A small, safety-first toolkit for texting a list of people from a phone’s own number: upload a
spreadsheet (CSV), write one message with merge fields like {first_name}, and send it either one
tap at a time (web page) or paced automatically in the background (Android/Termux).
The problem: non-technical people with a contact list and a personal phone have no safe, simple way to send personalized texts. Bulk-SMS platforms need accounts, fees and carrier registration; copy-pasting 400 messages by hand is error-prone. This tool keeps the data on the phone and puts guardrails around the risky parts (bad numbers, duplicates, people who opted out, sensitive data, sending at night).
| Piece | What it does | Status |
|—|—|—|
| android/send_slow.py | Paced background sender for Android (Termux). One text ~every 65 s, only 8am-6pm, one up-front approval, resumable, stop switch, live notification, --status, --dry-run preview, log | Built; unit-tested with a fake sender |
| web/index.html | Single-file web app (no server): upload CSV, merge fields, review each person, opens the SMS app pre-filled | Built; logic + flow tested in a simulated browser |
| android/scan_replies.py | Reads received texts, finds “stop / remove me” replies from people on your list, adds them to the never-text list after a typed YES | Built; tested with fake data |
| android/send_picture.py | Picture/file mode: opens Messages for each person with the number, message and picture filled in; you tap Send, then Enter for the next | Built; tested with a fake launcher, not on a phone |
| tools/sms_prep.py | Rules engine: phone normalization (E.164), consent / opt-out / suppression, dedupe, sensitive-data blocking, templates, resume | Built; 36 tests |
| widgets/ | One-tap home-screen buttons for Android (Termux:Widget): Check setup, Choose list (phone file picker, Excel or CSV), Preview, Test-to-me, Start, Status, Stop, Change message, Do-not-text, Check replies, Birthday setup, Send with picture | Built; script-tested in a temp folder, not on a phone |
| docs/BUILD_SHORTCUT.md | Exact build spec for an iPhone Shortcut version | Spec only; not built or tested on a device |
Honest status: all logic is covered by automated tests (132 Python + 21 JavaScript). Nothing has yet been
tested on a physical phone; do the small real-number test in docs/PHONE_SETUP.md first.
CSV ──► validate ──► preview ──► YES / SEND ──► send 1 text ──► log ──► wait 65 s ──► repeat
(phone, dupes, (--dry-run, (typed (termux-sms-send) (every text) (8am-6pm only;
opt-out, no nothing approval, pauses overnight,
sensitive) sent) once) resumes itself)
Safety rules are in code, not optional: 60 s minimum between texts, send window, typed approval (no
--yes flag), stops after 3 failures in a row, Stop file, never re-texts a number already submitted,
never invents a missing name, and the log records “submitted,” never “delivered.”
python3 -m unittest discover -s tests # 132 tests
python3 android/send_slow.py data/sample_contacts.csv --message "Hi {first_name}!" \
--campaign demo --dry-run # preview only, sends nothing
Phone setup (non-technical, copy-paste): docs/PHONE_SETUP.md. Details: docs/ANDROID_TERMUX.md,
docs/ANDROID_WEB_APP.md, docs/IOS_LIMITATIONS.md, docs/COMPLIANCE_NOTES.md, docs/ROADMAP.md.
Only text people who know you and expect to hear from you, and honor anyone who says stop. This tool does
not hide activity from the phone or carrier, and it is not legal advice. See docs/COMPLIANCE_NOTES.md.
License: MIT.