If you pay for each text message you send, text internationally, or prefer typing over texting, knowing how to send an SMS message through the Internet can come in handy (and possibly save you money).
E-mail
- Find out which carrier the recipient uses.
- Compose an e-mail with your intended text message in the body.
- Send the e-mail to the e-mail-to-SMS gateway for their carrier. Here are some examples, and the complete list is at the end of this article:
- Sprint Nextel: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com (1234567890@pm.sprint.com for MMS)
- T-Mobile: 1234567890@tmomail.net (SMS and MMS)
- Verizon: 1234567890@vtext.com (1234567890@vzwpix.com for MMS)(limit TXT messages to 150 characters).
- Cricket: 1234567890@sms.mycricket.com (SMS)
- Fido: 1234567890@fido.ca (SMS)
- If you don't know the provider, you could just send it to all carriers. Your text message will only get delivered to the intended recipient's box because the address is based on the phone number which is unique.
- See bottom of this article for a larger list of carriers
Instant Messaging
- Some instant messaging services, like AIM and Yahoo! Messenger, allow you to send instant messages to a cell phone. On AIM, all you need to do is add +1 and then the number in the recipient's name box. For Yahoo! Messenger, just type the phone number into the text box at the top of the window, and hit Enter.
- The built-in chat in Gmail allows text messaging. To use it, click the button settings, then the labs tab, scroll down to "Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat" and click Enable. Then scroll down to the bottom and press save changes. Now, open up a chat window from the chat box. Click the options button on the bottom left and press Send SMS. It will prompt you for a phone number. Currently, this only works for US phones.
Carrier Website
- Go to the website of the carrier of the recipient.
- Look for a form that allows you to send a text message to one of their numbers. You might need to register. Go the website search box or help section and type in "send text message".
Skype
- Download Skype.
- Create an account.
- Purchase Skype Credit.
- On the file menu, select Tools > Send SMS message.
- Choose recipients or enter a number. You can send a text message to any of your SkypeOut contacts or Skype contacts if they have added their mobile number in their profile. You can send the same message to several recipients, but each will be charged separately.
- Send the message. At the bottom, it will say how much the message will cost to send. Take a look at that before you send!
Free Online Services
- Find a website which allows you to send text messages free of charge. This method does not require any setup or downloading on your part, although it may require registration. Examples:
- FreeTXT.ca. (Canada, USA)
- txt2day.com. (Canada, USA, International)
- OnlineTextMessaging (US and some Europe)
- CardBoardFish SMS (UK only)
- IndyaRocks (India only)
- Send2World. (Canada, USA, Taiwan, China)
- ForeverSMS (US only)
- SMS Everywhere (US Only)
- Yakedi (AU and NZ only)
- SMSFree4All (Worldwide)
- SMS Pup(Australia) free if you agree to click on adds sent to your email. Requires you have an Australian mobile phone to register.
- 160by2 (India, Kuwait, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Phillipines, Malaysia, Singapore)
Email to SMS Gateways
Source
Africa
- Emtel (Mauritius) number@emtelworld.net
- Vodacom (South Africa) number@voda.co.za
- MTN (South Africa) number@sms.co.za
Asia
- BPL Mobile (Mumbai, India) number@bplmobile.com
- Airtel (Karnataka, India) number@airtelkk.com
- Mero Mobile (Nepal) 977number@sms.spicenepal.com
- Mobitel (Sri Lanka) number@sms.mobitel.lk
- Dialog (Sri Lanka) number@sms.dialog.lk
Europe
- T-Mobile (Austria) number@sms.t-mobile.at
- Orange Polska (Poland) 9digit@orange.pl
- Meteor (Ireland) number@sms.mymeteor.ie
- Plus GSM (Poland) +48number@text.plusgsm.pl
- T-Mobile (UK) number@t-mobile.uk.net
- BigRedGiant Mobile Solutions number@tachyonsms.co.uk
- YCC number@sms.ycc.ru
North America
- Alltel - [10-digit phone number]@message.alltel.com
- AT&T (formerly Cingular) - [10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net or [10-digit phone number]@mms.att.net (MMS) or [10-digit phone number]@cingularme.com
- Bluegrass Cellular [10-digit phone number]@sms.bluecell.com
- Boost Mobile - [10-digit phone number]@myboostmobile.com
- Nextel (now Sprint Nextel) - [10-digit telephone number]@messaging.nextel.com
- Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel) - [10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com or [10-digit phone number]@pm.sprint.com (MMS)
- T-Mobile - [10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net
- US Cellular - [10-digit phone number]email.uscc.net (SMS) or [10-digit phone number]@mms.uscc.net (MMS)
- Verizon - [10-digit phone number]@vtext.com or [10-digit phone number]@vzwpix.com (MMS)
- Virgin Mobile USA - [10-digit phone number]@vmobl.com
- 7-11 Speakout (USA GSM) number@cingularme.com
- Airtel Wireless (Montana, USA) number@sms.airtelmontana.com
- Alaska Communications Systems number@msg.acsalaska.com
- Bell Mobility & Solo Mobile (Canada) number@txt.bell.ca
- Fido (Canada) number@fido.ca
- Illinois Valley Cellular number@ivctext.com
- Koodo Mobile (Canada) number@msg.koodomobile.com
- Longlines (USA-Midwest) 1+number@mms.longlines.com
- MTS (Canada) number@text.mtsmobility.com
- Nextel (United States) number@messaging.nextel.com
- President's Choice (Canada) number@txt.bell.ca
- Rogers (Canada) number@pcs.rogers.com
- Sasktel (Canada) number@sms.sasktel.com
- Telus Mobility (Canada) number@msg.telus.com
- Virgin Mobile (Canada) number@vmobile.ca
- MobiPCS (Hawaii only) number@mobipcs.net
- MetroPCS number@mymetropcs.com
- Qwest number@qwestmp.com
- Cellular One (Dobson) number@mobile.celloneusa.com
- AT&T Enterprise Paging number@page.att.net
- Cingular (Postpaid) number@cingularme.com
- Helio number@myhelio.com
- Centennial (USA) number@cwemail.com
South/Central America
- Claro (Brasil) number@clarotorpedo.com.br
- Claro (Nicaragua) number@ideasclaro-ca.com
- All Companies (Paraguay)www.buscar.com.py
- Movistar (Colombia) number@movistar.com.co
- Nextel (Argentina) TwoWay.11number@nextel.net.ar
- Personal (Argentina) number@alertas.personal.com.ar
- Setar Mobile email (Aruba) 297+number@mas.aw
Other
- Globalstar (satellite) number@msg.globalstarusa.com
- Iridium (satellite) number@msg.iridium.com
Warnings
- You might be sending the text message free, but if the recipient normally gets charged for receiving messages, those charges will still apply.
