FAQ
DroidSender FAQ: bulk SMS from your own phone
Short answers to what people ask about DroidSender, from plans and phones to carriers, security and the API. Each answer links to the page with the full details.
Getting started
Can I keep my phone number?
Yes. Messages go out through the SIM card in your Android phone, so customers see the number they already know. There is no porting and no new number.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. Try it free: 1,000 SMS in your first 30 days, then 100 a month. No card needed. The free plan uses one phone.
I have an iPhone. Can I use DroidSender?
The phone that sends has to be an Android, because iPhones don't let apps send SMS on their own. You can use the dashboard from any computer or phone.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Campaigns from Excel and the inbox work in the dashboard. The API is there if you want it.
Where do customer replies arrive?
In the shared inbox, synced with your phone in both directions. You answer from the computer and the message goes out from your number, in the same conversation the customer already has.
Can my team use the same account?
Yes. Everyone signs in with the same Google account, on as many computers as you need, and sees the same inbox live. Pro connects up to 3 phones and Business up to 10.
Answering as a team? See how it compares with the other options →
Pricing
What counts toward my monthly SMS?
Each message you send counts once, however long it is. Replies you receive and messages imported from your phone's history do not count.
What happens when I reach my limit?
We email you at 80% and again at 100%. At 100% new messages stop going out until your next monthly cycle or until you move to a bigger plan. Nothing is queued and charged later.
On a yearly plan, is the allowance yearly?
No. You get the same allowance every month and pay 33% less than on monthly billing.
Can I change plans or cancel?
Yes. Move up, move down or cancel from the billing page whenever you like, with no contract. In the first 30 days of a paid plan you can ask for a full refund.
What if I want to leave?
You can cancel at any time, with no contract. In the first 30 days, if DroidSender is not right for you, we refund you with no questions asked.
Android app
Which phones does it work on?
Any phone with Android 7.0 or newer. Some brands need auto-start turned on, and the app shows you where.
How do I install the Android app?
Create your free account and connect a phone from the dashboard. It shows a QR code and a 6-character code that opens the download on your phone and links it to your account. The code works for 10 minutes.
Does the phone have to stay on?
To send, yes, switched on and with signal. If it goes offline in the middle of a campaign, the queue waits and carries on when it is back. For large campaigns, leave it on the charger.
Can I keep using my phone normally?
Yes. Your messaging app stays as it is, and DroidSender works alongside it. On a phone with two SIMs, messages go out from the SIM set as default for SMS.
Which messages appear in my inbox?
Every SMS the connected phone receives and every message you send from DroidSender. Texts sent from the phone's own messaging app appear too if “Import older conversations” is on in the app.
Carrier limits
What mobile plan do I need?
Any plan that sends SMS works. The messages are covered by the mobile plan you already pay for, and DroidSender never charges per message. If you send every week, a plan with unlimited texts is the simplest choice.
Can my carrier block my number?
Rarely, if you know your plan's limits and stay within them. If it happens, it is usually temporary and a call to your carrier lifts it.
What happens if my number gets blocked?
Usually nothing serious. DroidSender pauses and warns you, and in most cases a call to your carrier lifts the limit.
How fast does DroidSender send?
By default it adapts to your phone and network. You can switch to Careful or Very careful, or set a custom pace from 10 to 600 messages an hour.
Can I stop it from texting at night or at weekends?
Yes. Choose the sending hours and days, and messages outside them wait for the next allowed window.
How SMS length works
How many characters is one SMS?
160 characters with plain letters and numbers, or 70 if the message has emojis or some accents. A longer message is split into parts, and each part counts as one SMS on your mobile plan.
Does a long message count as several SMS?
Not on DroidSender: we count messages, not parts. Your mobile plan still counts the parts.
Security
Is DroidSender safe?
Yes. The Android app only sends and receives SMS for your account, never touches your calls, photos, location or other apps, and is signed by a developer verified by Google.
Does DroidSender read my calls or photos?
No. It handles SMS, and reads your contacts only to show names in your conversations.
Why is it not on Google Play?
Google Play only lets an app send and read SMS if it is your default messaging app or fits one of a short list of exceptions. DroidSender works alongside your messaging app instead of replacing it, so it is installed from droidsender.com.
Where is my data stored?
On servers in the European Union, under the GDPR, and messages travel over HTTPS. Payments go through Stripe, so your card details never reach DroidSender.
Who is behind DroidSender?
A small team in Portugal, led by Ricardo Minascurta, who created it. See the About page.
Developers
Do I need a paid plan to use the API?
No. Every plan includes the API, the free one too. Free has 2 API keys and 1 webhook, Starter 3 and 2, Pro 10 and 5, and Business 25 and 10.
What are the rate limits?
60 requests a minute per API key for each connected phone, up to 3,000 a minute. Each phone sends about 30 SMS parts a minute, which is Android's own pace, and anything faster waits in the queue.
What happens to API messages when the phone is offline?
The API still accepts the message and puts it in the phone's queue, and the response tells you whether the phone is online. The message goes out when the phone is back.
How do I check that a webhook came from DroidSender?
Each request carries an X-DroidSender-Signature header with a timestamp and an HMAC-SHA256 of the timestamp and the raw body, made with your webhook secret. The docs have examples in Node.js, Python and PHP.
Last updated
Start today, with your own number.
Connect your Android phone to send campaigns and answer customers from your computer. Your customers keep reaching you on the number they know.
Try it free: 1,000 SMS in your first 30 days, then 100 a month. No card needed.
