Installation
Hiras runs on one Android phone. That phone hosts the gateway; every other device on your network talks to it over the API. There is nothing to install on the calling devices — any HTTP client will do.
Requirements
- An Android phone, version 8.0 (API 26) or newer.
- A working SIM with SMS capability and mobile load. Hiras sends through your own SIM, so your carrier’s normal per-message charges apply.
- The phone and any calling device on the same local network (the same Wi-Fi, or a shared VPN — see VPN access).
Hiras is Android-only. iOS cannot send SMS silently from a third-party app, so an iOS version is not possible — this is a platform limitation, not a roadmap item.
Installing the app
Hiras is in pre-release. It is not yet on Google Play, so there is no store listing to install from today — the Play listing and one-time purchase go live with the public release.
Until then Hiras is distributed as a signed APK that you sideload onto the phone. When the app is in your hands:
- Copy the APK to the phone (or download it directly on the device).
- Open it. Android will ask you to allow installs from this source the first time — grant it.
- Install, then open Hiras.
That is the whole install. There is no account to create and no server to point at.
Permissions Hiras asks for
Hiras requests only the permissions its features actually need. The important ones are prompted the first time you tap Start:
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Send SMS | Send messages through your SIM |
| Receive SMS | Forward inbound texts to your webhook (only while hosting and a webhook is enabled) |
| Phone state / numbers | Identify your SIM(s) and the phone number to report in host info |
| Notifications | Show the persistent “gateway running” notification |
| Foreground service | Keep the gateway alive while the screen is off |
Sending and receiving SMS share one Android permission group, so the Start prompt grants both at once. The inbound receiver only becomes active when you are hosting and have a webhook turned on — with no webhook configured, Hiras never touches your inbox.
For a gateway you want to leave running, also allow Hiras to ignore battery optimisation and, optionally, start after reboot (both covered in Configuration).
Next
- Getting started — from Start to your first message.
- Configuration — what you can and can’t change.