Thousands of DansDeals readers received SMS alerts from Twitter over the past 11 years, but last week Twitter discontinued the service without warning.
We are beta testing an SMS solution here, but here are some better options if you have a smartphone:
Option A. The most reliable option appears to be Telegram notifications:
Step 1: Download Telegram for iOS or Android. You can also use Telegram on the web or for your PC or Mac for alerts on your phone or computer.
Step 2: Click here to access the @DansDeals channel and click join on the bottom:
Step 3: Click on the DansDeals channel name on top and ensure that notifications from the channel are on:
Option B. Twitter app push notifications, is the next best option, as notifications can be spotty. You may need to be connected to WiFi for Twitter notification.
Step 1: Download the Twitter app for iOS or Android and signup or login to your Twitter account.
Step 2: Search for DansDeals and click on follow.
Step 3: Click on the notification icon next to the follow button and enable notifications for “All Tweets” from @DansDeals.
Step 4: From the home page, click on your own profile image on the top left to get to the drop down settings menu and then on “settings and privacy.”
Step 5: Click on “Notifications” and then on “push notifications.”
Step 6: Enable push notifications on top and then enable them for Tweets from people you follow. When you click on Tweets, DansDeals should now should up in this section. You can select which accounts you want push notification from.
You can also disable push notifications for other Twitter alerts and actions on this page.
Option C. In-browser push notifications.
When you first visit DansDeals.com you should have the option to be notified of new posts. If you said “No thanks” you can still turn them on by clicking on the notification bell icon on the bottom left of the site:
Alternatively you can click on the secure icon in your browser’s URL bar and then editing the notifications settings to allow or block notifications in order to turn them on or off:
You can also:
- Like our DansDeals Facebook page.
- Join the DansDeals Facebook group discussion.
- Discuss anything under the sun on the DansDeals Forums.
- Subscribe to the DansDeals RSS feed at http://www.dansdeals.com/feed, or to the DansDeals comments RSS feed at http://www.dansdeals.com/comments/feed
- Subscribe to the DansDeals Daily Email Digest that can be found on the sidebar of this site.
- Post a deal tip on the DansDeals Forum’s Amazon & Walmart Deals Board or the regular Deals/Deal Requests Board for deals that aren’t related to Amazon or Walmart. Get to 100 hat tips and win awesome prizes!
- Email deal tips to us at ads@dansdeals.com or Dan@DansDeals.com, but please note that we’re unable to answer personal emails.
- Advertise on DansDeals.com by contacting us at ads@dansdeals.com
Happy deal hunting!
Open a new Twitter account and then the SMS method will work again.
Why a new Twitter account?
Because I couldn’t get SMS to work again on the old one.
I followed directions also and still doesn’t work. I remember in the past I texted something to 40404 and it worked but I don’t remember what I texted.
Fake news doesn’t work
Subscribed to site notifications a while back when messaging stopped, but still only get sporadic notifications. I suspect it may be dependent on opening the prior notification. If I don’t open one, it seems I don’t get the following notification. Just my experience.
Just stopped this morning.
Tried unfollowing, deleting my number, following….so far, not working for me.
I don’t have a smart phone so I need SMS to work again.
Really frustrating.
Maybe try opening a new Twitter account as suggested above and going through the SMS steps again:
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/site-announcements/dont-miss-black-friday-cyber-monday-offers-signup-deal-alerts-share-deal-tips-ddf-earn-sweet-rewards-2/
@Dan when will DansDeals make an app and solve all problems
Know of any good app designers that don’t charge 2 arms and a leg?
It also still won’t help people that don’t have a smartphone and want SMS alerts. And people with smartphones can use Twitter push notifications for alerts…
And it won’t help for us non-smartphone users (and there quite a number of us who follow Dan).
It would work for those that Have a filtered smartphone and can’t access Twitter…
Browser notification?
Telegram?
Twitter is blocked by a lot of the filters, and browser notifications is only on a computer (not a phone) – not as good
https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/202772255-The-81010-short-code
Hi Dan,
I saw this and wanted to offer my services for both app development and SMS provider. I have some apps in the play store that offers SMS sending and I can use the same system to send out SMS to your users. Feel free to get in touch.
*you* can use the remind app for free sms
Won’t work for tens of thousands of followers.
In the past I typed Follow dansdeals to 40404 and it worked everytime it stopped. Now it says SMS action isn’t available right now. Is Twitter down?
It seems like Twitter may have killed off the service 🙁
Well, it’s for everyone I follow.
Me too.
This has been a very long time like that. But it still worked when you signed up for text thru Twitter it self.
Here’s what I got from @twittersupport: (They actually responded!)
