How to Send a Text from Gmail (Step-by-Step Guide)

wondering how to send a text message from gmail?

everyone knows how useful gmail can be. lets you schedule meetings, chat with team members, create to-do lists, and more.

but can you send text messages from gmail?

In this article, I’ll describe three methods you can use to send text messages directly from Gmail.

this article contains:

(click on a link to go to that specific section).

  • how to send a text message from gmail
    • method 1: use the mobile service provider’s sms gateway
    • method 2: use a third-party service
    • method 3: use a chrome extension

    let’s get straight to it.

    how to send a text message from gmail

    gmail used to have an easy process for sending a text message using your gmail address.

    In the labs tab in gmail settings, you can enable text messaging (sms) in gmail chat.

    but that was in 2014.

    Today there are no more labs tabs (renamed to advanced) and the text messaging feature used by the gmail chat window has been removed.

    so how do you send a text message from gmail now?

    I will describe three other methods you can use today to send text messages through gmail:

    • method 1: use a mobile service provider’s sms gateway
    • method 2: use a third-party service
    • method 3: use an extension of chrome

    For each method, I will cover the process step by step and also highlight its limitations.

    method 1: use a mobile service provider’s sms gateway

    For this method, you need to know your recipient’s ten-digit mobile phone number (without the country code) and their sms or mms gateway address >.

    what is an sms gateway?

    sms (short message service) gateways allow a computer to send an sms message to a telecommunications network (for example, verizon, at&t, etc. ).

    These gateways take a message sent through an email client like gmail and route it to a mobile network. the mobile network, in turn, delivers the message to the recipient.

    Similarly, there are mms (multimedia messaging service) gateways for mms messages (messages containing images, audio, and other non-text data ).

    these are the addresses of the sms gateways of the most popular mobile network providers in the us. uu.:

    • verizon – [protected email]
    • t-mobile – [protected email]
    • sprint – [protected email]
    • at&t – [email protected]
    • boost mobile – [email protected]
    • cricket – [email protected]
    • u.s. cell – [protected email]

    and the mms gateway addresses for these providers in the united states are:

    • verizon – [protected email]
    • t-mobile – [protected email]
    • sprint – [protected email]
    • at&t – [email protected]
    • boost mobile – [email protected]
    • cricket – [email protected]
    • u.s. cell – [protected email]

    If you live in the EU, APAC region, or elsewhere, check this list to find the SMS gateway addresses for your mobile network provider. however, please note that the list may not be up to date for some areas.

    once you have the sms gateway address, follow these steps to send a text message from gmail:

    1. log in to gmail.com from your web browser.

    2. Click compose in the gmail inbox main menu (left sidebar) to open the compose window.

    4. Enter your email message and press send.

    Usually there is a 140 character limit for a gmail sms.

    Some systems can automatically split a large message into smaller chunks and send them as multiple texts. however, not all systems offer this capability. some may even turn that message into an mms, which may not be compatible with your recipient.

    To be safe, make sure your text message is less than 140 characters.

    limitations

    some limitations of sending text messages through gmail using sms/mms gateways are:

    • you need to know the recipient’s sms/mms gateway address in advance, and some mobile networks don’t even offer an sms gateway address.
    • nor the option Also, emojis cannot be used if you are sending a message through an sms gateway from gmail.
    • To send something other than plain text, you will need to use an mms gateway and mms gateways are not supported by all mobile carriers.

    method 2: use a third party service

    If you have a large mailing list, remembering each recipient’s sms gateway is next to impossible. And as I mentioned before, some mobile network providers don’t even offer an SMS or MMS gateway.

    In such scenarios, you can opt for third party email to sms services that help you send text messages from gmail.

    one such texting service is textmagic.

    textmagic helps you send text messages via email, have online conversations and more. And in addition to Gmail, it also works with other email service providers like Yahoo.

    Here’s how to get started with textmagic:

    1. register and create an account at textmagic.
    2. log in with your username and password.
    3. navigate to the services section on the left and select the email to sms page.
    4. click add allowed emails and enter your gmail inbox address .

    once done, you can use your email account to send sms via gmail.

    Here’s how to use textmagic to send text messages through gmail:

    1. open gmail and click compose on the main menu.

