
Show HN: TextBlast Bulk SMS – Send Personalized Mass Messages Easily - sandoche
https://textblast.learn.uno
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NickBusey
This looked interesting as a way for me to let me friends know about my music
gigs without giant group texts.

I installed the app (on iOS) and tried to send a test, got this popup:
"TextBlast will open your SMS app for each contact and prefill the message and
the contact name, you will have to send and press back after it is sent, the
next message will appear."

While I'm sure this is just an unfortunate limitation imposed by iOS on apps,
and probably a smart one at that, it also makes it nearly useless for it's
proposed use case.

If I have to click two specific small buttons for each message to send, that
would be a pretty large amount of work to send even 100 messages. I have a
hard time actually considering this "Bulk SMS" or "Sending Mass Messages
Easily", the two claims they managed to make in the headline.

Also, minor compared to the first issue, but there is no Search function while
adding contacts to a group.

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joenathanone
I wonder if the same limitation exist on Android? Also wonder if this can work
with Google Voice? What the monetization strategy is? Finally is my contact
list safe?

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sandoche
The same limitation appeared recently on the play store (so it's still
possible to do in Android if I would publish in alternative store). The
monetization is simple: every SMS is sent by your device so the pricing is the
pricing of your network provider. Also if you want to send messages to more
than 10 contacts you need to unlock the premium textblast through an in app
purchase. So yes your contact list is safe. I doesn't work with Google Voice
looks like it's only US based and I am in Europe.

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timwis
Hah, I built a mass text messaging SaaS product called TextBlast in 2012 :P
had the domain TextBlast.org. I've since shut it down but funny coincidence.

~~~
sandoche
Funny fact indeed :)

