*Update*: I tried writing a little Python code to read and write from a mailbox, reading worked great, but writing an email had the email disappear to some filter or spam or something somewhere. I've got to figure out where it went, but this is the warning that some people had about not trusting a messaging protocol (email in this case) when you can't control the servers. Messages can disappear.

I read that [Mailgun](https://www.mailgun.com/) might improve this. Haven't tried it yet.

Other alternatives for messages that I haven't tried. My requirement is to be able to send messages and send/receive on my mobile device. I do not want to write a mobile app.

* [Telegram](https://telegram.org/) (OP's system) with [bots](https://core.telegram.org/bots)

* [MQTT](https://mqtt.org/) with server

* [Notify (ntfy.sh)](https://ntfy.sh/)

* Email (ubiquitous)

   * [Mailgun](https://www.mailgun.com/)

   * [CloudMailin](https://www.cloudmailin.com/)

And, links don't format in HN markdown. I did the work to include them, they're staying in.