🤖 AiTextra — Turn Your Phone Number into an AI Chatbot

Convert your own mobile number into an AI assistant that replies via SMS.

AiTextra is a system that allows your phone number to behave like an AI chatbot. Anyone can send an SMS to your number, and your phone will automatically reply using AI.

---

🌍 What This Project Actually Does

This project does NOT give you a shared AI service.

👉 Instead, it helps you build:

YOUR PHONE NUMBER = YOUR PERSONAL AI BOT

• Your phone receives SMS
• Your backend processes it using AI
• Your phone sends back the reply

---

⚠️ IMPORTANT (READ BEFORE STARTING)

This is a self-hosted system.

👉 You MUST:

• Clone this repository
• Run your own backend
• Use your own API keys
• Connect your own phone

---

🧠 System Overview

User sends SMS
   ↓
Your Phone (SimAPI App)
   ↓
Webhook → Your Backend
   ↓
AI (Gemini)
   ↓
SimAPI
   ↓
Your Phone sends reply

---

📦 Project Structure

AiTextra/
│
├── backend/        ← 🔥 THIS IS THE MAIN PART
│   ├── index.js
│   ├── aiService.js
│   ├── smsService.js
│   ├── memoryService.js
│   └── package.json
│
└── mobile-app/     ← Android APK (SimAPI)

👉 Everything important is inside the backend/ folder

---

🚀 Step-by-Step Setup

---

📥 STEP 1 — Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO.git
cd YOUR_REPO/backend

---

📦 STEP 2 — Install Dependencies

npm install

---

🔐 STEP 3 — Create Your .env File

Inside the backend/ folder, create a .env file:

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key
SIMAPI_KEY=your_simapi_key
PORT=3000

---

🔑 Where to get keys?

• Gemini API → Google AI Studio
• SimAPI Key → SimAPI Dashboard

---

▶️ STEP 4 — Run Backend

node index.js

---

Expected output:

Server running on http://localhost:3000

---

🌐 STEP 5 — Expose Backend (for testing)

Use ngrok:

ngrok http 3000

Copy URL like:

https://xxxxx.ngrok-free.dev

---

📱 STEP 6 — Install SimAPI App

👉 Download APK:

https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_REPO/releases/download/v1.0/simapi.apk

---

🔐 STEP 7 — Give Permissions

Allow:

• Send SMS
• Read Phone State
• Internet
• Background activity

---

🔋 STEP 8 — Disable Battery Optimization (VERY IMPORTANT)

Settings → Apps → SimAPI → Battery → Unrestricted

---

🔑 STEP 9 — Connect Your Phone

1. Open SimAPI app
2. Paste your API key
3. Click Connect

---

✅ Expected:

Device Status: Online

---

📡 STEP 10 — Setup SMS Forwarding

Configure your SMS forwarder:

---

Webhook URL:

https://xxxxx.ngrok-free.dev/webhook

---

JSON Payload:

{
  "sender": "%from%",
  "text": "%text%"
}

---

Headers:

{
  "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

---

🧪 STEP 11 — Test

Send SMS to your phone:

Hello AI

---

🎉 Expected Reply:

Hello! How can I assist you today?

---

🚀 Deployment (Optional)

You can deploy backend on:

• Render
• Railway

After deployment:

https://your-app.onrender.com/webhook

Replace ngrok URL in SMS forwarder.

---

🔐 How API Key Works

The API key connects:

Your Phone ↔ Your SimAPI Backend

👉 Important:

• The backend uses YOUR API key
• Only YOUR phone will send SMS
• This is a single-device AI bot

---

⚠️ Common Mistakes

---

❌ Expecting it to work without cloning

This will NOT work.

👉 You must run your own backend.

---

❌ Wrong API key

Make sure:

Same API key in:
- .env
- SimAPI app

---

❌ No SMS received

Check:

• Device online
• Permissions granted
• Battery unrestricted

---

❌ Slow response

Cause:

• ngrok delay
• free hosting cold start

---

🎯 Final Result

After setup:

Your phone number becomes an AI chatbot

Anyone can message your number → AI replies.

---

💡 Use Cases

• Personal AI assistant
• Rural AI access
• Offline chatbot
• Emergency response systems

---

👨‍💻 Author

Abeer Pathela

---

⭐ Support

If this project helped you, give it a ⭐