Along with the spread of cell phone use, text messaging has become an increasingly popular way for people to stay in contact. These brief messages are limited to 160 characters, but reduce the need to go through a full phone call to exchange quick bits of information. Texts are typically transferred from one cell phone to another, but it's also possible to text someone via an email.

Finding the Address

You need two bits of information to send a text message via email. The first is the intended recipient's 10-digit phone number and the second is their carrier, or which cell phone service they use. Plug this information into the appropriate email format from the following list, creating a personalized address for them, and send them the desired message. For example, if you were trying to reach your friend who used T-Mobile and whose number was 777-555-1234, you would send an email to 7775551234@tmomail.net. The formats are as follows: Alltel: phonenumber@message.alltel.com AT&T: phonenumber@txt.att.net CellularOne: phonenumber@mobile.celloneusa.com Cingular: phonenumber@cingularme.com Nextel: phonenumber@messaging.nextel.com Omnipoint: phonenumber@omnipointpcs.com Qwest: phonenumber@qwestmp.com Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com

Making Contact

Be sure to keep the message short, as a long message might cost your recipient extra money, depending on their text-messaging plan. He can respond to you by replying to the text message like normal. For him, it won't be to a phone number or saved contact but to a specific email address--or example, jane.doe@email.com. You will then receive his text to you as an email in your inbox. A way to check if it worked is to send a brief initial message asking him just to reply as soon as he gets the message. When he responds, you know you've successfully sent a text message via email.

Source:

"How Do Cell Phones Work?;" Hantula, Richard; 2009