The SMS Takeover: Why Texting Just Dethroned Email in 2025

Here's something that happened quietly in 2025: texting dethroned email for customer service. Not as a preference. As the actual leader.

31% of consumers now prefer texting a customer service rep over any other channel. That's higher than email. Higher than phone calls. Higher than chat widgets.

And most businesses are still sending 'Please do not reply to this email' messages. Good luck with that.

The Numbers That Should Wake You Up

Let me hit you with some data that'll make you rethink everything about customer communication:

• 98% open rate for SMS (vs 20% for email)
• 45% response rate for texts (vs 6% for email)
• 3 minutes average response time for SMS (vs 90 minutes for email)
• 84% of consumers are now opted in to receive business texts

Read that last one again. 84% opt-in rate. That's a 35% increase since 2021. People aren't just tolerating business texts—they're actively signing up for them.

Meanwhile, 67% of consumers don't even listen to voicemails from business numbers anymore. You're literally talking to nobody.

Why This Shift Happened

Think about your own behavior for a second. When's the last time you called a business and actually wanted to? When's the last time you were excited to check your email?

Now think about texting. It's immediate. It's non-intrusive. You can respond when you want, not when someone else demands your attention.

The data backs this up:

• 83% of consumers say texting is their top mobile activity (ahead of social media at 75%)
• 93% of consumers text every single day
• 32% open their texts within 60 seconds
• 90% of Gen Z check texts within 5 minutes

Email is something you process. Texting is how you communicate. There's a difference.

The Generational Tipping Point

Here's what's driving this: it's not just Gen Z. Millennials—who now make up the largest portion of the workforce—prefer brand communications via text. 47% of them, specifically.

And the preference is growing across all demographics. Even Boomers are texting businesses now. When my 70-year-old uncle figured out how to schedule a dentist appointment via text, I knew the game had changed.

The businesses that figured this out early are cleaning up. One stat that blew my mind: 79% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when subscribed to SMS. That's up 21% from just last year.

The Two-Way Revolution

Here's where most businesses get it wrong: they treat SMS like email. Blast out promotions. One-way communication. "Text STOP to unsubscribe."

That's not what customers want.

71% of consumers want the ability to text a business back. Not just receive messages—have actual conversations. That number is up 18% from last year.

When someone texts you, they expect a response. They expect it fast. And they expect it to be helpful. If your SMS strategy is just automated blasts, you're missing the entire point.

The Math for Your Business

Let me make this concrete.

If you're sending 1,000 emails a week:

• 200 get opened (20% open rate)
• 12 get responses (6% response rate)
• Average response time: 90 minutes

Same message via SMS:

• 980 get opened (98% open rate)
• 441 get responses (45% response rate)
• Average response time: 3 minutes

That's not a marginal improvement. That's a 37x increase in responses and a 30x faster response time.

Now factor in the 79% higher purchase likelihood from SMS subscribers. The numbers get silly.

What the Winners Are Doing

The businesses crushing it with SMS share a few things:

1. They actually respond. When a customer texts back, someone (or something smart) answers within minutes. Not hours. Not 'we'll get back to you.'

2. They keep it conversational. Nobody wants to text with a robot that sounds like a press release. Keep it human. Keep it helpful.

3. They don't over-message. Almost 40% of customers want to hear from brands 2-3 times a week. Not every day. Not multiple times a day. Restraint matters.

4. They make it easy to opt in. The 84% opt-in rate didn't happen by accident. Make it easy, make it valuable, make it clear what they're getting.

The Awkward Truth About Email

I'm not saying email is dead. It's still useful for documentation, longer content, and formal communications.

But for lead response? For customer service? For appointment reminders? For anything time-sensitive?

Email is a fax machine. It still works. Nobody wants to use it.

The companies still relying on email for customer communication are watching their competitors eat their lunch. The data is overwhelming. The shift has happened.

What This Means For You

If you're not offering SMS as a primary communication channel with your customers, you're already behind.

This isn't a future trend. It's the present reality. 31% of your customers would rather text you than email you right now. Are you letting them?

The businesses that figure this out get faster responses, higher engagement, and more sales. The ones that don't keep wondering why their email campaigns aren't working anymore.

The phone in your customer's pocket is the most powerful communication tool ever invented. Maybe it's time to use it.

Data sources: SimpleTexting 2025 SMS Marketing Report, EZ Texting Consumer Behavior Study, SMS Comparison Industry Statistics. The shift from email to SMS as preferred customer service channel was documented in the 2025 EZ Texting consumer research.