This may not be news to many people, but you can send text messages via email, for free, to most major mobile carriers. this tip is stellar because it’s part stupid frugal hack (save money on texts from your cell phone by sending emails for free), part productivity (you can probably type faster from a regular qwerty keyboard than on a phone), and part part a technology expert. This article includes step-by-step instructions on how to send text messages via email.
sms vs mms
first an introduction about sms versus mms. sms or short message service is also commonly known as “text message”. With SMS, you can send a message of up to 160 characters to another device. longer messages will be automatically split into multiple texts. most mobile phones support this type of text messaging. using an sms gateway is great if you just want to strictly text someone on a basic text plan.
mms, or multimedia messaging service, can be used to send longer messages and/or images, video, or audio content. it is most commonly used to send a photo taken with a camera phone to another phone. Most new mobile phones with multimedia capabilities support MMS. Due to the added capabilities, it often makes sense to send messages through an MMS gateway if both are available. If the recipient is on a more basic plan and can’t receive the message (eg image or video), they can switch back to an SMS gateway (and choose to send the media in an email).
how to send a text message by email (list of sms and mms gateways):
To send a text message via email, you must use an sms or mms to email gateway (email address). just substitute a 10-digit cell phone number for “number” for each carrier below:
- at&t: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
- boost mobile: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] ( mms)
- c-spire: [email protected]m
- consumer cell phone: [email protected]
- cricket: [email protected] (sms), [email protected ] (mms)
- google fi (fi project): [protected email] (sms and mms)
- metro pcs: [protected email] (sms and mms )
- mint mobile: [email protected]mailmymobile.net (sms)
- page plus: [email protected] (sms), [email protected] (mms)
- red pocket: red pocket uses at&t or t-mobile (for gsm sims) & verizon for cdma view information for those providers.
- republic wireless: [email protected] (sms)
- simple mobile: [email protected] (sms)
- sprint: [ email protected ] (sms), [email protected] (mms)
- t-mobile: [email protected] (sms and mms)
- ting: [email protected] (sms for cdma ), [email protected] (sms for gsm)
- tracfone: [email protected] (mms)
- u.s. cellular: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
- verizon: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
- virgin mobile : [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
- visible: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
- xfinity mobile: [protected email] (sms), [protected email] (mms)
If your provider doesn’t have a gateway address listed here, most providers use one or more of the 5 largest networks in the US. us: at&t, sprint, t-mobile, u.s. cell phone and verizon t-mobile recently bought sprint, but the sprint network is still active. if a carrier isn’t listed here, you can find out what network that carrier is using (usually listed in the cellular network settings on the phone) and try the previous gateways for those networks. at&t and t-mobile are used for gsm and sprint phones, u.s. cellular and verizon are used for cdma phones.
make the most of text messages from email
To take this to the next level from a productivity standpoint, I’d recommend creating “contacts” within your email account so you’re not constantly searching for all those cell phone numbers you haven’t memorized each time. you send an email.
how to add mobile numbers for text messages in gmail contacts:
In the following example, I am going to add my mother’s cell phone to my gmail contacts. Let’s say your phone provider is Verizon and your number is (555)123-4567. you should be able to set up contacts through most email programs (if you can’t, switch to gmail).
1. go to contacts.google.com:
2. click the “create contact” button (upper left corner):
3. Put in contact’s ‘name’ and the word ‘cell’ to clarify between email and cell contacts in both the “First Name” and “Nickname” (under “Show More”) fields: 
4. when composing a new text message in gmail, just write the new contact, enter your text and send!
what about texting to email (instead of texting from email?
Email texting instructions are much easier than sending text messages from email, and there are many uses for it.
text messages via email topics
- what texting productivity tips have you found helpful?
- have you discovered other ways to save on texting?
- are there any providers that may have you lost?
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