QNAP NAS text alerts: email-to-SMS setup
QNAP's Notification Center emails alerts for disk, volume, backup, and system events. Add your EmailToTxt address as the recipient and critical NAS events become texts.
What you’ll need
- An EmailToTxt account and an endpoint (created in step 1).
- A mailbox for the device to send from — a free Gmail/Outlook account with an app password works.
- Access to your QNAP NAS settings (web interface, app, or local console).
- The phone number(s) that should receive the texts.
- 1
Create your EmailToTxt endpoint
In your EmailToTxt dashboard, add an endpoint and choose the “generic” template. EmailToTxt generates a unique inbound address for it, like
server-room-a1b2c@alerts.emailtotxt.com. - 2
Set up an email account to send from
EmailToTxt receives your alert emails, but your device still needs a mailbox to send from. The simplest option is a free, dedicated Gmail or Outlook account with an app password — most NVRs can’t do modern sign-in, and an app password works around that. You only set this up once and can reuse the same sending account across every recorder and endpoint.
Provider SMTP server SSL port STARTTLS port Gmail smtp.gmail.com 465 587 Outlook.com smtp-mail.outlook.com — 587 Microsoft 365 smtp.office365.com — 587 Yahoo Mail smtp.mail.yahoo.com 465 587 Tip: turn on 2-Step Verification for the account, then generate an app password and use that 16-character value as the SMTP password — typed without the spaces Google shows (they’re display-only, and some recorders reject them). Use the account’s full email address as the user name. - 3
Configure QNAP NAS email (SMTP) settings
QTS / QuTS hero: Notification Center → Service Account and Device Pairing → E-mail → add an SMTP service account.
- Configure your sending mailbox (e.g. smtp.gmail.com, 465 SSL or 587 STARTTLS, authentication with an app password).
- Older firmware keeps this under Control Panel → Notification → E-mail instead.
- 4
Turn on email for the events you want texted
Notification Center → Notification Rules → create an event rule → severity (Warning/Error) → send to E-mail → recipient = your EmailToTxt endpoint address.
- Scope the rule to Warning + Error severities so informational events stay out of your texts.
- 5
Set the recipient to your EmailToTxt address and send a test
Set the device’s recipient/receiver to your EmailToTxt endpoint address, then use the built-in Test button (or trigger a test event). The email should reach EmailToTxt within seconds — you’ll see it appear in your Activity log.
- 6
Add phone numbers and confirm delivery
In EmailToTxt, open the endpoint and add the phone numbers that should receive alerts in E.164 format (for example
+15555550123). Trigger a real event and watch the Activity tab — each alert is logged as received → parsed → sent. Recipients can reply STOP to opt out anytime.
What the text looks like
EmailToTxt reads the alert emails QNAP NAS sends and pulls out the event and key details, so your phone gets a single clean line instead of a full email.
The alert email
Subject: [NAS Name] Disk S.M.A.R.T. warning
Server Name: NAS-01 Event: [Disk 3] S.M.A.R.T. warning: attribute exceeds threshold.
The text you receive
EmailToTxt
Delivered · now
QNAP NAS text alerts: FAQ
- Notification Center says the email was sent but nothing arrives — why?
- Send a test from the service-account screen first. If the test works but rules don't fire, the rule's severity filter or event category usually doesn't match the event — widen it to Warning + Error across System and Storage.
Other setup guides
Ready to text your QNAP NAS alerts?
Create an endpoint, paste the address into your recorder, add your number.