How to Send Bulk SMS and WhatsApp Messages (Step-by-Step)

To send bulk SMS and WhatsApp messages, link your own WhatsApp number to WaSMS by QR code, connect an Android phone as your SMS sender, import one contact list, and broadcast on each channel from the same dashboard. WhatsApp uses your number; SMS uses your phone's SIM and your own rates.

Key facts

| Item | Detail | Source | |---|---|---| | WhatsApp connection | Your own number, linked by QR pairing; no Meta Business Manager or API account required | wasms.net/features/whatsapp-api | | SMS sender | Your Android phone and SIM; your SIM, your rates | wasms.net/features, verified 2026-11-12 | | SMS campaigns | Scheduling and delivery reports | wasms.net/features, verified 2026-11-12 | | Connect plan (free) | 500 contacts, 2 team members, 1 SMS device | wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23 | | Reach plan | $10/month or $84/year; 1,000 contacts; 10,000 SMS sends/month | wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23 | | Grow plan | $40/month or $336/year; 5,000 contacts; 5 SMS devices; 50,000 SMS sends/month | wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23 | | Annual billing | Saves 30%; start free, no card | wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23 | | Businesses served | 1,000+ | wasms.net |

Bulk SMS vs. bulk WhatsApp — and why send both

Bulk SMS sends one text to many phone numbers, and bulk WhatsApp sends one broadcast to many contacts over WhatsApp. Running them in separate tools means two copies of your list and two places to check replies. WaSMS keeps both channels on one contact list and one dashboard.

What counts as a "bulk" message on each channel

On SMS, a bulk message is one text sent to a list of numbers from your phone's SIM. It travels over your carrier, at your carrier's rates.

On WhatsApp, a bulk message is a broadcast: one message sent from your linked number to a list or segment of contacts. It travels over WhatsApp, from your own number.

Either way, you write the message once and it reaches many recipients. What differs is the sender, the rates, and the habits each channel rewards.

Why pairing WhatsApp with SMS lowers your risk

Two channels mean fewer contacts you cannot reach. Some people are not on WhatsApp, and some sends fail. Every one of those contacts still has a phone number, so the same list can reach them by SMS.

Two channels also mean you do not depend on a single route to your customers. To compare SMS, WhatsApp, and email for this use case, see the Learn guide.

Before you send: what you need

You need three things: a contact list with consent, a WhatsApp number, and an Android phone with a SIM.

Your contact list and consent

Start with people who agreed to hear from you: customers, leads who filled in a form, subscribers. Store each number in international format, with the country code.

The free Connect plan holds up to 500 contacts. Reach holds 1,000 and Grow holds 5,000 (wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23). Record where and when each person opted in, using a tag or a custom field.

A WhatsApp number — no Meta Business Manager required

Use a WhatsApp number you already have. WaSMS links it by QR pairing, so you do not need a Meta Business Manager or API account. Have the phone with WhatsApp installed in hand, and a computer to run the free WaSMS gateway app.

The steps are in the next section. The guide to connect your WhatsApp number covers them in more detail.

An SMS sender — your own Android phone and SIM

SMS goes out from an Android phone with a SIM you control. The phone becomes your SMS gateway, and you pay your own carrier's rates. WaSMS does not route your texts through a shared pool.

Check your mobile plan's SMS allowance before a large send. The free plan includes 1 SMS device. To set one up, follow the guide to link an Android phone as your SMS gateway.

How to send a bulk WhatsApp broadcast, step by step

Link your number, load your contacts, then write and send the broadcast. The page on WhatsApp broadcasts and follow-up sequences shows what else you can do on the channel. The guide to set up your first bulk campaign walks through a campaign from start to finish.

Link your WhatsApp number

1. Sign up for the free Connect plan at wasms.net. No card is needed.
2. In your dashboard, download the free WaSMS gateway app, open it on your computer, and leave its window open.
3. When the dashboard shows a QR code, open WhatsApp on your phone, go to Linked devices, tap Link a device, and scan the code.
4. Wait for the dashboard to show "WhatsApp connected", then send yourself a test message.

Messages send while the gateway app is running, so keep that computer on during a broadcast, or run the app on a server instead.

Import or build your contact list

Import your existing list or add contacts by hand. WaSMS also creates a contact from every conversation, so customers who already messaged you are in the dashboard.

Add tags such as "customers" or "new leads", and custom fields such as first name or order date. Tags let you send to a segment instead of everyone. The campaign guide covers the import steps.

Write and send the broadcast

Create a bulk campaign, choose WhatsApp, and pick your segment. Write a short message that says who you are in the first line and what the reader gets. Insert custom fields such as the first name so each message reads as written for one person.

Send a test to yourself first. Then send, and keep the gateway app running until the broadcast finishes. Replies land in the same inbox as your SMS and email conversations.

How to send bulk SMS from the same dashboard

Bulk SMS in WaSMS runs from an Android phone you own, on your SIM and at your carrier's rates. The page on bulk SMS campaigns from your own phone and SIM lists the full feature set.