Hello,
Thanks for reaching out. We want to continue to help you keep your account safe. We’ve seen vulnerabilities with SMS text messages, so we’re turning off our Twitter via SMS feature, except for a few countries that rely on it to use Twitter.
If you were using Twitter via SMS, we recommend logging in at twitter.com or downloading our mobile app to enjoy the full Twitter experience.
You’ll still receive text messages for 2FA logins, password verifications, and phone number verifications. Let us know if you have any more questions.
Thanks,
Twitter
Problem is, I don’t want Twitter app on my phone because Twitter can have some pretty bad content.
Not to mention us non-smartphone users. 🙁
Have a link to that? Or was that a DM? Screenshot?
Perhaps the trick is to signup for a be Twitter account with using a country that Twitterstill hasn’t disabled SMS.
If anyone knows of a free texting service please let dan know here
Is it working for anyone?
Dan can you start petition? i’m sure you can get lot a signatures
Are the WhatsApp groups running for updates?
No, Whatsapp wasn’t to handle the number of followers we have.
So that leaves push notifications and Telegram (similar to Whatsapp) for now.
Thanks,
It’s odd, since the options for sms notifications are still there.
Good Shabbos
Just got it to start working again this week. Bummer
Any updates if this service is down permanently?
Yes seems it is, got the same email as above.
@Dan now it’s your turn to start up an sms Twitter feed, similar idea to Twitter!
Maybe one of your followers can offer a suggestion, finally they can have a chance to pay back for all you’ve done, recommend or work on a good texting feed.
🙁
Hi I’m on an iPad. Don’t have the bell and the “secure” thing doesn’t work.. any ideas?
can you open groups via Remind app, so yous “basic phone text” followers could continue to get you post via text?
A lot of hiemishe guys are doing this worth looking into @dan
For “kosher” smartphone users: I don’t want to encourage anyone to download the Twitter app, but here’s an idea I had:
Sign up for another account and download the app. Follow whatever accounts you’d like to receive notifications from and allow push notifications. Then have someone else change the password (or do half the password and your spouse half) so you can’t access the actual app but you’ll continue to receive the notifications.
Anyone see a flaw with that plan?
So now I have Twitter App alerts and Telegram. Testing both. Twitter is a bit quicker. By a few seconds.
Though can’t get the twitter app to sound like a tweet, as I previously had for the SMS notifications for years.
I’m using iOS obviously ….
I would love to see a Dansdeals app. I refuse to use Twitter and rather install other bloated apps
Use Telegram?
Chrome push?
Where’s the bell?? On my phone I don’t see it, doesn’t work to click on the secure lock either. Thanx Dan, we LOVE you!
Havent gotten texts through Twitter for months even while re-downloading it.
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/site-announcements/twitter-kills-off-sms-notifications-posting-countries-deletes-sms-followers-without-providing-warning/
Problem with Chrome push notifications is that it only shows the latest deal posted and I could miss many…
Use Twitter or Telegram?
Twitter I had the SMS but I don’t want the app installed… Telegram I also don’t want their app. I see everyone is suggesting remind.com, did you actually try it out? I would sign up if I know it’ll work (5-7 min delay is fine with me…)
Seems like it’s targeted for schools?
Yes, but I don’t think it’s limited to schools.
HEY! Can we get an answer pls?;)
Where’s the bell?? On my phone I don’t see it, doesn’t work to click on the secure lock either. Thanx Dan, we LOVE you!
Did you click to follow on the Twitter app?
Try going into the settings menu for push notifications?
Hey thanx for the response! But I meant to get alerts directly from DansDeals. The in browser push notifications that you were talking about earlier. I don’t show a bell when I’m on DansDeals and I also can’t click on the secure icon. K thanx hope you figure all this crazy stuff out soon we miss you:) (btw I’m trying to do this on an iPhone if that matters)
Answer Pleeeease?? Just tell me what I can do for you to get u to answer and I’ll do it;) I totally get it that your super busy so thanx a mil!!!
Try Telegram?
Omg I want to sign up for the in browser alerts from ur site. When I go onto your website from the computer it always asks me if I want to sign up for alerts but on my phone it never gives me an option. How do I do it???
Still luv u though:)
Try requesting a desktop browser on your phone to view the site?
Nope. Didn’t work:(
I’d suggest using Telegram.
Ye but don’t want it on my phone. Don’t trust myself;)
Was anybody able to set up alerts from an iPhone??
You should probably change the website sidebar because under the daily email digest signup it still suggests using Twitter for SMS notifications.
I’m able to sign up for all these alerts, but 1 thing is missing…
Where can I sign up for the next DansDeals seminar?
