DIARY: 2016

This may not be news for a lot of people, but I just discovered that you can send text messages via email to most major cellular providers. This tip is stellar in that it is part stupid frugal trick (save money on texting from your cell phone by emailing for free), part productivity (you can probably type faster from a normal QWERTY keyboard than a phone), and part tech geek. You get the three-fer on this one! Here’s how to do it.

How to Send a Text Message (SMS) Via Email:
( Free phone carrier look-up ).

To send a text message via email, you must use a SMS to email gateway.

Just substitute a 10-digit cell number for ‘number’ for each carrier below:

§ AT&T: number@txt.att.net

§ T-Mobile: number@tmomail.net

§ Verizon: number@vtext.com

§ Sprint: number@messaging.sprintpcs.com or

number@pm.sprint.com

§ Virgin Mobile: number@vmobl.com

§ Tracfone: number@mmst5.tracfone.com

§ Metro PCS: number@mymetropcs.com

§ Boost Mobile: number@myboostmobile.com

§ Cricket: number@sms.mycricket.com

§ Nextel: number@messaging.nextel.com

§ Alltel: number@message.alltel.com

§ Ptel: number@ptel.com

§ Suncom: number@tms.suncom.com

§ Qwest: number@qwestmp.com

§ U.S. Cellular: number@email.uscc.net

Sending text messages to email is actually a much easier task.

Making the Most of Texting from Email:

To take this to the next level from a productivity standpoint, I’d recommend creating ‘contacts’ within your email account so that you aren’t constantly looking up all of those cell numbers that you don’t have memorized each time you send an email.

How to Add Cell Numbers for Text Messaging in Gmail Contacts:

In the following example, I’m going to add my mom’s cell to my gmail contacts. Let’s say that her phone provider is Verizon and her number is (555)123-4567. A should be able to set up contacts through most email programs (if you can’t, switch to gmail).

1. Click on ‘contacts’: