Whether you lost your cell phone or just left it at home, there are ways that you can still send text messages without it. How to Text from a Computer Using Email. All you need is a computer and access to a reliable internet connection. Here’s how to send and receive text messages from a Windows or Mac computer.
How to Text from a Computer Using Email
You don’t need your phone to send an SMS (short message service) to another person, as long as you know your recipient’s phone number and their mobile service provider. This is because you will need to send the email to the wireless carrier’s provided gateway.
- Open your web browser and sign in to your email account. You can use any web browser (Safari, Chrome, Edge, etc.) and you can use any email service (Yahoo, Gmail, etc.)
- Compose a new email and type your recipient’s phone number in the “to” box.
- Then append their phone number with the SMS gateway. For example, if your recipient’s mobile number is (123)456-7890 and their service provider is AT&T, you send your message to [email protected]. You can find a full list of SMS gateways in the list below.
- Type in your text message in the body or message box of the email. If your message exceeds 160 characters, it will be broken into multiple text messages.
- Finally, click Send.
If your recipient replies to your text, you can see the message in your email inbox.
Here is a list of wireless service providers in the US, and their corresponding SMS gateway addresses:
- Alltel: @text.wireless.alltel.com
- AT&T: @txt.att.net
- Boost Mobile: @sms.myboostmobile.com
- Sprint: @messaging.sprintpcs.com
- T-Mobile: @tmomail.net
- US Cellular: @email.uscc.net
- Verizon: @vtext.com
- Virgin Mobile: @vmobl.com
If you don’t know your recipient’s wireless carrier, you can look it up at Freecarrierlookup.com, which will give you the SMS address for your recipient’s number.
