Question 579 of 1,020

Mobile Device Application Support →hardMultiple ChoiceObjective-mapped

Android Not Receiving SMS from One Contact

This 220-1201 practice question tests your understanding of mobile device application support. The scenario asks you to isolate a root cause — eliminate options that address a different problem before choosing. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.

A customer calls stating that their Android phone's messaging app is not receiving SMS messages from one specific contact, but all other contacts work. The phone has good signal strength. What is the most likely cause?

Clue words in this question

Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.

Clue: "most likely"
Why it matters: Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

A
The phone's SIM card is damaged.
Why wrong: A damaged SIM would affect all SMS functionality, not just messages from one contact.
B
The contact's number is blocked in the messaging app.
Blocking a contact prevents their messages from being delivered, while other contacts work normally.
C
The messaging app has a corrupted database.
Why wrong: A corrupted database would likely cause issues with all messages, not just one contact.
D
The carrier is experiencing an outage in the area.
Why wrong: A carrier outage would affect all SMS traffic, not just a single contact.

Full breakdown with real-world context →

Quick Answer

The answer is that the contact’s number has been blocked in the messaging app or phone settings. This is the most likely cause because blocking a specific number only prevents messages from that one sender, while all other SMS traffic continues normally—carrier issues, poor signal, or SIM problems would disrupt all incoming texts, not just a single contact. On the CompTIA A+ Core 1 220-1201 exam, this scenario tests your ability to distinguish between global failures and contact-specific settings, a common trap where technicians overlook user-applied blocks. A helpful memory tip: think of it as a “one-contact wall”—if only one sender is silenced, check the block list before blaming the network.

Answer choices

Why each option matters

Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.

Correct answer & explanation

✓

The contact's number is blocked in the messaging app.

The most likely cause is that the contact's number has been blocked in the messaging app. Blocking a contact prevents SMS messages from that specific number from being delivered to the inbox, while all other contacts continue to work normally. This matches the symptom of a single contact failing to send SMS, with good signal strength and no carrier-wide issues.

Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Answer analysis

Option-by-option breakdown

For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.

✗
The phone's SIM card is damaged.
Why it's wrong here
A damaged SIM would affect all SMS functionality, not just messages from one contact.
✓
The contact's number is blocked in the messaging app.
Why this is correct
Blocking a contact prevents their messages from being delivered, while other contacts work normally.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "most likely" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
✗
The messaging app has a corrupted database.
Why it's wrong here
A corrupted database would likely cause issues with all messages, not just one contact.
✗
The carrier is experiencing an outage in the area.
Why it's wrong here
A carrier outage would affect all SMS traffic, not just a single contact.

Common exam traps

Common exam trap: answer the scenario, not the keyword

CompTIA A+ often tests the distinction between device-level blocking (which affects only one contact) and carrier or SIM issues (which affect all contacts), leading candidates to incorrectly choose a global cause like a damaged SIM or carrier outage.

Detailed technical explanation

How to think about this question

Android's messaging app uses a local blocklist stored in the app's database (often SQLite) that filters incoming SMS by sender number. When a number is blocked, the system's SMS receiver (e.g., through the `SmsManager` API) discards the message before it reaches the inbox, but the carrier still delivers the SMS to the device. This is distinct from carrier-side blocking, which would prevent delivery entirely.

KKey Concepts to Remember

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Find the constraint that changes the correct option.
Eliminate answers that are true in general but not in this case.

TExam Day Tips

Watch for words such as best, first, most likely and least administrative effort.
Review why wrong options are wrong, not only why the correct option is correct.

Key takeaway

Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.

Real-world example

How this comes up in practice

A practitioner preparing for the 220-1201 exam encounters this exact type of scenario on the job. The correct answer here is not the most general option — it is the best answer for the specific constraint described. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Real exam questions reward reading the full scenario before eliminating options, because the constraint defines which answer fits.

What to study next

Got this wrong? Here's your next step.

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

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FAQ

Questions learners often ask

What does this 220-1201 question test?

Mobile Device Application Support — This question tests Mobile Device Application Support — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..

What is the correct answer to this question?

The correct answer is: The contact's number is blocked in the messaging app. — The most likely cause is that the contact's number has been blocked in the messaging app. Blocking a contact prevents SMS messages from that specific number from being delivered to the inbox, while all other contacts continue to work normally. This matches the symptom of a single contact failing to send SMS, with good signal strength and no carrier-wide issues.

What should I do if I get this 220-1201 question wrong?

Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.

Are there clue words in this question I should notice?

Yes — watch for: "most likely". Probability qualifier — the question wants the most probable cause or outcome, not a guaranteed one. Eliminate low-probability options.

What is the key concept behind this question?

Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.

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