How to Send Free SMS Using Gmail

Your recipient may incur charges for the text messages you send.

There are many reasons why people choose specific email providers, including Gmail. If you are a Gmail user, one of the benefits of using your account is the ability to send free text messages to U.S. phone numbers. If you pay for text messaging, this can help you send additional text messages without incurring extra charges. Nonetheless, Google imposes a quota on the number of text messages you can send under this feature. As of July 2010, you can send up to 50 text messages. The quota deceases as you send or receive text messages.

Instructions

1. Log in to your Gmail account, click "Settings" and then select "Labs."

2. Select the "Enable" radio button under the "SMS in Chat gadget" and "Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat" sections, respectively, and then click the "Save changes" button at the bottom of the page.

3. Return to your Gmail inbox and then type the phone number you would like to send an SMS to under the "Send SMS" field located on the left hand corner of the page and then hit "Enter" on your keyboard.

4. Type the name of the SMS recipient in the "Contact Name" field and then click "Save." A dialog box opens in the right hand corner of the page.

5. Enter the message you would like to send in the chat applet and then send the SMS by hitting "Enter" on your keyboard. You have successfully sent a free SMS using your Gmail account.

References

• My Digital Life: Receive and Send Free SMS (Text Messanges) in Google Gmail Chat
• Gmail Blog: Really new in Labs this time: SMS Text Messaging for chat
• Gmail: SMS quotas in Chat

Resources

• Gmail Help: What can we help you with?
• Gmail Help: Replying to SMS messages