How Auto TextBack works
Auto TextBack is an Android app. When you miss a call, it automatically sends the caller the SMS you wrote, from your own number.
Set it up in three steps
- Write your message.
- Choose your rules: who gets a reply, cooldown, limits and paused hours.
- Turn it on.
When you miss a call, the app reads the caller’s number from your call log and sends your message as a normal SMS, from your own number through your own operator.
Your settings
- Your message
- You write it, and you decide what it says. It’s stored on your phone.
- On or off
- Auto-replies go out only while it’s on.
- Cooldown per number
- From 5 minutes to 48 hours. The same caller isn’t texted again within your cooldown.
- Daily and monthly limits
- A cap on how many automatic replies go out per day and per month.
- Send auto-reply to
- Everyone, saved contacts only, or unknown numbers only. Calls from anyone else are ignored: no text goes out, and no free reply or limit is used. If a number can’t be matched to your contacts, it’s treated as unknown. The two filters need the optional Contacts permission; if you decline, it stays on Everyone.
- Paused hours
- Times when no automatic replies are sent.
The app also counts the replies sent today, this month and in total.
Three free replies, then a one-time unlock
Your first three replies are free. After that, a one-time unlock through Google Play keeps it working. If a call is missed after your free replies are used up, no reply goes out and the app notifies you instead. This is a single purchase, not a subscription. See pricing.
Permissions, and why
Auto TextBack needs these permissions to detect missed calls and send replies. Without them it can’t work.
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Phone | To notice that a call was missed |
| Call log | To get the number of the missed caller |
| Send SMS | To send your auto-reply |
| Notifications | To tell you when a call was missed but no reply went out because the free replies are used up |
| Contacts (optional) | If you use “Send auto-reply to” to reply to saved contacts only, or unknown numbers only, Auto TextBack checks whether a caller is saved in your contacts. |
| Internet, network state, billing | For the Google Play purchase and the rating process |
It doesn’t use your location, camera, microphone, photos or files.
Good to know
- Your operator charges each reply as a normal SMS. A long message may be split into several SMS parts, each charged separately.
- Sending depends on Android, your device and battery optimization settings, the permissions you grant, network coverage and your operator. Delivery isn’t guaranteed.
- Don’t rely on Auto TextBack for emergency or time-critical messages.