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Download dumbsms

A keyboard for your flip phone — threads, pictures, and group texts, all local. No account, no cloud, no telemetry. macOS and Windows include the desktop app and dumbsms-cli; Linux support is dumbsms-cli only. v0.1.1

Mac OS

Available now
Apple Silicon .pkg · 11.6 MB

macOS 11+ · Apple Silicon recommended, Universal for Intel · includes dumbsms-cli

Windows

Help us QA
x86_64 setup.exe · 12.0 MB

Windows 10+ · x86_64 · includes dumbsms-cli.exe

Linux

Help us QA
amd64 CLI .deb · 2.5 MB

x86_64 · CLI only (command line) · .deb or portable tarball

Install on macOS

  1. Download the main button above — Apple Silicon .pkg on M-series Macs. Hover the ▾ for Universal .pkg (Intel too).
  2. Walk through the installer — agree to the license and confirm installation. It installs the app to /Applications and dumbsms-cli to /usr/local/bin.
  3. Open dumbsms from Applications. If macOS blocks an unidentified developer, right-click the app → Open the first time, or allow it in System Settings ▸ Privacy & Security.
  4. Grant Contacts access when prompted — dumbsms uses it to show names on threads and add numbers locally. Nothing leaves your computer.
  5. Continue with developer mode on your flip phone, then plug in over USB.

On Intel Macs, pick Universal .pkg from the ▾ menu.

Install on Windows

  1. Download x86_64 setup.exe (main button). A portable zip is under the ▾ menu.
  2. Walk through the installer — agree to the license and confirm installation. It installs to Program Files\dumbsms with a Start Menu entry.
  3. If SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher, choose More info ▸ Run anyway. The optional PATH component adds dumbsms.exe and dumbsms-cli.exe to your system PATH.
  4. Launch dumbsms from the Start Menu.
  5. Connecting your phone over USB may require WinUSB / adb drivers. See troubleshooting if the phone isn't detected.
  6. Continue with developer mode on your flip phone, then plug in over USB.

Prefer not to install? Use Portable .zip from the ▾ menu.

Install on Linux (CLI)

  1. Linux currently ships the command-line tool only (no desktop GUI yet). Download the amd64 CLI .deb (main button) and install:
sudo dpkg -i dumbsms-*-linux-amd64.deb sudo apt-get install -f # if dependencies are missing dumbsms-cli doctor

Prefer a portable build? Choose Portable CLI .tar.gz from the ▾ menu, extract it, then run ./dumbsms-cli doctor.

  1. The .deb installs dumbsms-cli to /usr/bin. The companion APK is embedded in the binary — use dumbsms-cli app install after your phone is connected.
  2. Continue with developer mode on your flip phone, then plug in over USB.

dumbsms is free software under GPL-3.0-or-later. Source is available from dumbsms.git on this site.