10 Sites To Send Free Text Messages To Cell Phones (SMS)

With SMS messages becoming a key utility in today’s modern world, we are finding ourselves sending more and more of them. But the telecommunications industry is charging a fairly high price on 160 characters. So what can we do about it?  We can send SMS messages for free, or for a very low price by utilizing the magic power of the internet.
The only downside with this is that you have to be sitting in front of a computer, unless of course you have one of those hi-tech phones with internet capabilities.
So where are these free SMS services hiding?  We’ll expose them now. Here are 10 great sites to send free text messages to cell phones (SMS).

Yakedi

If you are anywhere but in Australia and New Zealand, unfortunately this service will not work for you. But if you are, Yakedi is absolutely the BEST free site to send SMS messages to Australian and New Zealand users. I have been using this site for years now. When I first joined, they offered unlimited free SMS messages. Unfortunately, they reduced it down to 10, now it is a steady 3 per day.
Pros

• You get the full 160 character for each SMS you send
• The messages come from your phone number and not someone else’s
• You have a contact list so you can select contacts
• Their is no advertisements in SMS messages. However, you do have the otion to include advertisements in your messages
• Since I have been using this service, they have not sent spam to my mobile phone, or to the people I send the text messages to
• The website has a nice, clean, professional design
• Ads are chosen based on surveys of your interest, so you know the ads are targeted towards you
• Ads are from known corporations (could be a pro or a con)
• All messages are kept in your message log so you can keep track of what you have sent (and how much money you have saved)
• You have the ability to earn more free text messages through competitions and email promotions
• You can change your mobile number anytime
• SMS messages take roughly 5 seconds to receive

Cons

• This service can only send SMS messages to Australian and New Zealand numbers
• By default, you can only send 3 SMS messages per day, unless you have won more from promotions
• They are starting to introduce email promotion = a little bit of spam in your inbox (1-2 a month)
• There is a four step process to send your SMS. (1. Send SMS, 2. select recipient, 3. Write text message, 4. Confirm message)

Final Say
If you live in Australia and New Zealand, this is the best site for you to send free text messages to cell phones on a daily basis.

GizmoSMS

The good thing about GizmoSMS is that you can send free text messages to any number world-wide. You do not even have to sign up or have a mobile phone number. It is just a web-based form. But without signing up, the mobile number it is from will not be yours and you only get 80 characters.
GizmoSMS is great if you want to send a message or a note to someone who may be overseas. It is quick and easy. If you want a bit more features, you should have a look at Gizmo5 SMS.

SMS Pup

A friend referred me to this program, however, it is not as good as Yakedi as you will see why in the pros and cons.
Pros

• Contains an phone book
• Messages come from your number
• SMS messages take roughly 5 seconds to receive
• Contains a number of other services
• You can schedule your SMS messages
• Provides a number of ways to send free text messages to cell phones such as through the web, email and allows you to turn English text into SMS slang

Con’s

• You have to do a one minute survey before you can start using the service, which gives you 5 free sms messages
• SMS may contain ads
• If your email has a ‘.’ in it, it won’t allow you to sign up
• You only get 136 characters, which means the rest are advertisements (Free sms message by SMSPup.com)
• Unless you want your email inbox to increase, with surveys and advertisments, don’t sign up with an email address you regularly use.

Final Say
Unless you want to do surveys all the time, SPSPup is OK. It still can’t beat Yakedi.

SMSFun

SMSFun not only allows you to send free SMS messages but you also join part of a community. You have access to forums, User Profiles and Useful Tools such as number lookups.
Pros

• You can send SMS messages from email
• Allows you to look up premium numbers to see what they are
• A community based service, which allows profiles
• If you need more SMS messages, you can upgrade to a Gold Subscription for $2 per week which allows you access to more features on the website

Con’s

• A lot of ads, and a few raunchy user pictures
• Signup process is a bit lengthy
• Have to earn free SMS messages
• They may send premium SMS messages (with your consent of course) that will charge your mobile phone

Final Say
If you just want to send free SMS messages without all the other features that SMS fun offers, then I would go with Yakedi or SMSPup. Nevertheless, if you want to join part of a community, fill out surveys and earn free text messages that way, you can’t go past this website.

Text4Free

Text4Free allows you to send free SMS messages to most countries world-wide. The only downside is that you may have to know your recipient’s cell phone provider, otherwise recipients may be charged.

A Few Others

Web2msg – You do not need to register and you get 140 characters. This service is only for Australian users,  but it is a quick and free way to send a free text message to a mate.
SendSMSNow – You can send a free SMS to selected countries only. Registration is now free.
FreebieSMS – You need to register your number and your friends number and email address to be able to send a free SMS message.
Mobik – I have not had any experience with them.   Maybe you have and you can tell us a bit about them?

