Decaf

Keep your iPhone at home, and get important texts on a second phone

iPhone · $20 once · made by us

Made by us, the studio behind this guide.

What it does

A Mac app that relays important iMessages to a second phone, like a Light Phone, a flip phone, or an old iPhone with only the apps you need. Reply by texting back, and your replies go out from your own number.

Cost

$20 once, after a 14-day free trial. Optional Plus, $4 a month.

Works on

A Mac that stays awake and online, your iPhone at home with Text Message Forwarding on, and a second phone with a number of its own.

How to set it up

About 10 minutes, with both phones in hand.

How firm is it

As firm as leaving your iPhone at home. Your apps stay there, and only important texts reach your second phone.

What the evidence says

No study has tested Decaf or any text relay. We make it, so keep that in mind.

Next step

Decaf makes it realistic to try a minimalist phone without losing iMessage. The next chapter covers the phones it works with.

Checked October 2026 · Source