FAQ
Frequently asked, plainly answered.
The questions skeptical visitors are silently asking. If yours isn't here, write to us.
Does Relay actually read my texts in the background?
No. iOS doesn't allow any app to read SMS in the background. Relay receives a message only when Apple's Shortcuts app hands one to it via a Personal Automation you set up during onboarding.
What happens to my messages? Where do they go?
Messages go directly from your iPhone to the destination you chose, like a Telegram chat, email inbox, webhook, etc. Nothing is logged on Relay's side, with one exception: the optional “Quick Setup” Telegram bot relays your message body through our server during delivery, then drops it. We never store message contents.
Do you collect analytics or sell data?
No analytics, no tracking, no ad SDKs, no data sales. Ever. We're a paid app, you're not the product.
Can I forward to my Mac or laptop?
Yes, via email, Telegram (which has a Mac app), or WhatsApp Web. There's no native macOS app yet.
What's the difference between “user-owned Telegram bot” and “Quick Setup”?
User-owned: you create your own bot in BotFather; messages never touch our server. Quick Setup: faster pairing, but message bodies transit our Railway backend in flight (not stored). Both are end-to-end encrypted in transit (HTTPS).
Why does Relay need an Apple Shortcut? That seems clunky.
It's the only Apple-permitted way for an iOS app to learn that a new SMS arrived. Once set up (60 seconds), it runs invisibly forever.
Why is my forwarded message delayed?
iOS gives Shortcut automations a ~30-second background window. Most forwards arrive in 1–3 seconds. Delays usually mean the destination service (Telegram, your email server, etc.) is slow. Relay surfaces failures in the Activity screen.
Does Relay work on iPad?
It runs on iPad, but iPad doesn't receive SMS unless your iPhone is paired and “Text Message Forwarding” is on in iOS Settings.
What if I want to stop Relay from working?
Delete the app, or disable the Personal Automation in the Shortcuts app. Both immediately stop all forwarding.
Is this open source?
Not at launch. We're keeping the option open for the iOS app once we're past v1.0.