Getting started
Set up textbee in four steps: create an account, install the Android app, register your phone and send your first SMS from code.
Updated
textbee sends and receives SMS through an Android phone that you own. You install the textbee app on the phone, connect it to your account, and then call a REST API that tells the phone what to send.
What you need
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| An Android phone | Android 7.0 or newer, with a SIM that can send SMS and an internet connection (Wi-Fi or mobile data). |
| A textbee account | Sign up in the dashboard and verify your email. Sending needs a verified email. |
| An API key | You create it in the dashboard. The phone uses it to connect, and your code uses it to call the API. |
The phone does the sending, so it must stay on, online and allowed to run in the background. A free plan is available. Plan limits are on the pricing page.
The four steps
- Create an account and install the app. Follow Setting up textbee. It covers sign-up, email verification, the APK download and the permissions the app asks for.
- Register the phone. Follow Registering a device. You scan a QR code from the dashboard or paste an API key into the app. The phone then shows in your Devices list.
- Get an API key for your code. Read API keys and authentication. It shows how to send the
x-api-keyheader and how to check that a key works. - Send your first message. Call
POST /gateway/send-sms. The Sending SMS page has the full request and response.
This request sends one message from your default phone:
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": ["+12015550123"], "message": "Hello from textbee"}'A 200 response means textbee accepted the message and queued it for the phone. It does not mean the recipient got it. Read Delivery status and message states to follow it to the handset.
If a phone registered earlier shows as disconnected, do not register it again. Follow Reconnecting an old device so its message history stays with it.
What to read next
Pick the goal that matches your project.
Send SMS from your code
- Sending SMS: the request fields, status codes and phone number format.
- Sending bulk SMS: many messages in one call, or a CSV upload in the dashboard.
- Schedule a message and Send from a specific SIM.
- JavaScript SDK: a typed client for Node.js, Bun, Deno and Workers.
Receive replies
- Receiving SMS: turn on forwarding in the app and read incoming messages.
- Webhooks: get an HTTP request for each incoming message and each status change.
- Message history: list and filter sent and received messages.
Use an AI agent
- Agents overview: let an assistant send and read SMS for you.
- MCP server: connect Claude, Cursor or another MCP client.
- n8n: send SMS from an n8n workflow.
Keep the phone reliable
- Devices: heartbeats, the default device and more than one phone.
- Keep the phone online: battery settings that stop Android from pausing the app.
- Messages not sending: a checklist for stuck messages.