Retext
Outbound SMS · Android phone + your SIM

Text your customers from your own phone.

Send codes, alerts and receipts from your app with one API call. An Android phone you own delivers them on your SIM plan, and you see exactly what happened to every message.

Start with one phoneRead the API guide

Free to use and invite-only: sign in with the email address you were invited with. No subscription and no per-message fees from Retext.

POST /v1/messages
Delivered
To +381 64 123 4567

Your verification code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes.

Delivered · 14:02 · 1 SMS, 59 of 160 characters
  1. Accepted by the API14:02:11
  2. Sent by Office Pixel14:02:13
  3. Delivered to the handset14:02:19
  4. Your app was toldSigned callback, 200 OK14:02:19

Set up in three steps.

Use a spare Android phone and the SIM you already pay for.

  1. 1

    Get an Android phone ready

    Any Android phone with a SIM that can send texts. Keep it charged and online.

  2. 2

    Scan the code in your dashboard

    Setup shows a one-time QR code. Scan it with the phone's camera: it opens a page that walks you through installing the SMSGate app and connecting it.

  3. 3

    Send from your app

    Create a project, copy its API key and call POST /v1/messages. Every send shows up in your dashboard.

See every message, from your code to their phone.

Retext keeps the record so you don't have to guess whether a text went out.

Know when it arrives

Retext calls your URL when a message is sent, delivered or fails, signed so you can check it came from us.

Separate keys per project

Each project gets its own API keys, so you can revoke one without touching your other apps.

Every message on record

Filter and export your history. Message text is kept for 30 days, delivery details for 12 months.

curl -X POST https://gateway.retext.app/v1/messages \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $RETEXT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"to": "+381641234567", "body": "Your code is 482913"}'

The response is 202 Accepted with the message's id. Delivery updates arrive at your callback URL.

Retext is free.

No subscription and no per-message fees. Texts go out on your own SIM plan, so your carrier's rates apply. Sign-up is by invitation.

messages a day per phone
200
projects and API keys
Unlimited
Get started

Questions before you connect

Something else? The API guide covers setup, limits and callbacks in detail.

What can I send?
Transactional texts your customers expect: sign-in codes, alerts, reminders and receipts. Marketing and bulk sending aren't supported.
Which phone do I need?
Any Android phone that can run the SMSGate app, with a SIM that can send texts. An older spare phone works well.
Does the phone need to stay on?
Yes. It needs power, an internet connection and mobile signal while messages go out. Your dashboard shows when each phone was last seen.
Who pays for the texts?
Your carrier bills them on your SIM plan, as if you sent them by hand. Retext doesn't add a per-message fee.
How many messages can I send?
Up to 200 per phone, counted over the last 24 hours. Add phones to send more.
Can people reply?
Not through Retext yet. Retext sends messages; replies arrive on the phone as normal texts.

Send your first message today.

One phone, one API key, one request.

Start with one phone