You may need a guest's phone number to send an SMS before arrival, share a door code, or call about a late check-in. Airbnb only shares guest phone numbers for some reservations, and sometimes the number is temporary. This can affect your messaging, door codes, and automations in Guesty.
For more details, see Airbnb's articles Contacting your guests by phone and How temporary phone numbers work.
How Airbnb shares guest phone numbers
Airbnb sends Guesty a temporary phone number when both of these are true:
- The listing is in the US or Canada.
- You and the guest live in the same country.
All other Airbnb reservations come with no phone number, real or temporary. This includes cancelled reservations and reservations more than about 2 days past checkout.
Temporary numbers work like this:
- They expire about 2 days after checkout, and Airbnb may give them to someone else later.
- SMS and calls work. WhatsApp and MMS don't.
You can see the guest's phone number in the Airbnb app once the reservation is confirmed.
How Guesty handles guest phone numbers
Guesty never saves a temporary number to the guest profile. If the guest profile already has a phone number, Guesty keeps it and uses it.
Messaging
You can message guests through the Guesty Inbox for the whole stay, whether or not the reservation has a phone number.
When a reservation has a temporary number, keep the following in mind:
- Guesty doesn't send WhatsApp messages to the temporary number.
- Your first SMS to the number may take a moment to send while Airbnb verifies it.
- If the temporary number is the only number available, Guesty sends automated SMS messages through the Airbnb inbox instead.
After the temporary number expires, Guesty sends SMS and WhatsApp messages to the number on the guest profile, if there is one.
About two days after checkout, Airbnb blocks links and phone numbers in messages. Plain text still goes through.
Door codes
For reservations with a temporary phone number, accounts that create door codes from the guest's phone number use Airbnb's suggested code instead: the last four digits of the guest's verified Airbnb phone number. If Airbnb doesn't suggest a code, Guesty creates one.
What to check in your account
Some of your listing content, automations, and integrations may need changes.
Remove phone numbers from listing descriptions
Airbnb rejects listing updates that include a phone number. Check these fields and remove any phone numbers you find:
- Listing title and description (including the "Summary", "The space", "Guest access", "The neighborhood", "Getting around", "Other things to note", and "Interaction with guests" fields).
- House rules
- Check-in and departure instructions
Review automations and integrations
Most Airbnb reservations won't have a guest phone number. Check these for anything that depends on one:
- SMS and WhatsApp automated messages
- Third-party tools that get guest phone numbers from Guesty, such as smart lock or guest communication apps