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Work · April 21, 2023

TxtNet Browser – Browse the Web over SMS, No Wi-Fi/Mobile Data Needed

Hello all, This is my second year of working on a project[1] with the goal of browsing the web, on an Android smartphone, without reliance on Wi-Fi or mobile data. While this concept might seem aimless, my goal was to provide a way for people in areas with limited, expensive, or censored cellular internet access a way to view the web in a basic format. I finished work on a basic client-server model last year[2], and this year, I implemented a new pseudo-distributed peer-to-peer model that allows any TxtNet Browser user to use their own smartphone to run a background server service that…

TxtNet Browser – Browse the Web over SMS, No Wi-Fi/Mobile Data Needed launched on April 21, 2023 with 234 votes, #109 of 4,853 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 3 years on.

Visit github.com ↗Alternativestop 2% of April 2023

In plain words

TxtNet Browser is an Android app that enables web browsing over SMS without requiring Wi-Fi or mobile data. Designed for users in areas with limited, expensive, or censored internet access, it displays web content in basic text format. The app uses a peer-to-peer model where users can run a background server on their smartphones to relay web requests through SMS, potentially reducing costs compared to traditional data services with an unlimited SMS plan.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

An app that lets you browse the web over SMS. Contribute to lukeaschenbrenner/TxtNet-Browser development by creating an account on GitHub.

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hello all, This is my second year of working on a project[1] with the goal of browsing the web, on an Android smartphone, without reliance on Wi-Fi or mobile data. While this concept might seem aimless, my goal was to provide a way for people in areas with limited, expensive, or censored cellular internet access a…

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