Error 97: SMS origination denied

My wife receives "Error 97: SMS origination denied" whenever she tries to text me. I don't receive them. It started a few weeks back. She can call me fine. I can send texts to her, and she can text other people fine. According to the My Verison page, neither of us have any call/text blocking turned on. If I'm on a group chat with her and other people (MMS), I receive her messages, but not SMS.

We've both restarted our phones. Based on a forum post, I removed the SIM and powered down, then inserted it and started it. No effect. The messages also do not appear on my text messages list in the online msg viewer, so I don't believe it is a messaging app problem. She has a LG K 20 V and I have a Moto G2, both Verizon and both fully updated.

Accepted answers

samej71

I was experiencing the same, or nearly identical, issue. When I tried to send my wife a SMS to her Verizon number from my Verizon number, I got the 97 origin error. I could send SMS and MMS messages to everybody else regardless of carrier without an issue. I've rebooted my phone and it didn't resolve the issue. I could still text her via my Google Voice number using the Google Voice app, so I didn't think it is an issue with her phone receiving texts. She could receive SMS messages from everybody else and didn't get any errors. The errors were only on my phone and only when she was the recipient from my native Verizon number.

I was using the (Google) Android Messages app, but when I switched to Verizon Messages I was able to send a test message to her successfully. I then went to Settings -> Apps -> Android Messages and cleared/wiped the app data. Once I restarted the Android Messages app and switched SMS back to it, I was able to send her SMS messages again.

Maybe wiping your SMS app data might clear out your issue, too.

All comments

vzw_customer_support

I depend on my messaging service to work right to stay in touch with my wife as well. Let's get this figured out. What messaging app is she using on her device? When did this problem start? Any changes made to her phone recently (software updates new apps)?

Alberto_VZW
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samej71

Maybe wiping your SMS app data might clear out your issue, too.

KRIKLI68

Hi! Based on your post, I fixed it! I was using the standard android messages app, so I switched to the Verizon Messages app (made it default), sent a message, which worked! Then when I switched back to android messages and made it default, it worked there too!

I didn't need to clear any data. Switching and sending worked.

Thanks!

Kst7571

Clearing the data worked.

Jlsbeth

I haven't been able to text my brother in what feels like forever! It had never given me an error until today, and thanks to your fix I can now text him. Thank you!

unknown

Verizon is as bad as they come! This appears to be a random malfunction, but it only occurs at critical times, and only with Verizon...

Incidentally, if you wonder about the verbiage in some posts, it's because Verizon takes the liberty of altering ones' post without consent. Just another reason verizon is terrible (note how Verizon's auto-substitute would have made me sound stupid...).

vzw_customer_support

The last thing we want is for you to not have access to all of your services. When did you start having issues with the messages? Do you notice this happens when only certain contacts or all numbers?

VZ_Donna

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