CODEWITHSUNDEEP
android
Bogdan Alexandru
Bogdan Alexandru

Reputation: 5552

Send SMS from Android on a tablet

I want my app to automatically send a SMS (containing a warning message) to a specified number (saved on the SD card) whenever a special event happens.

Problem is, I'm installing the app on a tablet which does not have a SIM card and therefor cannot use the standard SMS manager.

However the tablet has access to the internet.

What are my options of sending an SMS through the Internet? I know there are some apps in the Google Play Store that do this, but I need a library to integrate in my code (or some classes).

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1088

Answers (3)

Andy
Andy

Reputation: 11

Easiest way would be to use an online platform, which you can use through a wide range of devices. TexttoSend is one we use currently.

Upvotes: 1

ingh.am
ingh.am

Reputation: 26812

With the tablet not having SMS capabilities, the best you could do is host an API on your server which talks to SMS providers API. (In theory you could talk directly to the SMS provider from, but you wouldn't want your account credentials bundled in your application now, would you! Besides the security concern, you couldn't change your account credentials to the service if they changed, for example).

There are literally hundreds of providers, but we use http://www.esendex.co.uk/ and are very happy with their service. They provide an API that we use behind a RESTful service our applications talk to. Again, there is an abundance of information on the web about creating/consuming web services.

If you need help creating an API, please update your question with details about what architecture/language you wish to use and maybe I (or someone else) could help.

Edit: We've also used Amazon AWS SNS in the past, although it only works in certain countries (we used it in USA).

Here are some other providers I've NOT used and found through a quick search:

Another option: This isn't really ideal, but it was a solution used at my current company before I started working there, which is you can buy a Wavecom device with a SMS modem inside and then hook this up to a server that you host yourself. This allows you to just go buy a unlimited PAYG so and use that instead of paying per message (although service providers normally don't actually offer unlimited deals if you read the small print and can block your SIM if you abuse their terms). Also, bear in mind the extra cost & security concerns that come with a self-hosted solution like this, and you probably wouldn't keep it hosted like this forever so have a fall back in your application if the connection fails. Sorry I don't have any links for this, as I don't know where to purchase them from but this is the device I'm talking about: http://www.ozekisms.com/index.php?owpn=201.

Upvotes: 3

Ali Behzadian Nejad
Ali Behzadian Nejad

Reputation: 9044

You can not send SMS directly when you have no sim card. Sending sms through internet needs a server that supports sending sms through web services or protocols like SMPP.Most of the internet sms services charge you so look for an appropriate server.

Upvotes: 0

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