Android SMS Gateway & Text Message API, free to start

What is textbee?

textbee is a free, open-source SMS gateway that uses an Android phone and its SIM card to send and receive SMS. Your code talks to a REST API, the API pushes each message to the phone, and the phone sends it over the carrier network. Incoming messages flow back to you through the API, the web dashboard, or webhooks.

It is a drop-in Twilio alternative for OTP codes, alerts, reminders, and two-way SMS, at the cost of your carrier plan. Over 40,000 developers and businesses use it, and the whole stack is in this repository: the NestJS API, the Next.js dashboard, and the Kotlin Android app. textbee is built and maintained by Nuver Labs, a small software studio.

Table of contents

• Why textbee?
• Features
• Quick start
• Send an SMS
• Receive SMS
• Webhooks
• Use with AI agents (MCP)
• SDKs and integrations
• Use cases
• Screenshots
• Stay up to date
• Self-hosting
• Architecture
• FAQ
• Contributing
• Community and support
• Who builds textbee
• Security
• License

Why textbee?

	textbee	Twilio and similar SMS APIs
Cost per SMS	Your carrier plan, often free or unlimited	Per-message fee plus a monthly number fee
Sender number	Your own SIM. Recipients see a real local number	Rented number, often flagged as unknown
Setup	About 2 minutes: install the app, scan a QR code	Account approval, compliance forms, number registration
Receive SMS	Yes, on the same SIM	Yes, on the rented number
Self-hostable	Yes, full control over your data	No
Open source	Yes, MIT	No
Works with AI agents	Yes, official MCP server	Third-party only

Features

Send

• Send SMS from a REST API, the web dashboard, or the official JavaScript and Python SDKs
• Bulk SMS with a CSV upload, paced to stay within carrier limits
• Scheduled messages up to 72 hours ahead
• Multi-device and multi-SIM: pick the phone and the SIM per message
• Delivery status for every message: pending, dispatched, sent, delivered, failed

Receive

• Receive SMS on the phone and read them from the API or dashboard
• Account-level message history: one call covers every device
• SMS filters on the phone: forward only the messages you need, with allow or block rules on sender and text

Integrate

• Webhooks for received messages and delivery reports, signed with HMAC-SHA256
• Official MCP server for Claude, Cursor, and other AI agents
• Guides for n8n, Zapier, Make, Home Assistant, Node-RED, Google Sheets, Slack, Shopify, WooCommerce, and GoHighLevel

Operate

• API keys with per-key revocation
• Web dashboard for devices, usage, history, and webhooks
• Self-host with Docker Compose, or use the hosted service at textbee.dev

Quick start

You need an Android phone (Android 7.0 or newer) with a SIM card. The app is distributed as an APK from textbee.dev/download, not through the Play Store.

1. Create an account at textbee.dev.
2. Install the Android app from textbee.dev/download and grant it the SMS permissions.
3. In the dashboard, click Add device and scan the QR code with the app. This creates an API key and registers the phone.
4. Send your first message from the dashboard, or from your code as shown below.

That is the whole setup. The getting started guide covers each step with screenshots.

If textbee saves you money or time, star the repo. It helps other developers find it.

Send an SMS

One request. Messages go out through your default device, or the enabled device with the most recent heartbeat. Pass deviceId to pick a phone, simSubscriptionId to pick a SIM, or scheduledAt to send later.

curl -X POST "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipients": ["+12025550123"],
    "message": "Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes."
  }'

npm install @textbee/sdk

import { Textbee } from '@textbee/sdk'

const textbee = new Textbee({ apiKey: process.env.TEXTBEE_API_KEY })

await textbee.sendSms({
  recipients: ['+12025550123'],
  message: 'Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes.',
})

Zero dependencies, typed, runs on Node 18+, Bun, Deno, Cloudflare Workers, and Vercel Edge. See textbee/textbee-js.

await fetch('https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'x-api-key': process.env.TEXTBEE_API_KEY,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    recipients: ['+12025550123'],
    message: 'Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes.',
  }),
})

pip install textbee

import os

from textbee import Textbee

textbee = Textbee(api_key=os.environ["TEXTBEE_API_KEY"])

textbee.send_sms(
    recipients=["+12025550123"],
    message="Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes.",
)

