June 30, 2026 · 7 min read
How to get NVR & security-camera alerts as text messages
To get NVR or security-camera alerts as text messages, your recorder sends its alert emails to a service that converts each one into an SMS and forwards it to your phone. Here’s how that works in 2026, the free method that used to do it (and why it stopped), and how to set up the modern version in about ten minutes.
The short version
- Enable your NVR’s email alerts and give it a mailbox to send from.
- Point those alert emails at an email-to-SMS forwarder’s unique address.
- Add the phone numbers that should get the texts. Done.
The old way — and why it broke
For years, the trick was to point your NVR’s email alerts at a free carrier gateway like 5551234567@vtext.com or @txt.att.net. The carrier turned the email into a text at no charge. Between late 2024 and 2025, the major US carriers shut those gateways down — which is why so many camera systems suddenly went quiet. Here’s the full story on the shutdown.
The modern way: an email-to-SMS forwarder
The replacement keeps the same simple idea — your recorder still just sends an email — but adds a service that receives it, cleans it up, and sends a proper SMS over compliant carrier messaging. You need three things:
- A mailbox to send from. Your NVR needs an outgoing email account — a free Gmail or Outlook account with an app password works well.
- A forwarding address. The service (like NVRtxt) gives you a unique inbound address; you set that as your recorder’s email recipient.
- Phone numbers. You add the numbers that should receive the alerts.
Your options, compared
| Method | App required? | Any phone? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer app push | Yes | No | One owner who lives in the app |
| Carrier email-to-text | No | — | Retired — no longer an option |
| Email-to-SMS forwarder | No | Yes | Reliable texts to staff, family, anyone |
| DIY 10DLC SMS API | No | Yes | Developers who want to build it themselves |
Step by step
- Create an endpoint. Sign up for a forwarder and create an endpoint to get a unique inbound address.
- Set up a sending mailbox. Add a Gmail/Outlook account with an app password as your NVR’s outgoing SMTP account.
- Point your NVR at the address. In the recorder’s email settings, set the recipient to your endpoint address and enable email on motion and the events you care about.
- Add phone numbers. Add recipients and send a test. Every alert now arrives as a text.
Which cameras and NVRs work
Just about any recorder with an email-alert feature: Hikvision, LTS, Dahua, Uniview, Reolink, Lorex, Amcrest, ANNKE, Hanwha/Wisenet, Axis, Blue Iris and more. See the step-by-step setup guides for your exact brand.
Frequently asked questions
- Can any security camera send text alerts?
- Almost any NVR, DVR, or IP camera that can send email alerts over SMTP can be turned into text alerts using an email-to-SMS forwarder. Cloud-only cameras that only support the maker’s app may be limited to push notifications.
- Do I need the manufacturer’s app to get texts?
- No — that’s the main advantage of SMS. A text reaches any phone without installing or logging into an app, which is ideal for staff, family, or an answering service.
- Is getting camera alerts by text free?
- Your recorder’s email-alert feature is free, but forwarding to SMS is a paid service because compliant carrier texting (10DLC) has per-message costs. The old free carrier email-to-text gateways have been shut down.
- How fast do the text alerts arrive?
- Usually within seconds of the event — about as fast as the alert email leaves your recorder. Delivery speed depends mainly on your recorder’s email settings and network.
Get camera alerts back on your phone
NVRtxt turns your NVR’s alert emails into clean SMS texts to any phone, over compliant 10DLC messaging. Point your recorder at a unique address and you’re done.