We turned Android phones into an open‑source SMS API. Here’s how textbee works.

Description and use

textbee turns Android phones into a low‑cost, two‑way SMS gateway, letting developers send messages via simple HTTP requests and receive replies through webhooks, avoiding the need to rent numbers.

Problem

Developers need a low‑cost, two‑way SMS gateway without renting numbers or handling complex registration.

Outcome

textbee enables low‑cost, two‑way SMS by leveraging existing Android phones, reducing reliance on cloud providers and simplifying deployment.

Workflow

• Your code calls the textbee API (REST, SDK, or MCP).
• The API queues the message and wakes the phone with a Firebase Cloud Messaging push.
• The Android app sends the text through Android’s SMS API, from the phone’s SIM.
• The app reports each step back: sent, delivered or failed. Incoming texts are uploaded and POSTed to your webhook.

Evidence

Your app makes one HTTP request. A text goes out from an Android phone you already own, through its SIM, from its number. Replies come back to your server as webhooks.

Source

Battery savers are the main enemy. Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus and Pixel each stop background apps in their own way.

Source

Accepted is not delivered. The API answers right away with a batch ID, before the phone has done anything.

Source

One phone sends about 10 to 15 messages a minute, which suits texts people expect: codes, reminders, "your order is ready".

Source