Zero dependencies, typed, runs on Python 3.9+. See textbee/textbee-python.

import requests

requests.post(
    "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms",
    json={
        "recipients": ["+12025550123"],
        "message": "Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes.",
    },
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)

$ch = curl_init('https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms');
curl_setopt_array($ch, [
    CURLOPT_POST => true,
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => ['x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY', 'Content-Type: application/json'],
    CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS => json_encode([
        'recipients' => ['+12025550123'],
        'message' => 'Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes.',
    ]),
]);
$response = curl_exec($ch);

body := strings.NewReader(`{"recipients":["+12025550123"],"message":"Your verification code is 481920. It expires in 10 minutes."}`)
req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms", body)
req.Header.Set("x-api-key", os.Getenv("TEXTBEE_API_KEY"))
req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)

Every endpoint, field, and error code is in the API reference. The API also serves an interactive OpenAPI (Swagger) page at api.textbee.dev.

Receive SMS

Turn on Receive SMS in the Android app. Incoming messages are then available from the API, the dashboard, and webhooks. History is account-level, so one call covers every device.

curl "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/messages?direction=received" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

const messages = await textbee.getMessages({ direction: 'received' })

messages = textbee.get_messages(direction="received")

Read the receiving SMS guide for pagination, filters, and SIM details.

Webhooks

Get events on your server the moment they happen. Create a subscription in the dashboard or through the API, then handle these events:

Event	When it fires
MESSAGE_RECEIVED	The phone received an SMS
MESSAGE_SENT	The carrier accepted an outgoing SMS
MESSAGE_DELIVERED	The recipient's handset confirmed delivery
MESSAGE_FAILED	The message could not be sent
SMS_STATUS_UPDATED	Any status change on an outgoing message

Every delivery carries an X-Signature header: the HMAC-SHA256 of the raw body, keyed with the subscription's signing secret. Verify it before you trust the payload.

import { verifyWebhookSignature } from '@textbee/sdk'

app.post('/webhooks/textbee', express.raw({ type: 'application/json' }), async (req, res) => {
  const valid = await verifyWebhookSignature({
    payload: req.body.toString('utf8'),
    signature: req.get('x-signature'),
    signingSecret: process.env.TEXTBEE_WEBHOOK_SECRET,
  })
  if (!valid) return res.sendStatus(401)

  const event = JSON.parse(req.body.toString('utf8'))
  res.sendStatus(200)
})

import json
import os

from flask import Flask, request
from textbee import verify_webhook_signature

app = Flask(__name__)


@app.post("/webhooks/textbee")
def textbee_webhook():
    valid = verify_webhook_signature(
        payload=request.get_data(),
        signature=request.headers.get("X-Signature"),
        signing_secret=os.environ["TEXTBEE_WEBHOOK_SECRET"],
    )
    if not valid:
        return "", 401

    event = json.loads(request.get_data())
    return "", 200

Retries, pauses, and the full payload shape are in the webhooks docs.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

The official textbee MCP server gives Claude, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible client a phone number. Three tools: send_sms (one or many recipients), get_messages (read replies and verification codes, check delivery status), and list_devices. Plan limits apply server-side like any other send.

claude.ai, Claude Desktop, and the Claude mobile apps (nothing to install; the Free plan allows one custom connector):

1. In claude.ai or Claude Desktop, open Customize, then Connectors, then + Add and Add custom connector.
2. Enter the name textbee and the URL https://mcp.textbee.dev/mcp, then click Continue twice.
3. Choose Sign in now, leave the OAuth client on the recommended option, and click Add.
4. Paste your API key on the textbee sign-in page and click Connect.

The mobile apps use connectors added on the web or desktop. On Team and Enterprise plans, an owner adds the connector for the organization first.

Claude Code:

# Hosted: run /mcp afterwards and choose Authenticate to sign in with your API key
claude mcp add --transport http -s user textbee https://mcp.textbee.dev/mcp

# Or local: the key stays on your machine
claude mcp add textbee -s user -e TEXTBEE_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY -- npx -y @textbee/mcp

Cursor and other MCP clients (local server, the key stays on your machine):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "textbee": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@textbee/mcp"],
      "env": { "TEXTBEE_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY" }
    }
  }
}

With the hosted connector, textbee checks your key and does not store it. Self-hosted instances use the local server with TEXTBEE_BASE_URL. Full setup at textbee.dev/mcp and the MCP docs.