Clickatell

If you want to set up your own SMS website service, then you should have a look at Clickatell. They allow you to develop and integrate your own SMS service on your website. If that is not your thing, you can download a desktop application to send cheap SMS messages world-wide.
If you want to send cheap SMS messages using your computer, it is best to use Clickatell. Any problems, just send them an email, as they have 24/7 online help.

A word of caution

As with any website, please read their terms and conditions, and Privacy Policy before entering any personal information. Remember that these sites make their money by advertisements and possibly selling your personal information to third parties. What I suggest is to buy a $2 SIM card to try them out first, just in case they do spam your mobile number, or steal some credit. When testing these services, I have not had these issues yet.
So make sure you read these pages first before using these services:
Yakedi : T&C, Privacy Policy
SMSPup: T&C, Privacy Policy
SMS Fun: T&C, Privacy Policy

How To Send Email To Any Cell Phone (for Free)

Want to send a short email to a friend and get it delivered to his/her cell phone as SMS? If you know your friends’ phone numbers and the carrier they are on then you can easily send emails to their cell phones directly from your email program.

Here is how it works:
Most of mobile carriers offer free Email To SMS gateways which can be used to forward simple text emails to a mobile phones. And the good news, majority of those gateways are free and available to the general public.
You just need to know the number and the carrier of the recipient to start emailing them to mobile phone. Below we put together a table listing free email to SMS gateways for different carriers. You can use as quick reference both for US and international mobile numbers.

Free Email To SMS Gateways (Major US Carriers)

Carrier	Email to SMS Gateway
Alltel	[10-digit phone number]@message.alltel.com Example: 1234567890@message.alltel.com
AT&T (formerly Cingular)	[10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net [10-digit phone number]@mms.att.net (MMS) [10-digit phone number]@cingularme.com Example: 1234567890@txt.att.net
Boost Mobile	[10-digit phone number]@myboostmobile.com Example: 1234567890@myboostmobile.com
Nextel (now Sprint Nextel)	[10-digit telephone number]@messaging.nextel.com Example: 1234567890@messaging.nextel.com
Sprint PCS (now Sprint Nextel)	[10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com [10-digit phone number]@pm.sprint.com (MMS) Example: 1234567890@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile	[10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net Example: 1234567890@tmomail.net
US Cellular	[10-digit phone number]email.uscc.net (SMS) [10-digit phone number]@mms.uscc.net (MMS) Example: 1234567890@email.uscc.net
Verizon	[10-digit phone number]@vtext.com [10-digit phone number]@vzwpix.com (MMS) Example: 1234567890@vtext.com
Virgin Mobile USA	[10-digit phone number]@vmobl.com Example: 1234567890@vmobl.com

Free Email To SMS Gateways (International + Smaller US)

These are all I could find from Wikipedia and other sources. If you’re aware of any other ones please share them in comments and I’ll add them to the list.

Carrier	Email to SMS Gateway
7-11 Speakout (USA GSM)	number@cingularme.com
Airtel (Karnataka, India)	number@airtelkk.com
Airtel Wireless (Montana, USA)	number@sms.airtelmontana.com
Alaska Communications Systems	number@msg.acsalaska.com
Aql	number@text.aql.com
AT&T Enterprise Paging	number@page.att.net
BigRedGiant Mobile Solutions	number@tachyonsms.co.uk
Bell Mobility & Solo Mobile (Canada)	number@txt.bell.ca
BPL Mobile (Mumbai, India)	number@bplmobile.com
Cellular One (Dobson)	number@mobile.celloneusa.com
Cingular (Postpaid)	number@cingularme.com
Centennial Wireless	number@cwemail.com
Cingular (GoPhone prepaid)	number@cingularme.com (SMS)
Claro (Brasil)	number@clarotorpedo.com.br
Claro (Nicaragua)	number@ideasclaro-ca.com
Comcel	number@comcel.com.co
Cricket	number@sms.mycricket.com (SMS)
CTI	number@sms.ctimovil.com.ar
Emtel (Mauritius)	number@emtelworld.net
Fido (Canada)	number@fido.ca
General Communications Inc.	number@msg.gci.net
Globalstar (satellite)	number@msg.globalstarusa.com
Helio	number@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Illinois Valley Cellular	number@ivctext.com
Iridium (satellite)	number@msg.iridium.com
Iusacell	number@rek2.com.mx
i wireless	number.iws@iwspcs.net
Koodo Mobile (Canada)	number@msg.koodomobile.com
LMT (Latvia)	number@sms.lmt.lv
Meteor (Ireland)	number@sms.mymeteor.ie
Mero Mobile (Nepal)	977number@sms.spicenepal.com
MetroPCS	number@mymetropcs.com
Movicom (Argentina)	number@sms.movistar.net.ar
Mobitel (Sri Lanka)	number@sms.mobitel.lk
Movistar (Colombia)	number@movistar.com.co
MTN (South Africa)	number@sms.co.za
MTS (Canada)	number@text.mtsmobility.com
Nextel (United States)	number@messaging.nextel.com
Nextel (Argentina)	TwoWay.11number@nextel.net.ar
Orange Polska (Poland)	9digit@orange.pl
Personal (Argentina)	number@alertas.personal.com.ar
Plus GSM (Poland)	+48number@text.plusgsm.pl
President’s Choice (Canada)	number@txt.bell.ca
Qwest	number@qwestmp.com
Rogers (Canada)	number@pcs.rogers.com
SL Interactive (Australia)	number@slinteractive.com.au
Sasktel (Canada)	number@sms.sasktel.com
Setar Mobile email (Aruba)	297+number@mas.aw
Suncom	number@tms.suncom.com
T-Mobile (Austria)	number@sms.t-mobile.at
T-Mobile (UK)	number@t-mobile.uk.net
Telus Mobility (Canada)	number@msg.telus.com
Thumb Cellular	number@sms.thumbcellular.com
Tigo (Formerly Ola)	number@sms.tigo.com.co
Tracfone (prepaid)	number@mmst5.tracfone.com
Unicel	number@utext.com
Virgin Mobile (Canada)	number@vmobile.ca
Vodacom (South Africa)	number@voda.co.za
Vodafone (Italy)	number@sms.vodafone.it
YCC	number@sms.ycc.ru
MobiPCS (Hawaii only)	number@mobipcs.net

