Gateway help
Choose the message or problem you see on your phone.
Permissions
- App was denied access
App was denied access or Restricted setting when you try to allow SMS.
- Permission denied
SMSKit keeps asking for a permission, or nothing happens when it asks.
- Permissions turned off again
The gateway worked for weeks, then stopped, and its permissions are off again.
Staying online
- Gateway offline
The dashboard shows the phone offline, or the service stops overnight or after a restart.
Sending and receiving
- SMS not sending
Jobs fail or wait, or Android asks to allow a large number of messages or a premium number.
- Replies not received
Replies appear in the phone’s Messages app but not in SMSKit.
Permissions reference
Send and receive SMS
- Why
- Send dashboard/API texts through the SIM and receive SMS replies.
- When asked
- Gateway setup, after the gateway disclosure.
- Without it
- Sending or receiving is unavailable without its grant.
- Restricted settings
- SMS is restricted for sideloaded apps on Android 15 and newer.
Read SMS
- Why
- Archive new inbox and sent SMS after consent; import older history manually.
- When asked
- After archive consent when enabling archiving or starting a local import.
- Without it
- Phone SMS history cannot be imported.
- Restricted settings
- Restricted for sideloaded apps on Android 15 and newer.
Read Contacts
- Why
- Upload an initial complete contacts snapshot, then additions and edits: names, numbers, emails, addresses, organisations, websites, dates, notes, groups, photos and the reported Google, phone or SIM account. Dashboard edits never write to the phone.
- When asked
- With Read SMS after archive consent in both builds.
- Without it
- Phone contacts cannot be imported.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting.
Phone
- Why
- Identify installed SIMs for routing.
- When asked
- Gateway setup, after the gateway disclosure.
- Without it
- SIM detection and routing cannot work.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting.
Notifications
- Why
- Show the running gateway service notification.
- When asked
- Gateway setup on Android 13 and newer.
- Without it
- The setup notification requirement is unmet.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting.
Camera
- Why
- Scan a pairing QR code.
- When asked
- When you choose Scan QR Code.
- Without it
- Use the typed pairing code instead.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting.
Run at startup
- Why
- Restart the gateway after a reboot and first unlock.
- When asked
- Granted at installation, with no runtime prompt.
- Without it
- Open SMSKit and start the service after restarting.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting.
Battery optimisation exemption
- Why
- Reduce interruptions from Android battery optimisation.
- When asked
- Allow background activity. Direct offers a request; Play opens Android’s optimisation list.
- Without it
- Android may delay or stop background work.
- Restricted settings
- Not a sideloaded restricted setting. Only direct declares the request permission.