SMS-TTS-Notify — Troubleshooting

decision-tree diagnostics · raw txt · 2026-03-19

Tree A: App is not reading messages aloud

Answer each in order. Stop at the first match.

Is the app turned ON?

Dashboard button must show green (active). Orange/gray = OFF.

Tap START / large ON button on the Dashboard.

Is a headset connected?

App NEVER plays through phone speaker. Wired, Bluetooth, or bone-conduction required.

Connect headset BEFORE the next SMS arrives. Send a test SMS.

Is the phone in Silent, Vibrate, or DND mode?

App respects system audio mode. No TTS in silent/DND.

Set phone to Ring mode. Turn off DND.

Is the mute button orange?

Orange = TTS paused. Messages logged but not spoken.

Tap mute button to turn it green (active).

Is Whitelist enabled?

Settings → Whitelist: if switch is ON, only matching messages are read. All others are silently blocked.

Check that sender or body matches a whitelist keyword. Or disable Whitelist for testing.

Is the sender on the Blacklist?

Settings → Blacklist: if sender name or number is listed, messages are blocked.

Remove the sender from the Blacklist.

Check the Live Log Console (LLC)

Dashboard → scroll down to Live Log Console. Does your test SMS appear?

YES — app received it. TTS issue. Re-check steps 2–6.
NO — app did not receive the SMS. Continue to Tree B.

Tree B: App is not receiving SMS at all

Check Notification Access (most common cause)

Android Settings → Apps → Special app access → Notification access → SMS TTS Notify = ON

Enable it. Then open app and tap START again. Note: OS updates sometimes reset this automatically.

Check which SMS app you use

Supported: Google Messages, Samsung Messages, AOSP Messaging, OnePlus Messages (legacy), Sony Xperia Messages, Honor Messages.

Switch to Google Messages or Samsung Messages if using something else.

Is your phone manufacturer killing the app?

Symptom: works at first, stops after 10–30 min of screen-off, or after restart. Affects Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, OPPO, OnePlus.

See OEM Battery Settings section below for your brand. Or: Settings → Status Card → OEM Battery Limits → START SETUP.

Android 13+ Restricted Settings (sideload only)

If installed outside Google Play, Android may block special permissions.

Settings → Apps → SMS TTS Notify → Allow restricted settings → Enable. Then re-grant Notification Access.

OEM Battery Settings

Recommended first step: Open app → Settings → Status Card → OEM Battery Limits → tap START SETUP or RESUME SETUP. Manual steps below if wizard is not available.

For detailed OEM steps, see the Setup Guide → Section 2 or visit dontkillmyapp.com.

Specific Error Scenarios

I hear nothing, but app is ON and headset is connected

Check Silent/DND mode (most common after shift change)
Check mute button — orange = muted, tap to unmute
Send test SMS and watch Live Log Console
No entry in log → Notification Access is off (Tree B, Step 1)
Entry shows BLOCKED → Whitelist is filtering it (Tree A, Step 5)

App was reading, stopped after 15-30 minutes

Cause: OEM battery optimization killed the background service
Fix: Apply OEM battery settings for your phone brand (see Setup Guide)
If service notification disappears from status bar: open app and tap START

App worked yesterday, stopped after phone restart

Check Autostart permission (Xiaomi/Huawei/Honor/OPPO users)
Check Notification Access — OS updates sometimes reset this
Open app and tap START manually

App stopped working after an Android update

Re-grant Notification Access: Settings → Apps → Special app access → Notification access → ON
Re-apply OEM battery exemption for your phone brand
Open app, confirm service is ON (green button)

I hear SmartSummary but not individual messages

This is correct behavior. SmartSummary plays on headset reconnect, unmute, or after call ends
Individual messages during the silent period were logged but not spoken
Check the Live Log Console for the full list

TTS stops mid-message and does not resume

Cause A: Phone call interrupted. SmartSummary plays ~1.5s after call ends.
Cause B: Headset disconnected. Reconnect headset → SmartSummary plays. Mute button correctly reflects state after reconnect.
Cause C: ShakeIt triggered. Next message will play normally.

Headset button (play/pause) does not stop TTS

Known Android limitation: if another media app is active, Android routes the button to that app
Fix: pause or close other media apps. Or use ShakeIt (shake phone) to stop TTS

App works on old phone but not on new Xiaomi/Huawei/OPPO

OEM custom Android layers kill background apps aggressively on new devices
See Setup Guide → Section 2 for your manufacturer
This is the second most common issue after Notification Access

What to include when asking for help

Phone model and Android version (e.g. "Samsung Galaxy A52, Android 13")
Which SMS app you use (Google Messages, Samsung Messages, or other?)
What appears in the Live Log Console when test SMS is sent
Whether the app service notification is visible in the status bar
What color the mute button shows (green = active / orange = muted)

Contact: sms-tts-notify@aialertbuddy.com