Sending a text message from an email account is a simple process that connects email and SMS or MMS communication. You can send a text message directly to a phone number from your email client by following a few steps. This method is useful when you don’t have access to a cell phone. It works by using a specific gateway address that varies depending on the recipient’s mobile carrier, allowing the email to be converted into a text message.
This can be an alternative means of communication when traditional texting is not possible. It’s especially handy for people who find typing on a full keyboard easier or need to manage communications from a single platform. Although sending a text via email is easy and requires minimal technical knowledge, it’s important to understand the correct format and gateway information for the recipient’s carrier.
Sending a text message from an email is possible by using a mobile carrier’s email-to-SMS gateway. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
Step By Step Guide
Sending a text message from your email might seem unusual, but it’s a simple way to reach people if you don’t have the ability to send a text. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Find the Recipient’s Carrier
The trickiest part is figuring out the person’s cell phone carrier (like AT&T, Verizon, etc.). You might need to ask them directly.
The most crucial step is knowing the recipient’s mobile phone carrier (e.g., T-Mobile, Verizon, AT&T) and its specific email-to-SMS gateway. This gateway is a special email address format that mobile carriers use to convert emails into text messages.
Here is a list of common U.S. carriers and their respective gateways. The format is [10-digit phone number]@[carrier's gateway]:
- T-Mobile:
[number]@tmomail.net - Verizon Wireless:
[number]@vtext.com - AT&T:
[number]@txt.att.net - Sprint:
[number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com - U.S. Cellular:
[number]@email.uscc.net
Keep in mind that some carriers have separate gateways for SMS (text only) and MMS (multimedia messages with images or videos), so be sure to use the correct one.
Step 2: Find the Carrier’s Gateway Address
Each carrier has a special email address for sending texts. Here’s a table of some of the most common ones:
Carrier To Email Address Lookup List
| Wireless Carrier | Email To SMS Domain |
| AT&T | @txt.att.net |
| Boost Mobile | @myboostmobile.com |
| Cricket | @mms.cricketwireless.net |
| MetroPCS | @mymetropcs.com |
| T-Mobile | @tmomail.net |
| U.S. Cellular | @mms.uscc.net |
| Verizon Wireless | @vtext.com |
Use the Format PHONENUMBER@SMSDOMAIN To Generate The Email Address. No dashes in the phone number.
Example
The way to generate the email address is PHONENUMBER@SMSDOMAIN, so as an example let’s say you’re trying to text your friend Mary who is on T-Mobile and has the phone number 123-456-7890.
Phone Number: 1234567890
Email Domain: @tmomail.net
The email address you would be sending to would be: 1234567890@tmomail.net
Important: MMS addresses let you send pictures and videos too!
Step 3: Write Your Email
Open your preferred email service (like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo Mail) and start a new email message.
Type your message in the body of the email. For a standard text message (SMS), keep your message concise, as some carriers have character limits (often around 160 characters). If you exceed the limit, the message may be split into multiple texts. You can leave the subject line blank, as it may appear awkwardly at the beginning of the text.
- In the “To” field, put the person’s 10-digit phone number, followed by the right gateway address.
- Write your message in the email body. Keep it short – text messages have limits!
- No need for a subject line
In the “To” field, type the recipient’s 10-digit phone number, followed by the “@” symbol, and then their carrier’s gateway address. Do not include any dashes, spaces, or country codes in the phone number.
Example: To send a text to a Verizon Wireless user with the phone number 555-123-4567, you would address the email to 5551234567@vtext.com.
Step 4: Hit Send
Your email will go to the carrier and arrive on their phone as a regular text message. They can reply to the text, and you’ll see it in your email inbox!
Key Takeaways
- Email can be used to send SMS or MMS text messages.
- Knowledge of the recipient’s carrier gateway address is essential.
- The process is efficient for keyboard users and centralizes communication.
Understanding Email-to-SMS/MMS Communication
When you want to send messages directly from your email to a phone, you’ll need to understand a few key concepts. These include gateway addresses and the correct message formats.
Identifying Carrier Gateway Addresses
Each mobile carrier has a unique email gateway through which SMS and MMS messages can be sent. To send an email as a text, you need to know the recipient’s phone number and their carrier’s gateway address. This address is different for carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Alltel, and Boost Mobile. For Verizon, for example, an SMS gateway address might be formatted as ‘phonenumber@vtext.com‘, where ‘phonenumber’ represents the 10-digit phone number of the recipient. One way to find out the correct gateway domain is to visit websites like freecarrierlookup.com.
| Carrier | Gateway Address |
|---|---|
| AT&T | [10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net (SMS) or [10-digit phone number]@mms.att.net (MMS) |
| Verizon | [10-digit phone number]@vtext.com (SMS) or [10-digit phone number]@vzwpix.com (MMS) |
| T-Mobile | [10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net |
| Sprint | [10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com (SMS) or [10-digit phone number]@pm.sprint.com (MMS) |
Formats for Email-to-SMS and Email-to-MMS
When converting email to text, keep in mind that standard text messages (SMS) are limited in length. They usually allow for up to 160 characters. Anything beyond this may be broken into multiple messages or converted into a multimedia message (MMS). To create an email that will be sent as an SMS, enter the recipient’s gateway address in the email’s “To” field. An MMS requires including an MMS gateway address, which is also specific to the carrier, and may differ in format from the SMS gateway. For MMS, you can typically include images, video, or audio content along with the text.
Sending an email as an SMS or MMS provides a simple way to reach someone directly on their mobile device from your email account, using their unique carrier gateway addresses and keeping your messages within the character limits.
Frequently Asked Questions
This section addresses common inquiries about sending texts from email, offering clear steps and solutions.
What are the steps to send a text message to a mobile phone using email?
To text a mobile phone from email, log into your email account and open a new message. In the ‘To’ field, type the recipient’s 10-digit phone number followed by the ‘@’ symbol and the carrier’s SMS gateway domain. For example, 1234567890@carrierdomain.com. Then, write your message and hit send.
How can one send a text message from an email account without knowing the recipient’s carrier?
If you don’t know the recipient’s carrier, you can’t directly send an email to text. However, services like text messaging APIs or third-party applications can help. They convert emails to SMS without needing the carrier’s information.
What is the process for sending an email as a text to an iPhone specifically?
For iPhones, compose your email and send it to the recipient’s number at mms.att.net for AT&T users, pm.sprint.com for Sprint, or the relevant domain for their carrier. The email will be received as a text message on their iPhone.
What method should be used to send a text from an email to a T-Mobile phone number?
For T-Mobile users, create an email and send it to the recipient’s 10-digit phone number followed by @tmomail.net. The recipient will get your email as an SMS.
Is there a software or application that can convert emails to text messages?
Yes, there are multiple applications and software solutions that can convert emails to SMS. These services typically offer APIs that enable users to send text messages from their email accounts.
Where can I find a comprehensive list of carrier domains for sending emails to text?
A comprehensive list of carrier domains is typically found on mobile carrier sites or through online search. Some services also provide updated lists of these domains to use when composing your email-to-SMS messages.
