don’t know the recipient’s operator? use a website like https://freecarrierlookup.com/ to look it up.
Tip: If you plan to send emails to text frequently, save each email address as a contact so you can easily access them.
2. compose your message
Once you have your recipient’s email address ready, compose your message as you normally would. Please note that the length of your message and attachments will influence whether you send it as SMS or MMS.
sms vs mms
Most carriers have different gateways for sms and mms messages, so make sure you select the right one based on the content of your message.
Not sure which one to choose? An SMS can contain up to 160 characters, while an MMS has no character limit and can include attachments such as images or videos. learn more about the difference between sms and mms.
If your message is longer than 160 characters and you send it through an sms gateway, the carrier will most likely break it into multiple 160-character chunks. use the mms gateway for long messages to avoid this.
3. send your message
When you send a text message from your email, the recipient will see your email address as the sender.
If they reply to the text, you’ll see their reply in your email inbox as a new message. However, messages from SMS gateways can sometimes end up in the spam folder, so be sure to check there if you haven’t received a response.
how to send a text to an email
what happens when you need to send an email but all you have is a cell phone with no email capabilities? even without the email features, the process is still simple.
1. enter an email address as your recipient
In your phone’s text messaging application, enter your recipient’s email address in the recipient field, where you would normally enter a phone number.
2. compose your message
Type your text as you normally would. Your carrier will convert the text message to an email.
3. send your email
once you hit send, the recipient will receive the text message in their email inbox. the sender will be your phone number along with your carrier’s sms or mms gateway domain, as explained above, like 1234567890@txt.att.net.
The recipient will see your text in the body of the email and as a .txt attachment. any media such as photos or videos will be in attachments.
Which method should my business use?
While the above methods are useful for unique situations where you need a quick fix, these are not common methods of communication for businesses for a reason: it’s difficult to scale and automate this type of communication.
For example, you can use the email-to-text method to reach large groups, such as your employees, in an emergency situation. however, unless you already have their email addresses (as well as phone numbers and sms gateways) saved as contacts, it may take a while to collect them.
A better option for businesses is to leverage APIs to create a two-way email-to-sms solution, as we’ll see below.
use twilio for bidirectional email-to-text capabilities
Communicating with customers on their preferred channel is an important part of customer engagement. however, it requires multi-channel solutions. If customers prefer to communicate with your customer service reps via text messages, for example, you’ll need a centralized place for reps to see incoming messages, such as a shared email inbox.
In a use case where sending emails to sms and vice versa is crucial, you’ll need something more robust than the options described above. that’s where apis come in.
Learn how to use the twilio sendgrid and twilio messaging APIs to create a custom two-way email-to-sms solution for your business.
This method can also be useful for non-profit organizations that need to communicate with volunteers or the communities they serve. social impact builders, look no further to scale your reach and impact. twilio.org can help you achieve your goals using digital technology and available financial resources. Get started today at no cost by registering here for Impact Access product credits. eligibility criteria apply.