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Forward every incoming SMS to a Telegram chat or group

Updated

This tutorial is for anyone who rents a private number and wants the whole team to read incoming codes without passing a phone around. By the end, every SMS sent to your number will appear in the Telegram chat or group you choose.

What you need

Steps

  1. Rent a private number

    Open SMS Activate App on the website or in the Telegram bot and choose a country from the ones currently available: Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, Israel, Puerto Rico, Sweden, and United States. The numbers are private, not shared, and each one is rented for 28 days at prices from $8 per rental period. A number receives both SMS and calls.

    Tip: The rental fee is non-refundable, so check that the number fits your platform before you pay.

  2. Open the number's settings

    Once the number is active, open its settings in the same place where you rented it. This is where forwarding and renewal are controlled for that particular number. Keep this page or chat open while you set things up.

  3. Choose a Telegram chat or group as the destination

    In the forwarding options, select a Telegram chat or group as the target for incoming SMS. If you pick a group, add the SMS Activate App bot to that group first so it can post there. Make sure the group is the one your team actually reads.

    Tip: A dedicated group keeps codes separate from general chat and is easier to search later.

  4. Save the forwarding rule

    Confirm the target you chose and save the settings. Incoming SMS to the number are then forwarded to the chat or group you selected. You can also point incoming SMS at a webhook instead, but a Telegram chat is simpler when several people need to read the codes.

  5. Send a test message to the number

    Use a service that lets you trigger a code to the number and watch the chat or group. If the message shows up there, the setup is working. If it does not, work through the troubleshooting section below before the team relies on it.

    Tip: Run the test while the number is still easy to replace.

  6. Keep the balance funded

    Top up the balance by bank card or cryptocurrency whenever it runs low. The rental renews automatically every 28 days while the balance covers the fee, and the number keeps receiving SMS and calls across the renewal. If you would rather stop, switch renewal off in the number's settings.

    Tip: Renewal can be switched off at any time, and the number then ends with the paid period.

Set the forwarding target once and every incoming SMS lands in the chat or group where the team can see it. Keep the balance topped up and the number keeps working across its 28 day renewals.

Open SMS Activate Appsms-activate.app

If something goes wrong

No SMS shows up in the chat or group

Open the number's settings and check that the forwarding target is still the chat or group you expect. In a group, confirm the SMS Activate App bot is a member and allowed to post. Also check the balance, since a number without a covered rental period stops receiving.

The team cannot find the codes

Forwarding goes to one chat or group at a time, so make sure you picked the one the team reads. If the messages need to go somewhere else, change the target in the number's settings, or use a webhook and distribute from there.

The number stopped receiving after a while

Each rental covers 28 days, and renewal happens automatically while the balance covers the fee. A number that stopped usually means renewal was switched off or the balance ran out. Top up and rent again, and check that the new number fits your platform first.

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