How to Use Gmail to Send SMS Messages (Text)

You can send SMS (text) messages from your Gmail account to cell phones in the United States.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gmail Account

1. Log into your Gmail account. If you do not already have one follow one of the many guides on eHow on obtaining one.

2. 

   Open your Gmail settings by clicking the Settings link in the top right corner. After you've opened the settings page, click on Labs along the top of the yellow border.

3. 

   Scroll down to the "Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat" option. Click Enable, then click Save at the bottom of the page.

4. 

   Type a phone number (including area code) in the box under "Chat" on the left side of the page. Choose the "Send SMS" option.

5. 

   Enter a name for your contact, then choose Save.

6. You may need to wait a moment and/or refresh the page (F5) while Gmail processes the information.

7. 

   Type the contact name your entered earlier into the box beneath "Chat" and choose "Send SMS" - a chat window should now appear in the lower right corner of your window.

8. 

   Type a message to be sent to your contact and press enter.

Tips & Warnings

• Gmail limits the rate at which you can send text messages. If you get a message informing you that "Your message was not delivered. The rate of sending SMS messages is too high." wait a minute and try again.
• Your message will come from a number with a 406 area code (G0O)
• Once you have sent someone a text message from your Gmail account they can reply to that 406 number - it will always be linked to your Gmail account.
• Recipients of text messages sent from your Gmail account may be charged per message by their cellular provider.
• Not all carriers (e.g. Cellular South) are supported by Gmail Lab's SMS feature.

Resources

• eHow: How to Create a Gmail Account
• Gmail Blog: SMS Text Messaging for Chat