# SMS Gateway: how to install the app and pair your phone

- Language: English
- URL: https://calisero.ro/en/developers/knowledge-base/gateway-sms-instalare-si-asociere
- Romanian version: https://calisero.ro/developer/knowledge-base/gateway-sms-instalare-si-asociere
- Published: 2026-10-20; last updated: 2026-10-20
- Summary: How to install the Calisero Gateway app on Android, which permissions it needs, how to pair the phone with the dashboard's QR code and set the SIM and limits.

> **Launching soon.** The Calisero Gateway app is not available yet. [Create an account](https://calisero.ro/en/services/sms-gateway) and we will email you on launch day; this guide describes the steps from then on.

The **Calisero Gateway** app turns an Android phone into an SMS gateway for your account: the messages you send through Calisero — from the API or the dashboard — leave from the phone's SIM card, and the SMS that card receives come back to your account. The service and its prices are presented on the [SMS Gateway](https://calisero.ro/en/services/sms-gateway) page.

The app's screens are in Romanian; the labels below are given in English.

## What you need

- an Android phone, version 8.0 or later;
- an active SIM card whose plan includes SMS;
- an internet connection, over Wi-Fi or mobile data;
- a Calisero account.

A dedicated phone, kept on and on its charger, works best. The gateway only sends while the phone is on and connected.

## 1. Install the app and sign in

Install Calisero Gateway on the phone, open it and tap **Sign in**. Use the same details as in the dashboard; if two-step verification is on, the app asks for the code as well.

If the dashboard is already showing the QR code, you can choose **I have a QR code from the dashboard** instead: the code carries the account, so no sign-in is needed.

## 2. Grant the permissions

The app lists the permissions with the status of each. The required ones are:

- **send SMS** — so messages can leave from the card;
- **read received SMS** — so replies reach your account;
- **phone and SIM state** — so the app sees the cards and the signal;
- **notifications** — for the gateway's permanent notification;
- **no battery restrictions** — so Android does not stop the app in the background.

Access to contacts is optional and only used to save new senders to the address book. **Continue** turns active once every required permission is granted. If you denied a permission for good, the app takes you straight to the phone's settings.

## 3. Pair the phone with your account

In the dashboard, open **SMS Gateway › Devices › Add device**. A QR code and an 8-character code appear on screen.

- **Scan QR**: fit the code inside the frame; pairing starts by itself.
- **Enter the code**: type the code, shaped `XXXX-XXXX`, then tap **Pair the device**.

The code expires after 10 minutes and works once. If it has expired, generate another one in the dashboard.

## 4. Choose the SIM card and the limits

The last step sets up the device:

- **name** — the phone's model by default; you will see it in the list of devices;
- **SIM card** — on a dual SIM phone you choose the card messages leave from;
- **daily limit** — how many SMS the phone may send in a day (500 by default);
- **pause between SMS** — how many seconds it waits between two messages (3 by default).

Carriers may block a card that sends too many messages in a short time, so match the limit to your plan. You can change both at any time from **Settings**.

## 5. Check it and send a test SMS

After **Finish enrolment**, the app shows a summary: the name, the card, the limit and the device ID. Tap **Send a test SMS** to check the route end to end, then **Go to the dashboard**.

From here the gateway runs in the background, with a permanent notification. What comes next — statuses, reports and what to do when the connection drops — is in [SMS Gateway: how it works and what to do when it stops](https://calisero.ro/en/developers/knowledge-base/gateway-sms-functionare-si-depanare).