    2. in the to field, enter the recipient’s 10-digit cell phone number (no country code) followed by “@” and the gateway address of sms textmagic.com.

    for example, this is how you would send a message to [email protected]

    3. Write your message in the body of the text and press send.

    any reply to your text message will be redirected to your gmail account.

    limitations

    although it is an easy to use service, textmagic has its limitations:

    • It is relatively expensive to send mass text messages through textmagic. textmagic charges $0.004 (£0.033) for each message you send using this service to a us number. uu. (price varies by country). however, incoming messages are free.
    • textmagic does not provide email to sms support for all countries. For example, the service is not available in India, China, and South Africa, etc.

    method 3: use a chrome extension

    If you are looking for an easy way to send text messages from gmail, you can opt for a handy email to sms tool like send your email to sms (text). is a free chrome extension available in the chrome web store.

    To use the service, all you need to do is:

    1. Install the extension from the google chrome web store.
    2. Open Gmail and authorize the tool to access your account.
    3. Click compose to send a new message.
    4. click the mobile icon to add phone numbers.
    1. type the phone number or add a number from your google contact list.
    1. now write your message in the body of the email and press send.

    The send your email to sms extension also allows you to forward an email message to a mobile phone number.

    this is how you do it:

    1. open gmail and click the email you want to forward.
    2. click the mobile icon at the top to forward the email as a text message.
    1. Type the phone number you want to forward the message to and click forward as text message.

    once sent, replies to the text will be returned to the sender’s gmail inbox.

    limitations

    here are some limitations when using the send your email to sms (text) extension:

    • You can send emails as text messages only to US-based phone numbers. uu. and Canada.
    • You can send just ten emails as SMS text messages each month for free. to send more, you must purchase a premium plan at $54.99/month for 1,000 messages.

    So which method should I choose?

    All three methods I’ve covered here allow you to send emails as text messages from gmail, and it ultimately comes down to your personal or business needs.

    For the sms gateway method, you need to know the recipient’s sms gateway address in advance. allows a gmail user to send text messages directly from the compose window. The service is free to the sender, but the recipient may be charged for messages received.

    If you wish to use textmagic, you must create a separate textmagic account and it is not free. however, the advantage is that you only need to know the recipient’s 10-digit cell phone number.

    If you want to use the chrome extension, you don’t need to know the recipient’s sms gateway address. however, there is a limit to the number of text messages that can be sent for free.

    what is my final verdict?

    If you ask me, I’d probably go the chrome extension route as it doesn’t require keeping track of confusing gateway addresses and you can send a modest number of sms messages for free.

    Sure, that’s not many messages, but it’s enough if you’re looking to send emails to sms as a backup option for emergencies.

    also, it is very easy to configure. all you have to do is go to the chrome web store, install it and voila!

    And if you’re looking for the best chrome extensions for gmail, why not try one that will optimize your total email marketing experience?

    the best extension to improve your email marketing experience: gmass

    gmass is an email outreach tool that works right inside your gmail inbox. its advanced mail merge features and ease of use make it a popular tool used by employees of large companies like twitter, linkedin, google, and uber.

    Perfect for any gmail user, from churches and smbs to independent entrepreneurs, gmass takes your gmail experience to the next level.

    here’s a quick look at what you’re in for:

    • powerful email personalization: gmass can send personalized emails by automatically customizing the sender name, subject line, message body, and more.
    • Automatic follow-ups: Set up workflows to send automated follow-up emails to increase recipient response rates.
    • Accurate reporting and analytics – Access advanced reports that show core email metrics like unique opens, unique clicks, replies, unsubscribes, and blocks in real time.
    • intelligent email list builder : Create a personalized email list within gmail in seconds.
    • Convenient plugin with gmail mobile app: Access all gmass functionality directly from the application gmail for android devices.
    • custom tracking domains: use your own tracking domains to improve your sender reputation.
    • send Unlimited Emails – Bypass gmail sending limits and send virtually unlimited emails afflictions simply link your gmass account to a third party smtp server or email api provider like sendgrid.

    the best part?

    To use gmass, simply download the google chrome extension, sign in with your gmail account and voila!

    summarizing

    While Gmail no longer has a dedicated SMS messaging feature, you can use the methods I’ve covered in this article to send emails as SMS text messages.

    The method that’s right for you ultimately depends on your needs. The point is that even with tons of advanced features, gmail can’t meet all your requirements as standalone software.

    That’s why you need powerful tools like gmass to enhance gmail’s capabilities. With advanced mail merge and scope features, gmass is a must have for any gmail user.

    Sign up for gmass today and link your gmail account to take your email game to the next level!

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