> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.voiceflow.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Use live agent handoff over SMS

> A customer texting your Voiceflow number can escalate and receive a human reply on the same SMS conversation.

## What you will accomplish

A customer texting your Voiceflow number can escalate and receive a human reply on the same SMS conversation.

## Before you begin

Configure [inbound SMS](/docs/documentation/deploy/sms/inbound), a working handoff provider, and a test phone number you control. The runtime includes a Twilio SMS handoff relay. Use text-only acceptance tests first; web widget features do not imply equivalent SMS behavior.

## Test handoff on the SMS channel

<Steps>
<Step title="Publish the escalation path">
Connect an explicit escalation condition to the handoff step. Verify the environment and connection used by your phone number.
</Step>
<Step title="Send a test message">
Text the assigned number and reach the escalation branch. Check the support platform for the new conversation and the customer context.
</Step>
<Step title="Exchange replies">
Reply as a human from the support platform, then reply from the phone. Confirm each message reaches the other side once, without a competing AI response.
</Step>
<Step title="Close and follow up">
End the human conversation. If a return path is configured, verify the SMS follow-up. If no return is intended, confirm the handoff closes cleanly before starting a new conversation.
</Step>
</Steps>

## Verify the result

Both directions and closure work on a real phone. Test separately from browser chat. [Outbound SMS](/docs/documentation/deploy/sms/outbound) rejects a recipient in an active handoff; it is not the route for relaying the human’s replies.