Anybody tried Facebook SMS alerts?
@Dan?
Link?
With an automated system sending pms, it may be worth looking into
https://m.facebook.com/help/130694300342171?helpref=hc_fnav&refid=69
Dansdeals users are literally the one of two twitter user groups who use this. Them and desperate yeshiva bochurim which has a massive overlap.
If yall think twitter is gonna retract this because of .00001 percent of users complain you’re high as a kite.
As others have stated you can set it up via IFFT which is limited to 100. Or you can pay for a zapier plan and should be able to do this without limits.
Whatsapp groups are limited to 256 participants hence the reason why anyone that has any technical group is in Telegram .
Whatsapp statuses make no sense you have to check the status at that rate check the website.
The Charedei market that doesn’t want or let smartphones but still wants to use the internet results in some of the most hilarious issues such as this current one.
Anywho rant over tldr the best way to save money is not spend it.
Cant wait for all the hate mail hit me up leakyfishtank@gmail.com
This solution sends you the texts without a limit.
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/site-announcements/twitter-kills-off-sms-notifications-posting-countries-deletes-sms-followers-without-providing-warning/#comment-1465764
time for DD app
Dan Why cant you make email to text?
it is very laborious (think entering 90,000 phone numbers in) and inefficient (think what happens when you change service providers, thus changing your gateway. e.g from @vtext.com to @txt.att.net)
um.. Help? very tech unsavvy. downloaded Telegram to my phone. What do i do now? How do i join the DansDeals Channel?
I’ve added more images in the post.
ok, never mind i joined the channel. i don’t see anywhere where you turn notifications on?
Yes, I went to the website when I realized I got no texts for a few days. After trial and error I came to the same conclusion that Telegram works consistently well.
You can also use ifttt.com/ to send yourself a text or email whenever it sees a new tweet from @DansDeals.
ifttt SMS is limited to 100 messages per month.
it seems the ifttt limit of 100 texts a month only applies if your sending the messages directly to your phone, however if you forward them to groupme, essentially its groupme that is sending the notifications to your phone and there is currently no limits on groupme sms notifications . I have been using this method and I am well over 100 messages and still receiving notifications via SMS
I’ve been testing this method.
The delays can be long, but it may be the best solution.
Seems like someone has already set up one such group for @kolhaolam tweets.
Fwd: To sign up for @KolHaolam just text @KolHaolam and your phone number to JTwiTexT@gmail.com.
I tried it, and it seems to be entered manually, as there was a delay. But after a couple hours I started getting their tweets.
Dan, maybe this can work for you too.
@Dan How long have the delays been in your testing of the above method?
TIA
If you use this specific ifttt applet, twitter to groupme, there is no monthly limit.
just make sure when you log into groupme you turn on SMS notifications.
https://www.dansdeals.com/more/site-announcements/twitter-kills-off-sms-notifications-posting-countries-deletes-sms-followers-without-providing-warning/#comment-1465764
I’m sure others have mentioned this, but some deals don’t get posted to Telegram. For example, the United posts on 4/28 & 4/29 regarding the award charts.
I have received them on Telegram
Haven’t heard that, but seems like you’re right.
The automated system must like United 😛
I manually sent one now, I guess I’ll have to watch and see.
Which automated system are you using?
WordPress plugin.
I have mentioned this many times…..Telegram misses at least one of the deals that you post every day. Any way you can fix this Dan? Thank you!!!!
I’ll try to track it now.
Speaking of telegram, can you get instant view set up?
Seems to be simple do to do with a bit of code know how,
https://instantview.telegram.org/
I have been using twitter notifications for years now, and I notice you list telegram as the first and best option, is there a reason for me to change to telegram ? Is it more reliable or something ? Thank dan for your service!
Yes twitter push notifications is making trouble
@dan
How about this https://www.eztexting.com
Too expensive / not enough, their highest level only allows 50,000 texts a month and is $1600.
As Dan says he sends closer to a million messages a month
Try migrating to an app called remind @dan
Doesn’t support the quantity of people needed.
Hi dan…until when is Israel not allowing non israeli’s to enter the country?
Download twitter and followed all the steps above, but still not getting push notifications.
I’d recommend Telegram.
Hi Dan,
I think this can work for basic phone users ,if you send a short email the size of a text for every deal,and on gmail people can set up that the emails should forward to their phone,so they actually get a message every time.
Can you guys do whatsapp?
Has anyone came across this issue:
I signed up to Telegram on my laptop but only receiving notifications on my laptop but not my smart phone.
http://www.smstweets.com is a great alternative that appears to cost nothing. The tweets are sent via SMS within a few seconds after someone posts a tweet.