---
title: What does ABSENT_SUB (Absent Subscriber / Unreachable) mean?
description: "The **recipient was absent or unreachable** at the time of send - for example phone switched off, out of coverage, or not attached to the network. Your message could not be delivered at that moment. **What you can do:** You can retry sending…"
url: "https://www.smsgatewaycenter.com/blog/kb/what-does-absent_sub-absent-subscriber-unreachable-mean/"
updated: "2026-05-13"
category: "Bulk SMS / Errors & Error Codes"
---

# What does ABSENT_SUB (Absent Subscriber / Unreachable) mean?

The **recipient was absent or unreachable** at the time of send - for example phone switched off, out of coverage, or not attached to the network. Your message could not be delivered at that moment.

**What you can do:** You can retry sending later. Remove numbers that repeatedly show this if they are no longer in use.

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