Summary
From 1 July 2026, new rules from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) require all businesses sending branded SMS (messages that display a business name instead of a phone number) to register that name on the official SMS Sender ID Register. Failure to register results in branded messages being flagged as "Unverified" on the recipient's device, and unverified messages are grouped together in a single message thread.
Spacetalk has submitted our Sender ID registration, but the application has not yet been approved within the timeframe needed to meet the 1 July 2026 deadline. As a result, some text messages from Spacetalk, including one-time passcodes (OTPs), account notifications, and other automated messages, may temporarily display as "Unverified" rather than showing "Spacetalk" as the sender.
What's changing and why
Telecommunications providers across Australia are now required to mark any SMS or MMS arriving with an unregistered sender ID as "Unverified" rather than block the message outright. The message is still delivered, but the recipient sees the sender label with a small "Unverified" tag next to it. This is part of a national initiative to reduce SMS scams and impersonation.
Unverified messages get grouped alongside other unregistered texts on the recipient's phone, many of which may be suspected scam messages. This is a carrier-level and device-level labelling change, not something specific to Spacetalk's systems.
What this means for you
While our registration is in progress, you may notice:
Text messages from Spacetalk showing "Unverified" instead of the Spacetalk name
OTP and verification codes arriving under this same "Unverified" label
These messages potentially being grouped with other unverified or flagged messages in your phone's messaging app
Important: these messages are still genuine. The "Unverified" label reflects the registration status of our sender ID with the carrier network, not the authenticity of the message itself. If you've requested an OTP, password reset, or account notification from Spacetalk, a message labelled "Unverified" arriving shortly after your request is still safe to use.
What we're doing about it
We are actively completing the SMS Sender ID registration process and expect this to be resolved as soon as our application is approved. Once registration is complete, messages from Spacetalk will display correctly as "Spacetalk" rather than "Unverified."
What you can do in the meantime
Check your messaging app's main inbox as well as any separate "Unverified" or filtered message folder, as some phones automatically sort these messages out of your primary thread
If you're expecting an OTP and don't see it in your usual thread, check these filtered folders before requesting a new code
If in doubt about whether a message is genuinely from Spacetalk, you can verify by checking your account activity in the Spacetalk app, or contacting our support team directly
FAQs
Will this affect my ability to log in or verify my account?
No. OTPs and verification codes will still be delivered and remain valid, they will simply display with the "Unverified" label until our registration is approved.
Is my account or data at risk?
No. This labelling change is unrelated to account security. It reflects a telecom industry-wide registration requirement for sender names, not a security issue with your Spacetalk account.
How long will this last?
We expect this to be temporary while our Sender ID registration completes processing. We'll update this article once registration is confirmed.