Table of Contents
1. Getting Started
Download Text Automator from the Google Play Store and open it.
Text Automator needs a few permissions to work:
- SMS Permission (required): Allows the app to send and receive text messages. Without this, no features will work.
- Contacts Permission (optional): Lets you pick recipients from your contacts instead of typing numbers manually.
- Battery Optimization exemption: Keeps scheduled messages running on time, even when your phone is in Doze mode.
The app will prompt you for each permission when you first use the relevant feature.
The app has four main sections accessible from the side menu:
- Auto-SMS (default screen) — Schedule recurring text messages
- Auto-Reply — Automatically respond to incoming texts
- Auto-Forward — Forward incoming texts to other contacts
- Groups — Send messages to contact groups
Settings, Backup, and Premium are also in the menu.
2. Scheduling Text Messages (Auto-SMS)
Tap the + button on the Auto-SMS screen.
Start typing a name to search your contacts, or enter a name and phone number manually.
Type your message. Use {name} to insert the recipient's name automatically.
Tap the days of the week you want the message to send. Select multiple days for more frequent sending.
Choose the time of day for sending. This time applies to all selected days.
Weekly sends every selected day. Bi-weekly sends every other week. You can set custom intervals too.
Check the schedule summary at the bottom, then tap Save.
- Pause all sending from the menu if you need a break
- Long-press a card to enter multi-select mode for bulk operations
- Use Override to change just the next message without editing the recurring schedule
- Check the Unsent tab for any messages missed while paused or phone was off
- Set a home timezone in Settings to keep schedules consistent while traveling
3. Setting Up Auto-Replies
Open Auto-Reply from the side menu.
Tap the + button to create a new reply card.
This is what gets sent automatically. Use {name} to personalize with the sender's name.
Add time windows for when this card should be active. For example, weekdays from 5 PM to 8 AM for after-hours replies. Toggle "All Day" for 24/7 responses. Overnight ranges (like 10 PM to 6 AM) work across midnight.
Control how often the same person gets a reply. For example, once every 2 hours prevents repeated auto-replies to the same person.
Instant sends immediately. Natural adds a short random delay (5–30 seconds) so it feels more human. Natural delay requires Premium.
Choose who gets auto-replies: everyone, contacts only, non-contacts only, or a specific whitelist of contacts.
Toggle the card on and tap Create. Or set a future activation date to have it turn on automatically later.
- Cards are matched by priority — drag to reorder if you have multiple cards
- Check the Inbox tab to see all messages that received auto-replies
- Use the ignore list to exclude specific numbers (like your boss)
- Mark conversations as "handled" once you've followed up manually
4. Setting Up Auto-Forwarding
Open Auto-Forward from the side menu.
Tap + to create a new forwarding card.
Select one or more contacts to receive forwarded messages.
The default includes the sender's name, number, and message. Customize with variables: {sender_name}, {sender_phone}, {message}, {time}, {date}.
Same as auto-reply — set when forwarding should be active.
Choose whose messages get forwarded.
Turn on to automatically reply to the original sender confirming their message was received and forwarded.
Only forward messages containing specific words like "urgent" or "emergency."
Toggle on and tap Create.
- Great for on-call scenarios — forward after-hours messages to a colleague
- The app has built-in loop protection — messages from forward destinations are automatically ignored
- Acknowledgment replies only send when the forward succeeds
5. Creating & Messaging Groups
Open Groups from the side menu.
Tap + to create a new group.
Use a descriptive name like "Family," "Work Team," or "Book Club."
Search contacts by name or enter phone numbers manually. Members appear as chips below the search field.
Tap Save to create your group.
Tap the group card, then tap Send Message. Type your message (use {name} to personalize for each recipient), then send.
A progress modal shows real-time status for each member. You can retry failed recipients individually without re-sending to everyone.
- Each member receives an individual SMS — not a group MMS
- Recipients don't see each other or each other's replies
- Message history is saved per group
- Free tier: 2 groups, 3 members each. Premium: unlimited
6. Backup & Restore
To Export a Backup
Open Settings from the menu and tap Export Backup.
Enter a password (minimum 4 characters) and confirm it.
The app encrypts all your data with AES-256 encryption and opens a share dialog. Save the file to your preferred location (cloud storage, email, etc.).
To Restore from Backup
Open Settings and tap Select Backup File.
Choose a .textautomator backup file from your device.
Enter the password you used during export.
Review the summary of what's in the backup, then confirm import.
- Backups include all scheduled texts, auto-reply cards, auto-forward cards, groups, and settings
- Imported auto-reply and auto-forward cards are disabled by default (toggle them on when ready)
- Data is added to existing data, not replaced
- Keep your backup password safe — without it, the file cannot be decrypted