Many people are able to utilize a short message service (SMS) through their mobile phones to send and receive messages. While most of these services charge to send or view messages that have been received, there are a few ways to send free SMS messages. One of the easiest ways is to find a phone service that provides you with free messaging, either in general or to people on the same mobile network. You can also send free SMS messages to people through email, as long as you have access to an email service and know the receiver’s phone number and service provider.
An SMS service allows people to send brief messages to each other through mobile phones and similar devices. These messages typically consist of text with a limited number of characters, though some services may allow audio or pictures to be transmitted as well. If you wish to send free SMS messages, then you will likely need to either find a service provider that offers a package with free messaging or use an email account to send messages to others.
If you are using a phone to send SMS messages, then the rates you are paying are usually established by the company providing you with phone service. Some mobile network providers may have packages available that include free SMS messaging. You may need to pay more for a package that includes free SMS messaging or the service may have restrictions such as a limited number of free messages each month.
There are also some providers that will allow you to send free SMS messages to other people using the same network provider for phone service. You may also be able to find a mobile phone provider that offers free message sending, but charges you to receive messages. On the other hand, if you have access to an email account, then you can usually send free SMS messages to someone as long as you know his or her phone number and the network provider he or she uses for phone service.
Any SMS message you send through email still has to abide by the maximum number of characters allowed by the recipient’s mobile provider. Once you type a message, you simply enter the person’s phone number, including area code but without any punctuation, as the address to receive the email; including a service provider identifier based on the recipient’s network. For example, to send a free SMS message to someone on Verizon Wireless™, you would address the email to “phonenumber@vtext.com” while a message sent to someone on Virgin Mobile™ would go to “phonenumber@vmobl.com.” You should keep in mind, however, that if the recipient replies to the SMS message you sent, the reply will go to your email account, not to your phone.