UPDATES:
If you can’t find a gatewayd for your current provider here, check out following links:

• http://www.tech-faq.com/send-text-messages-free.shtml
• http://www.mutube.com/projects/open-email-to-sms/gateway-list/
• http://www.notepage.net/smtp.htm

If you are aware of any other free sms to email gateways please add it in comments. Also let us know whether you tried any of the above and your experience with it.

How To Recover Lost Gmail Password With A SMS Message

The scary thing about Google and its umbrella of services is that it’s ’serviced’ by a single password. It’s too much of a hassle setting up unique accounts for each service. As a typical user, I use the same log-in for Blogger, AdSense, iGoogle et al. and of course Gmail. Unwittingly losing it could spell ruin on multiple fronts (After all I had carefully constructed it as je!!ybe@n$999 instead of using a memory friendly jellybeans).
Last month, Gmail added a small feature which gives us the utility of recovering our password via text message. Google’s initiative says that the problem is more widespread than we assume.

Here’s how it’s set up

1. You have to turn it on by logging into your Google Accounts. Under Personal Settings – Security: Click on Change password recovery options.
2. Google Accounts verifies your email again and you are forwarded to the Account Recovery Options page. For setting the new feature of text messaged code, all you need to do is to select the country from the dropdown and input the mobile number. Make sure that you don’t plan to change the number soon because it’s this number that will receive the password change code. Make sure all three password recovery options are setup. Click on save to update your account.

Here’s how it works

1. Suppose you can’t remember your password? Click on the Can’t access your account link just below the log-in box.
2. The Gmail Help page gives you the option of six possible scenarios. Select I forgot my password.
3. The above choice directs you to the password recovery page. It takes you through a CAPTCHA and finally to the Reset Password page.
4. The Reset Password page lists the three ways in which you can recover your password.
   • Using the secondary email address.
   • Using the SMS recovery code.
   • Or using the security question.
5. If you received the recovery code, follow that option and input the code in the form given.

Congratulations, you just brought back your account from limbo!
Google takes our goof-ups for granted and gives us another face-saver. But if the email account is something you swear by, rest assured that it is going to be a life saver.
In the past we have looked at Stefan’s 5 Free Password Generators for Nearly Unhackable Passwords. We have also appreciated How to Create Strong Passwords That You Can Remember Easily. Just a smidgen of attention while filling out the password recovery options (all three) will save us a lot of needless heartburn later.

Notifu: group messaging to help you make plans

If you've ever been in the situation of trying to make plans with a group of people who are all communicating via different methods (SMS, IM, email), then you know how much of a pain it is to keep track of what everyone is doing. Notifu tries to make it easier, with a web app that can send messages to your friends via email, IM or text message, and let you know when they've received them.

On Notifu, you can set up a contact list, complete with groups. You can also set up polls, so your friends can text back a single number to indicate what they prefer to do, and Notifu will count them up for you. Notifu's developers are also very savvy about web platforms, with an iPhone web app available and an OpenSocial app in the works.