How To Send A Text From Gmail

Gmail is a free email service provided by Google. It is used by over 1.5 billions email users as of year 2019. Gmail can be accessed via the web browser or using your mobile app. A very useful service that allows users not just to receive emails but also set meetings, chat and interact with other team members as well used to create to-do list. But did you know that Gmail can also send text messages to a mobile number? Yes you can. In today’s post, let us go through 3 different methods that you can do to be able to send text messages from your Gmail Account.

Send A Text From Gmail

Although sending a text from gmail is not a known feature and many are wondering if you can indeed send a text message via email. Some may ask, why use gmail to send text message? First, there are some individuals who would opt to use their gmail account to send text meessages (while they are already in Gmail) and there are some work place that does not allow mobile phones during working hours that is why most of them uses gmail to send messages using the gmail account.

Method: Use SMS gateway address provided by Mobile Service Carriers

The SMS gateway address from your mobile service provider can be used to send messages using gmail, or any email. Before you can do that, make sure you have the recipients number and gateway addresses on hand.

Here is a lists of SMS gateway address from popular mobile network providers in the US:

• Verizon – [email protected]
• AT&T – [email protected]
• Boost Mobile – [email protected]
• T-Mobile – [email protected]
• U.S. Cellular – [email protected]
• Cricket – [email protected]
• Sprint – [email protected]

If you also want to send Multimedia messaging service (MMS), below are the list of MMS gateway addresses for your reference:

• AT&T – [email protected]
• Boost Mobile – [email protected]
• Cricket – [email protected]
• Sprint – [email protected]
• T-Mobile – [email protected]
• U.S. Cellular – [email protected]
• Verizon – [email protected]

Once you already have the recipients contact number and from the gateway addresses above, here’s how to send text from gmail:

1. Open Gmail account.
2. Log in to your gmail account.
3. Click Compose option. It usually located at the upper left portion of the screen.
4. On the “To”field, add the recipients 10 digit cellphone number and then add the “@” sign followed by the SMS gateway address. For example: [email protected] (for an AT&T number).
5. Fill Subject field (according to one’s preference)
6. Compose your message tand then click on Send

Take note for a gmail SMS, a maximum limit to compose a message is up to 140 characters.

A downside to this method is that before you can send sms messages, you should know the SMS gateway address. Although not all mobile carriers have SMS gateway addresses. Also, sending using the SMS gateway addresses, emojis and email formatting options however if you want to send other than a plain and standard text messages, you can use MMS gateway addresses instead.

Method 2: Use Third Party Service

Since there are more than 2 SMS gateway addresses that needs to be remembered, you may it difficult to remember all of them especially when the recipients are using differnet mobile carriers. And as mentioned, not all mobile carriers have SMS gateway addresses. If this is the case and you want to send text messages via gmail, you can choose third party services that is able to send email to SMS.

An example of a third party service is the TextMagic, a text messaging marketing software that does not only send notification, reminders, confirmations and alerts but also helps users send SMS messages using the Gmail and other mail services as well such as YahooMail.

To send SMS messages via TextMagic, follow the steps below:

1. Register on TextMagic by creating an account.
2. After creating an account, log in to your TextMagic account
3. On left pane, click Services.
4. Select Email to SMS page from the Drop down menu.
5. Select Add allowed emails and then type in your Gmail email address. After doing this step, the next time you send sms messages the sender will be your Gmail email address.
6. When composing a message, in the “to” field type in recipients 10 digit mobile number. Add @ sign and followed by textmagic.com as the SMS gateway address. Example: type this at the “To” field [email protected].
7. Compose and type the message you want to send
8. Click Send to send sms text messages.

If the recipients responds to your message, it will go directly to your Gmail Account. Take note that TextMagic is only limited to specific locations. Due to their policy and mobile network restrictions, TextMagic service cannot provide its service to all locations.

Using TextMagic services also has its limitations. Since TextMagic is only offering free trial to use its service, after the free trial TextMagic charges a fee for every SMS messages you send for US number and different free for sending in other countries. Though receiving messages is free of charge.

Method 3: Use Google Chrome extension

A google chrom extension known as “Send your email to sms” is gaining its popularity as another way of sending email to text message. One good thing about this extension is that it is free of charge available in Chrome web store.

To be able to send text message using the extension, follow the steps below:

1. Install Google chromr extension from Google Chrome web store
2. Log in to your Gmail account to open it.
3. Authorize chrome extension allowing it to access gmail account.
4. Click Compose.
5. Click on the mobile icon, located at the bottom left just beside “send” tab so that you can add cellphone numbers.
6. Type the phone numbers to Google contact list.
7. Type the message you want to send.
8. Click Send after.

Another great feature of this service is its ability to allow users to forward an email message to cellphone number. To do this:

1. Log in to your Gmail account to open it.
2. Click on the mobile icon, located at the upper right corner just beside trash icon.
3. Type in the recipients phone number you want to forward message to, then click Forward as Text message.

Take note that the extensions can only send email messages as sms messaging is limited to only US and Canada based recipients. One more thing, the extension can only send up to 10 SMS messages every month without a fee, more than that a premium plan is available for purchase that allows users to send up to 1,000 messages.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Of all the three methods mentioned here, Google chrome extension is perhaps the most easiest method to send text from gmail address. Aside from it is free, no payment fee required, there is no need to remember and take note of sms gateway addresses and its easy to install it too.

But then again, it all goes down to one’s preferences and choice but whatever the method is it can still send sms messages using your gmail account.