This is an evolving issue affecting text messages with links across the industry, not something specific to Autoflow. We're actively watching it and working on ways to reduce it. Last updated July 30, 2026.
If a client insists they never received a message from you, especially one with a link to their vehicle inspection, and your Autoflow account shows it was sent and delivered, this is very likely happening on the client's phone, not in our system.
Apple and Google have both rolled out new spam filtering that specifically targets links in text messages, and it's catching legitimate business traffic along with the scam texts it's designed to stop. The fix that resolves this most often: have the client save your shop's number as a contact.
Over the past year, both Apple (iOS) and Google (Android) added spam and phishing protection built directly into their messaging apps. These systems pay close attention to any text containing a link, since links are the most common tool in phishing scams. When a message gets flagged, a few things can happen on the client's phone:
The message gets hidden in a separate Spam or Unknown Senders folder they wouldn't normally check
The message comes through, but the link is blocked behind a warning until they confirm it's safe
The message arrives with no notification at all, so they never know to look for it
All of this happens after your message has already been delivered by the carrier. That's the key detail: it does not show up anywhere in Autoflow's delivery reporting, and it doesn't show up in carrier delivery records either. Everyone's system says the message went through, because it did. The filtering is a separate step happening entirely on the client's device.
This is exactly why these situations can turn into a dispute. You're confident you sent it, because you did. Your client is confident they didn't get it, because from their side, they didn't. Both of you are right about your own side of it.
This is the single most effective thing that resolves this. Once your shop's number is saved as a contact, the client's phone stops treating you as an unknown sender, and future messages, including ones with links, come through normally in almost all cases.
Walk your client through this, or send them the steps directly:
iPhone: Open the text, tap the phone number at the top, tap the info button, then "Create New Contact." Save it under your shop's name.
Android: Open the text, tap the number or name at the top, tap "Add contact." Save it under your shop's name.
A second, smaller step that helps: have the client reply to the message thread, even a short "thanks." This signals to the phone that it's a real, ongoing conversation rather than a one time message, which also improves future delivery.
iPhone: Messages app, tap "Filters" top left, check "Unknown Senders" and "Spam."
Android: Messages app, tap profile icon, tap "Spam & blocked." If the conversation is there, tap it and select "Not spam."
Avoid framing this as "not our problem," even though your delivery records are accurate. It's more effective, and more true to what's actually happening, to acknowledge that their phone likely filtered it without telling them, and that saving your number fixes it going forward.
Apple and Google don't publish exact criteria for what triggers their filters, and both companies are actively adjusting these systems. That means the behavior can differ across phone models and software versions, and it may shift again without notice. We're monitoring these changes and reviewing our own messaging guidance to reduce how often this affects Autoflow clients. This article will be updated as we learn more.
Reach out to Autoflow Support with the client's device type (iPhone or Android) and, if known, their carrier. Patterns across cases help us.