It works by combining a web-based messaging platform with an Android app serves as the gateway. The phone and app will forwards SMS to and from mobile phones that don’t have internet.

Pulse SMS remains one very popular app for millions of users on Android, so it’s no surprise that many of those who already installed it run it on Android Auto too.

Look up the carrier SMS gateway for the person to whom you want to send a text message. Cell phone carriers use SMS gateways to forward email messages to cell phones and vice versa.

Although SMS remains the only way to be sure of reaching anyone with a mobile number, in any country, very few apps currently support it. That’s partly due to the age of the protocol, and partly ...