Can I send texts from my app with an HTTP API?

Yes — you can send SMS/text messages from an app using an HTTP API.

How it works

Typically you:

1. Choose an SMS provider, such as:
   • Twilio
   • Vonage
   • Plivo
   • Sinch
   • AWS SNS
2. Your app sends an HTTP request to the provider’s API with:
   • recipient phone number
   • message body
   • your API key/auth credentials
3. The provider delivers the text to the carrier network.

Example

A typical API call looks like:

POST /messages
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "to": "+15551234567",
  "from": "+15557654321",
  "text": "Hello from my app!"
}

Important considerations

• You can’t usually send SMS directly from your own server to phones without a provider.
• You’ll need:
  • a verified sender number or short code
  • API credentials
  • compliance with SMS rules and user consent
• Costs depend on provider and country.
• For production, handle:
  • retries
  • delivery receipts
  • rate limits
  • opt-out keywords like STOP

Good use cases

• OTP / 2FA codes
• appointment reminders
• order updates
• alerts and notifications

If you want, I can show you:

• a sample request in Python / JavaScript / cURL
• how to set it up with Twilio
• how to do it in a mobile app backend safely