Topic Keywords: Android, GSM modem, LTE modem, NowSMS Cloud

This document provides an overview of installation options for the NowSMS Modem App for Android. The NowSMS Modem App allows an Android phone to be used by a NowSMS server as a type of GSM modem.  This allows NowSMS to send and receive SMS and MMS messages through one or more Android phones.

Detailed Quick Start Guides are available here.

The NowSMS Modem App can be downloaded directly from the NowSMS website.

Installation via NowSMS Website

Step 1: It is necessary to configure the Android Device to allow applications from unknown sources. This allows the application to be downloaded directly from the NowSMS web site.

The location of this setting varies depending on the Android version and a variety of user interface differentiations from different device manufacturers. We recommend searching in the Settings app for Unknown. This setting is usually found as Unknown Sources or Install Unknown Apps.

On older Android devices, it is usually found as Unknown Sources under Security Settings.

Android will display a caution message about the security implications of installing applications that have not been verified by Google. This setting must be accepted to enable the setting.

We recommend that the Android phone running the NowSMS Modem software should be dedicated to that task and not be used for other applications, to minimize the risk of enabling this setting. This setting may be disabled after the NowSMS Modem application is installed.

More recent versions of Android show this setting as Install Unknown Apps. Here you must give permission to another app, such as a web browser, to allow it to Install Unknown Apps. For the example shown here, we will download the app from the NowSMS website using Chrome as the web browser, so we must give this permission to Chrome.

Step 2:

Open the web browser or Chrome on the device, and enter the direct download URL for the app: https://nowsms.com/app, or go to the NowSMS website at https://nowsms.com, where the menu on the mobile website includes a link to download the app.

Some versions of Android will warn that this type of file may be harmful and require you to select OK before downloading the application.

The NowSMS Modem App is contained in a file named NowSMSModem.apk.

Most recent versions of Android will display a link to open this file.

If the open link does not work, or no option to open the app is displayed, the easiest way to locate the download is to swipe down from the top of the screen where it will be shown in system notifications. Press on the notification to begin the install.

If the download does not appear as a notification, go to Applications and use the Downloads app to locate NowSMSModem.apk.

Step 3: Complete the installation of NowSMSModem.apk by allowing the requested privileges.

It may be necessary to press Next or scroll down before the Install option is presented.

Open the App after it is installed.

Step 4: Refer to the Quick Start Guide for the NowSMS product edition that you are using for information about configuring the link between the app and your NowSMS server.