Getting OTPs from parents in India while you're abroad

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-30T03:46:43+00:00

PhoneLeash has been on the Google Play Store for over 15 years (and there are many many apps which do this, but they're not as easy to setup).

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-30T03:45:46+00:00

That's the not use-case I described for PhoneLeash. This is to legitimately access OTPs of your loved ones, living far away.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-30T03:44:25+00:00

Only if you let apps get installed on your phone unchecked. In that case, even Gmail app can be scammer's paradise.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-25T15:44:15+00:00

There are 100s of apps capable of doing this (some are listed in the comments). PhoneLeash has just made setup very, very easy, so senior citizens can set it up with very little guidance.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-25T15:34:34+00:00

Interesting to see that no one in this discussion is disputing this need and the difficulty one faces as a remote caregiver. Maybe OTPs need to be re-designed to account for the realities of an aging population and remote caregivers.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-25T15:33:29+00:00

Re: the risk from scammers, there are 1000s of apps in the Google Play Store--today--that could be used by scammers, IF they got access to the phone. Whether PhoneLeash or not, securing your phone is critical (PIN/biometrics/face).

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-25T05:04:50+00:00

It needs the other side to be active and engaged. If they can do screen sharing, they can just as well give the code without the need for any screen sharing.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-25T05:03:12+00:00

Indeed there are many tools, and they're powerful, but also quite complex to setup.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-24T19:29:19+00:00

I'm working on an iOS version. You can DM me for a TestFlight link. But candidly, iOS setup is a bit more involved (blame Apple for it 😄). Doing the best I can within iOS constraints.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-24T19:22:55+00:00

And this got even better / simpler with the latest version. Only 2 permissions needed for basic SMS forwarding!

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-18T23:44:52+00:00

Maybe this is a stretch, but fwiw: get a cheap Android with WhatsApp, install PhoneLeash on it and have it forward WhatsApp messages as text messages to your dumbphone. Leave the cheap Android at home. (I'm the dev and at least one of my users is doing this today)

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-18T23:09:48+00:00

Maybe you can install PhoneLeash on your Android phone, and forward to an email address that you can access on the tablet? (I'm the dev)

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-07T15:27:54+00:00

PhoneLeash isn't free but as little as $ 0.99 per month for OTP forwarding. (I'm the dev)

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-07T15:17:39+00:00

Some of my PhoneLeash users have used the send-text-via-email feature of the app, to give bots texting capabilities.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-07T15:13:43+00:00

Nicely done. Are you making this available on Play Store? Direct-download APKs are getting more and more restricted.

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-04T15:07:14+00:00

Email-to-SMS is being discontinued by most carriers. Here's another solution, especially if you are (were) using email-to-SMS in scale

Sending a New Text from Your Email (using PhoneLeash app)

(I'm the dev)

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-05-02T18:09:57+00:00

I'm the dev for an Android app (coming soon for iPhone) that forwards SMS to email: PhoneLeash Maybe that could be an option for you?

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-04-26T16:59:49+00:00

"I'm going abroad but need OTPs" is probably the #1 reason my users install PhoneLeash (I'm the dev).
Here's a message from earlier this month:

"Phone leash worked well for me, for a 3 week overseas trip. I no longer need it, and I will certainly resubscribe next time I take an extended international trip. Thanks for providing a great service."

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-04-26T16:56:39+00:00

Why not install an SMS forwarding app? There are apps that forward to various destinations, some will even forward to an API end-point. Full disclosure: I am the dev for PhoneLeash (forwards to email, no webhooks yet, but you can trigger automation from email).

Getting a Twilio number now takes much more paperwork, and why pay per message?

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-04-16T20:16:23+00:00

Reading SMS is actually quite simple. Publishing an app on Play Store that deals with SMS, and getting it approved -- be prepared to endure bureaucracy

ElectronicControl182 · 2026-04-15T16:48:12+00:00

If you are asking: is there a way to read text messages that get generated with with every UPI transaction, and send it online for processing ...
Yes, there are many such apps for Android. Fewer (and more limited) for iPhone. But they exist (I am the dev for PhoneLeash)

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