Default Messaging App Requirement
User Control & Data Privacy
SMS2VPS only accesses and synchronizes messages after you:
- Set SMS2VPS as your default SMS app (required by Android OS)
- Accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
- Manually configure your VPS connection details (host, port, username, directory) in the VPS Settings tab
- Explicitly activate synchronization by pressing the "Activate SMS Sync" button
You retain full control over which destinations receive your SMS data, when synchronization occurs, and can disable it at any time from the app settings. No data is transferred automatically without your explicit activation.
Why SMS2VPS Must Be Set as the Default Messaging App
To enable the full functionality of SMS2VPS, it must be set as your phone's default messaging app. This is because the Android operating system allows only the default SMS app to access incoming and outgoing text messages securely and directly. For more details, see Google's official guide on changing your default SMS app .
Important note: Changing the default messaging app does not transfer your existing SMS message history to the new app. Your previous messages remain stored in your original messaging app and can be accessed by switching back to it at any time.
When SMS2VPS is set as the default app, it can receive all incoming SMS messages and, after you manually activate synchronization in the settings, safely synchronize them to your chosen destination – such as your VPS server, Google Drive, or Gmail – in real time.
SMS2VPS cannot access, send, or synchronize any messages unless it is the default SMS app and you have enabled synchronization manually. Without this setting, the app cannot function as intended due to Android OS restrictions.
If at any time you wish to return to your original SMS app, you can switch back from the system settings. Additionally, if you uninstall SMS2VPS, your phone automatically restores the previous default messaging app.
This means you can safely test SMS2VPS without permanent changes to your device's configuration. Note that only messages received after setting SMS2VPS as default will be synchronized – historical messages from your previous app are not automatically included.