Connect your Android phone as the SMS gateway

Pick the phone and SIM you want to send from. Link it to your WaSMS account by following the guide to link an Android phone as your SMS gateway. Once it is linked, the dashboard sends and receives SMS through that phone.

How many phones you can link depends on your plan: 1 SMS device on Connect and 5 on Grow (wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23).

Reuse the same contact list

You do not rebuild anything. The contacts, tags and custom fields you set up for WhatsApp are the same ones SMS uses. Create a bulk campaign, choose SMS, and select the segment.

Keep SMS copy plain and short. Include your business name, because a text has no profile to show who sent it. Monthly SMS sends are capped by plan: 10,000 on Reach and 50,000 on Grow (wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23).

Schedule or send immediately

SMS campaigns support scheduling and delivery reports (wasms.net/features, verified 2026-11-12). Send immediately for time-sensitive updates. Schedule for a time when your audience is likely to read, such as the morning in their time zone.

Keep the linked phone on and connected while a campaign runs. Check the delivery report afterward to see which numbers did not receive the text.

Staying compliant and out of the spam folder

Message only people who agreed to hear from you, personalize every send, and pace your volume. Messages people did not ask for get blocked or reported, and that hurts your number's standing.

Rules on marketing messages differ by country. Check the rules where your recipients live before you broadcast.

Get explicit opt-in before you broadcast

Collect consent in a form, at checkout, or in a conversation where the person asks for updates. Store the source in a tag or custom field so you can show where each contact came from.

Name your business in the first line of every message. Tell people how to stop receiving messages, and remove them from your list when they ask.

Personalize instead of sending identical text to everyone

Use the first name and one detail that matters to that person, such as the product they bought. Segment by tag so a customer does not receive a message meant for a new lead.

Identical text sent to everyone reads like a mass blast. A message that fits the reader gets replies.

Watch your send pace

Start with a small group, such as your own team or a few loyal customers, and watch replies and blocks. If people respond well, widen the audience in batches rather than all at once.

If blocks or complaints appear, pause and fix the message or the audience before you send more.

One dashboard vs. switching between tools

One dashboard means one contact list, one inbox for replies, and one place to compare channel results. You stop copying lists between apps, and you stop checking three places for answers.

What changes when WhatsApp and SMS share one contact list

You fix a contact once, and the change applies on both channels. Replies from WhatsApp, SMS and email arrive in one inbox, so a customer who answers a text after ignoring a WhatsApp message is still in the same conversation view.

Analytics show campaign tracking and channel comparison in one dashboard (wasms.net/features, verified 2026-11-12). You can see which channel works for which segment.

Where WaSMS fits for a combined send

WaSMS is WhatsApp-first, with SMS through your Android phone and email in the same inbox. Broadcasts, AI agents, and API and integrations sit alongside them. It serves 1,000+ businesses (wasms.net).

Start on the free Connect plan. Move to Reach at $10/month ($84/year) when you need 1,000 contacts and 10,000 SMS sends a month. Annual billing saves 30% (wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23).

Start free — link your WhatsApp number and Android phone, no card needed

What's the difference between bulk SMS and bulk WhatsApp messaging?

Bulk SMS sends the same text to many phone numbers through a SIM or an SMS gateway. Bulk WhatsApp sends a broadcast to many contacts over WhatsApp from your own number. In WaSMS you do both from one dashboard, using your linked WhatsApp number for WhatsApp and your Android phone's SIM for SMS.

Can I send bulk WhatsApp messages without getting banned?

Follow the habits that keep recipients from complaining: message only contacts who opted in, personalize each message, and start with small batches before widening. WaSMS links your own WhatsApp number, so your number's standing depends on how people respond to what you send. Tools do not replace those habits.

Do I need a WhatsApp Business API account to send bulk messages?

No. WaSMS links your own WhatsApp number by QR pairing, and no Meta Business Manager or API account is required. You scan a QR code from WhatsApp's Linked devices screen, and the free Connect plan lets you start without a card.

Can I send bulk SMS without a dedicated SMS gateway provider?

Yes. WaSMS turns your own Android phone into the SMS gateway, so messages go out on your SIM at your carrier's rates. The free Connect plan includes 1 SMS device, Reach includes 10,000 SMS sends a month, and Grow includes 5 SMS devices and 50,000 SMS sends a month (wasms.net/pricing, verified 2026-09-23).

Can WhatsApp and SMS broadcasts use the same contact list?

Yes. In WaSMS, WhatsApp and SMS share one contact list with the same tags and custom fields. You pick the channel when you create a campaign, and replies from WhatsApp, SMS and email arrive in one inbox.

How do I avoid my bulk messages being marked as spam?

Get explicit opt-in before you send, name your business in the first line, and tell people how to stop receiving messages. Use tags and custom fields in WaSMS to personalize and to send to a relevant segment rather than your whole list. Pace your sends by starting small and watching replies.