textbee Version 2.7.0: Enhanced Device Management, Scheduled SMS, and Improved Reliability

We're excited to announce the release of textbee version 2.7.0! This update brings powerful new features for device management, enhanced SMS capabilities, and improved reliability. Whether you're managing multiple devices or scheduling messages in advance, version 2.7.0 makes it easier than ever to integrate SMS into your applications.

Download the latest version: Get version 2.7.0 from textbee.dev/download

What's New in Version 2.7.0

This release focuses on giving you more control over your SMS gateway operations:

• Custom Device Names: Organize your devices with meaningful names
• SIM Card Selection: Choose which SIM card to use when sending messages
• Scheduled SMS: Send messages at a specific time in the future
• Received SMS Filters: Better manage incoming messages in the Android app
• Improved Reliability: Enhanced device connectivity and monitoring

Let's dive into each feature with practical examples.

Device Management Features

Custom Device Names

Managing multiple devices is now easier with custom device names. Instead of remembering device IDs, you can assign meaningful names like "Office Phone" or "Marketing Device" that appear across the Android app, API responses, and web dashboard.

Setting a Custom Device Name

Setting a custom device name is simple using the mobile app:

1. Open the textbee Android app on your device
2. Enter your custom device name (e.g., "My Galaxy S23" or "My Business Phone")
3. Click "Update" to save

The custom name will be visible in the Android app, and web dashboard, making it much easier to identify and manage your devices.

SIM Card Selection

If your Android device has multiple SIM cards, you can now choose which SIM card to use when sending SMS messages. This is particularly useful when you have different plans or carriers for different use cases.

Finding Your SIM Subscription ID

Before you can select a SIM card, you need to find the SIM subscription ID:

1. Open the textbee Android app on your device
2. View the available SIM cards and their subscription IDs
3. Note the subscription ID (e.g., 7) for the SIM card you want to use

Sending SMS with SIM Selection

Once you have the SIM subscription ID, you can include it as an optional field when sending SMS:

const axios = require('axios');

const BASE_URL = 'https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1';
const DEVICE_ID = 'YOUR_DEVICE_ID';
const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

async function sendSMSWithSIM(recipient, message, simSubscriptionId) {
  try {
    const payload = {
      recipients: [recipient],
      message: message,
      simSubscriptionId: simSubscriptionId // optional
    };
    
    const response = await axios.post(
      `${BASE_URL}/gateway/devices/${DEVICE_ID}/send-sms`,
      payload,
      {
        headers: {
          'x-api-key': API_KEY,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }
      }
    );
    
    console.log('SMS sent successfully:', response.data);
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error sending SMS:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Usage: Send SMS using SIM card with subscription ID 7
sendSMSWithSIM('+1234567890', 'Hello from textbee!', 7);

// Usage: Send SMS without specifying SIM (uses default)
sendSMSWithSIM('+1234567890', 'Hello from textbee!');

Python Example

import requests

BASE_URL = "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1"
DEVICE_ID = "YOUR_DEVICE_ID"
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

def send_sms_with_sim(recipient, message, sim_subscription_id=None):
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/gateway/devices/{DEVICE_ID}/send-sms"
    headers = {
        "x-api-key": API_KEY,
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    payload = {
        "recipients": [recipient],
        "message": message,
        "simSubscriptionId": sim_subscription_id # optional
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

# Usage: Send SMS using SIM card with subscription ID 7
send_sms_with_sim("+1234567890", "Hello from textbee!", 7)

# Usage: Send SMS without specifying SIM (uses default)
send_sms_with_sim("+1234567890", "Hello from textbee!")

cURL Example

curl -X POST "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/devices/YOUR_DEVICE_ID/send-sms" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "recipients": ["+1234567890"],
    "message": "Hello from textbee!",
    "simSubscriptionId": 7
  }'

Note: The simSubscriptionId field is optional. If you don't specify it, textbee will use the default SIM card configured on your device.

SMS Features

Scheduled SMS Sending

Schedule SMS messages to be sent at a specific time in the future. Perfect for appointment reminders, scheduled notifications, and time-sensitive communications.

