that Hearo can translate and display to admins in their language.
Usage example
A local council sends an SMS: “Are you satisfied with bin collection? Reply 1 = Yes, 2 = No, or tap https://hear.org/s/123 to tell us more.” Recipients who tap the link see the full survey in their preferred language; replies sent by text are captured and translated back for the council team to review.
Practical application
SMS surveys matter because they reach people where they already are — on their phones — and tend to have high open and response rates. They’re ideal for short, time-sensitive questions (attendance confirmations, quick satisfaction checks, emergency updates) and for prompting people to open a longer multilingual form. For organisations working across languages, SMS is a low-friction way to invite participation: no account required, no app to install, and with Hearo the participant can complete the experience in their language while administrators see translated responses. Design SMS surveys for brevity, clear instructions, and explicit consent, and use web links when you need longer answers or richer question types.
FAQ
Can participants reply in their own language?
Yes. For short SMS replies Hearo captures the text and can translate it back into your preferred language so you can understand open-text answers. If you send a link to the full survey, participants complete it in their chosen language from the start.
Is there a limit to how much I can ask over SMS?
Practical limits apply. Native SMS is best for short questions or single-choice responses (and is subject to 160-character segments, with longer messages split or concatenated). For longer surveys or detailed open-text answers, include a short link to a multilingual web form instead.
Do people need an account to take an SMS survey?
No. SMS surveys are friction-light: participants can reply or open a survey link and submit responses without creating an account, which helps increase participation across diverse communities.
How much does sending SMS surveys cost and are there legal concerns?
Costs depend on your messaging provider, destination country and message volume (per-message fees, shortcodes or long numbers vary). There are also legal and privacy requirements — you should get recipient consent, provide opt-out instructions, and follow local regulations on messaging and personal data. Hearo can integrate with SMS providers so you can manage costs and compliance.