Key Takeaways
- api how to test on real handsets is cold destination SIMs on the operators you serve — not a Pixel on HQ Wi-Fi.
- HTTP 200 from POST /messages means queued, not delivered. Assert DLR or a human read on the destination.
- Test OTP and bulk on separate deviceIds. A campaign canary must not starve login codes.
- OEM Doze only shows up overnight on the actual gateway phone.
- Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. Test SMS still spend operator airtime.
- Free tier is for staff canaries, not a city-wide soak.
Why the emulator is a lie
Search intent for api how to test on real handsets is proving OTP and alerts on radios customers actually have. Service pricing is based on device count and total SMS sent through the gateway. The control plane queues. The SIM transmits.
A green CI job that never left the office Wi-Fi has not tested SMS. It tested JSON.
Android connectivity is the radio baseline (developer.android.com). Setup: device setup.
What “real” means
| Layer | Prove | Not proof |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway phone | Paired, exempted, last-seen fresh | Dev laptop ADB only |
| Destination | Cold handset on target operator | Same-SIM loopback |
| OTP template | Human can read; SMS Retriever if you use it | Log line in Laravel |
| MMS | Photo arrives or fallback SMS fires | API accepted type=mms |
Canary numbers and operators
Keep a staff SIM per major operator you send to. Isolate OTP — OTP verification. DLR: delivery reports. Docs: docs.sms-gateway.app.
What the API can and cannot prove
POST /api/v1/messages with Bearer auth queues. Assert webhook or GET DLR. Do not treat accepted as “the human saw the code.” MMS needs a photo canary or fallback — MMS unsupported.
Load tests that do not melt one SIM
Pace to OEM ceilings and carrier fair-use. Starter, Professional, and Business list Unlimited SMS as platform send volume; that is not unmetered carrier SMS. Priced by devices and SMS send volume. You use your own phone and operator SMS credit. IR if you melt the radio — API incident response.
Handset test checklist
- Cold destination on target operators.
- OTP device ≠ promo device.
- Overnight Doze canary on the gateway phone.
- DLR or human confirm.
- Airtime budget for retries.
Next steps
Send a staff OTP to a cold SIM, then one bulk canary. Pricing. App: downloads. Free: 300 SMS lifetime.
Related product pages
Jump to the live product docs for this topic—not another long-form article.
- SMS API documentationLive endpoint reference
- device and SMS volume pricingPlans and allowances
- Android SMS gateway product guideDefinition, product, and how to buy
- download the Android gateway appGet the APK