Scheduling a Message

Use the scheduledAt field with a valid ISO 8601 datetime string to schedule your message:

const axios = require('axios');

const BASE_URL = 'https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1';
const DEVICE_ID = 'YOUR_DEVICE_ID';
const API_KEY = 'YOUR_API_KEY';

async function scheduleSMS(recipient, message, scheduledDateTime) {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post(
      `${BASE_URL}/gateway/devices/${DEVICE_ID}/send-sms`,
      {
        recipients: [recipient],
        message: message,
        scheduledAt: scheduledDateTime // ISO 8601 format
      },
      {
        headers: {
          'x-api-key': API_KEY,
          'Content-Type': 'application/json'
        }
      }
    );
    
    console.log('SMS scheduled successfully:', response.data);
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error scheduling SMS:', error.response?.data || error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

// Schedule a message for tomorrow at 2:00 PM
const tomorrow = new Date();
tomorrow.setDate(tomorrow.getDate() + 1);
tomorrow.setHours(14, 0, 0, 0);

scheduleSMS(
  '+1234567890',
  'Reminder: Your appointment is tomorrow at 2 PM.',
  tomorrow.toISOString()
);

Python Example

import requests
from datetime import datetime, timedelta

BASE_URL = "https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1"
DEVICE_ID = "YOUR_DEVICE_ID"
API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"

def schedule_sms(recipient, message, scheduled_datetime):
    url = f"{BASE_URL}/gateway/devices/{DEVICE_ID}/send-sms"
    headers = {
        "x-api-key": API_KEY,
        "Content-Type": "application/json"
    }
    payload = {
        "recipients": [recipient],
        "message": message,
        "scheduledAt": scheduled_datetime.isoformat()  # ISO 8601 format
    }
    
    response = requests.post(url, json=payload, headers=headers)
    response.raise_for_status()
    return response.json()

# Schedule a message for tomorrow at 2:00 PM
from datetime import datetime, timedelta
tomorrow = datetime.now() + timedelta(days=1)
tomorrow = tomorrow.replace(hour=14, minute=0, second=0, microsecond=0)

schedule_sms(
    "+1234567890",
    "Reminder: Your appointment is tomorrow at 2 PM.",
    tomorrow
)

Scheduling Multiple Messages

You can schedule different messages for different times:

// Schedule appointment reminders
const appointments = [
  { phone: '+1234567890', time: '2026-02-07T10:00:00Z', message: 'Appointment in 1 hour' },
  { phone: '+0987654321', time: '2026-02-07T14:00:00Z', message: 'Appointment in 1 hour' },
  { phone: '+1122334455', time: '2026-02-08T09:00:00Z', message: 'Appointment tomorrow at 9 AM' }
];

for (const appointment of appointments) {
  await scheduleSMS(appointment.phone, appointment.message, appointment.time);
}

Important: The scheduledAt field must be a valid ISO 8601 datetime string (e.g., 2026-02-07T14:00:00Z). The scheduled time must be in the future.

⚠️ Scheduling Limitation: Currently, scheduled SMS messages can only be scheduled up to 24 hours in advance. Attempts to schedule messages beyond 24 hours will not be accepted.

Received SMS Filters

The Android app now includes powerful filtering capabilities to help you manage incoming SMS messages more effectively. Filter messages by sender, date, or keywords to quickly find what you're looking for.

Using Filters in the Android App

1. Open the textbee Android app
2. Navigate to the "Received SMS" section
3. Use the filter icon to access filtering options
4. Filter by:
   • Sender: Search for messages from specific phone numbers
   • Date Range: Filter messages by when they were received
   • Keywords: Find messages containing specific text
5. Apply filters to see only the messages that match your criteria

This feature is particularly useful when managing high volumes of incoming messages or when you need to quickly locate specific verification codes or customer inquiries.

Monitoring & Reliability

Version 2.7.0 includes significant improvements to device connectivity monitoring and overall system reliability. These enhancements ensure that your SMS gateway remains operational and that you have better visibility into your device status.

The improvements include enhanced monitoring capabilities that help track device connectivity and ensure messages are delivered reliably. These changes work behind the scenes to provide a more stable and dependable SMS gateway experience.

Bug Fixes & Improvements

This release also includes several important bug fixes and improvements:

• Fixed duplicate received SMS issue: Resolved an issue that was causing message duplication
• UI/UX enhancements: Multiple improvements to the Android app's and web dashboard
• Better error messages: Improved error message display in the web dashboard for clearer troubleshooting

What's Next

We're continuously working to improve textbee and add new features based on your feedback. Stay tuned for future updates, and don't hesitate to reach out with feature requests or feedback.

For more information about textbee features and capabilities, check out our Quick Start Guide or explore our use cases page.

Conclusion

Version 2.7.0 brings powerful new capabilities to textbee that make it easier to manage your SMS gateway and schedule messages effectively. Whether you're organizing multiple devices, selecting specific SIM cards, or scheduling messages in advance, these features give you more control and flexibility.

Try out the new features today and let us know what you think! If you have questions or need help getting started, visit our Quick Start Guide or reach out through our support channels.

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Version: 2.7.0 (Build 16)
Release Date: February 6, 2026