SDKs and integrations

	What it is	Where
JavaScript SDK	@textbee/sdk: typed client, message iteration, webhook verification, segment counting	textbee/textbee-js · npm
Python SDK	textbee: the same client for Python 3.9+, with zero dependencies	textbee/textbee-python · PyPI
MCP server	@textbee/mcp: send and read SMS from any MCP client, hosted or local	textbee/textbee-mcp · npm
REST API	Any language with an HTTP client	API reference

Step-by-step guides for no-code and automation tools:

n8n · Zapier · Make · Home Assistant · Node-RED · Google Sheets · Slack · Shopify · WooCommerce · GoHighLevel

Use cases

• OTP and 2FA codes: verification SMS from a local number your users recognize
• Order and appointment notifications: confirmations, reminders, and shipping updates from your own number
• Alerts and monitoring: server, cron, uptime, and home automation alerts that reach you even when push notifications do not
• Two-way SMS: reply handling, keyword opt-ins, and support conversations through webhooks
• Lead follow-up and form-to-SMS: text back a lead the moment a form is submitted
• Bulk announcements: CSV upload to a contact list, paced to respect carrier limits
• AI agents: let an agent send a text and read the reply

Screenshots

Stay up to date

textbee ships new features and fixes every few weeks across the API, the dashboard, and the Android app.

• Changelog: every user-facing change, newest first. Check it before you update the Android app or when an API field looks new.
• Blog: guides and tutorials on SMS automation, OTP delivery, webhooks, self-hosting, and connecting textbee to tools like n8n, Zapier, and Home Assistant.
• GitHub releases: tagged versions of this repository. Watch the repo to get notified.

Self-hosting

textbee is fully self-hostable. You run the API, the web dashboard, MongoDB, and Redis. You create a Firebase project for push messages, and you build the Android app for your own domain. All messages and account data stay in your database.

The complete guide, with every environment variable explained, is at textbee.dev/docs/self-hosting. The short version is below.

What you need

• A server with Docker, or with Node.js 22, pnpm, pm2, MongoDB, and Redis
• A domain with HTTPS. The phone and your code reach the API over the internet
• A Firebase project with Cloud Messaging enabled: a service account key for the API and a google-services.json for the Android app
• An SMTP account for verification emails and notices
• Android Studio or the Android SDK to build the app

Run with Docker Compose

git clone https://github.com/textbee/textbee.git
cd textbee
cp api/.env.example api/.env
cp web/.env.example web/.env

Fill in both .env files. The ones that matter first:

File	Variable	Value
api/.env	MONGO_URI, MONGO_ROOT_USER, MONGO_ROOT_PASS	Change the default user and password. The example URI already points at the textbee-db container
api/.env	JWT_SECRET	A long random string
api/.env	FRONTEND_URL	The public URL of your dashboard
api/.env	FIREBASE_*	Fields from your Firebase service account JSON
api/.env	MAIL_*, ADMIN_EMAIL	Your SMTP server
api/.env	USE_SMS_QUEUE	true to run sends through the Redis queue. Scheduled messages need it
web/.env	NEXT_PUBLIC_API_BASE_URL	Your API URL with /api/v1
web/.env	NEXTAUTH_SECRET, NEXTAUTH_URL	A long random string and the public dashboard URL

Then start everything:

docker compose up -d

This builds the API and web images from source and starts them with MongoDB, Redis, and an optional Mongo Express admin UI. The dashboard listens on port 3000 and the API on port 3001. Stop with docker compose down.

Run without Docker

API (api/):

cd api
cp .env.example .env   # then fill it in
pnpm install
pnpm build
pm2 start dist/main.js --name textbee-api

Web (web/):

cd web
cp .env.example .env   # then fill it in
pnpm install
pnpm build
pm2 start pnpm --name textbee-web -- start

Reverse proxy: put both behind HTTPS. Example Caddy config:

sms.example.com {
    reverse_proxy /api/* localhost:3001
    reverse_proxy /* localhost:3000
}

MongoDB can run on the same server or on MongoDB Atlas. Redis runs the send queue and background jobs; point REDIS_URL at it.

Build the Android app

The app must point at your domain and your Firebase project.

1. Place your google-services.json in android/app/.

2. Replace every occurrence of textbee.dev in the Android project with your own domain.

3. Build:

   cd android
   ./gradlew assembleRelease
   

Install the APK on the phone, then register it from your dashboard the same way as on the hosted service.

Architecture

textbee has three parts: the API, the Android app, and the web dashboard. Your code never talks to the phone directly. It calls the API, and the API uses Firebase Cloud Messaging to push each message to the phone, which sends it over the carrier network through its own SIM.

How a message flows:

1. Your app sends a request to the REST API, through the JavaScript or Python SDK, or from an AI agent over MCP. The API checks the API key and plan limits, stores the message as pending, and picks the device.
2. The API queues the send and pushes it to the phone with Firebase Cloud Messaging. The queue runs on Redis and Bull. Bulk and scheduled sends wait there and are released in paced waves.
3. The Android app sends the SMS over the carrier network from the SIM you chose and reports back each state change: dispatched, sent, delivered, or failed.
4. Incoming SMS go the other way. The phone receives a message, the app uploads it to the API, and it appears in your message history.
5. Webhooks notify your server. The API forwards received SMS and SMS status updates to your webhook endpoint. Every delivery is signed with HMAC-SHA256 so you can verify it came from textbee.

The web dashboard is a Next.js app that calls the same API your code does. It is where you register devices, create API keys, send and read messages, and manage webhooks.

Directory	What it is	Stack
api/	REST API, device registration, send queue, webhooks, billing	NestJS, MongoDB, Redis (BullMQ), Firebase Cloud Messaging
web/	Dashboard: devices, API keys, messaging, history, webhooks	Next.js, React, Tailwind CSS
android/	The gateway app: sends and receives SMS, reports status	Kotlin, Jetpack Compose, WorkManager
docker-compose.yaml	One-command self-hosted stack	Docker

FAQ

Yes. Messages are sent through the phone, so it needs power, the app, and an internet connection. A spare Android phone on a charger works well as a dedicated gateway. The keep the phone online guide lists the battery and background settings to change.

Carriers apply their own rate limits and anti-spam rules, which vary by country and plan. Personal and low-volume use is rarely a problem. For higher volume, spread sends across several devices or SIMs and keep rates reasonable. You are responsible for staying within your carrier's terms.

SMS marketing is regulated in most countries. textbee is a tool. You are responsible for getting consent and following the laws that apply to you and your recipients.

Yes. Register as many devices as your plan allows and pass deviceId to choose the phone. On dual-SIM phones, pass simSubscriptionId to choose the SIM. See choosing a SIM.

No. Download the APK from textbee.dev/download. The app needs SMS permissions that the Play Store restricts for this kind of app.

There is a free plan, and paid plans with higher limits and more devices. See textbee.dev/pricing. Self-hosting has no plan limits.

No. iOS does not let apps send or read SMS on your behalf. The gateway app is Android only. You can still call the API from any device or platform.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome: bug fixes, features, docs, and translations. Look for good first issues and help wanted to get started.

1. Fork the repo and create a branch from main.
2. Make your change with a clear commit message.
3. Open a pull request against main and describe what changed and why.

Run it locally

# API (needs MongoDB; the Docker Compose file starts one)
cd api && cp .env.example .env && pnpm install && pnpm start:dev

# Web dashboard
cd web && cp .env.example .env && pnpm install && pnpm dev

# Tests
cd api && pnpm exec jest
cd web && pnpm test

Open the Android project in Android Studio from the android/ folder. It has dev and prod build variants, described in android/BUILD_VARIANTS_SETUP.md.

Community and support

• Discord: questions, help, and announcements
• GitHub issues: bug reports and feature requests
• Docs and FAQ
• Email: [email protected]

Who builds textbee

textbee is built and maintained by Nuver Labs, a small software studio that makes developer tools and AI products. The team also offers custom development: integrations, SMS workflows, and self-hosted setups built on textbee.

Security

Do not open a public issue for a vulnerability. Email [email protected] with the details. See SECURITY.md.

License

textbee is open source under the MIT License.