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Did you know you can send an email as a text message? This handy hack isn’t only useful for private messaging, but also changing the game for many businesses. We’ll show you how it works.
With email to text, you can send an SMS message anywhere in the world. It works for traditional email clients like Thunderbird or Outlook and web-based clients like Gmail or Yahoo.
Without getting too technical, email to SMS uses Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and a gateway or SMS API to convert emails into SMS format, before sending to the recipient’s mobile number.
WHAT IS SMTP: SMTP is a set of rules (the protocol) for sending emails from one email account to another over the internet. The emails get sorted by an SMTP server, a bit like mail gets sorted at a post office, before being sent off to their destination.
There might be several reasons why you’d want to send an email as an SMS.
That’s exactly when an email to SMS service comes into play. Private users can work with their carrier gateway email services. Businesses should use a professional SMS gateway provider like Sinch MessageMedia.
Communicate with customers, staff and communities promptly and efficiently – while you’re on the go!
In the U.S. and Canada, phone service providers have email gateway addresses that you can use to email a text message. This works by adding the recipient’s 10-digit phone number and their corresponding carrier gateway to the “to” line in your email client, for instance: number@txt.att.net. This method only works if you know the recipient’s carrier.
When you use this method, keep in mind that you still have a 160 character limit. If your message is longer, it’ll be sent as a Multimedia Message Service (MMS), if available. Some carriers also offer email-to-MMS gateways. These allow you to send messages that are longer than 160 characters and (very!) low resolution images.
We’ve put together an overview of SMS and MMS gateway emails from the most common carriers in Canada and the U.S. By the way, many carriers also offer special apps that let you manage your messages from your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.
Carrier | SMS gateway | MMS gateway |
Verizon | number@vtext.com | number@vzwpix.com |
AT&T | number@txt.att.net | number@mms.att.net |
T-Mobile | number@tmomail.net | number@tmomail.net |
Sprint | number@messaging.sprintpcs.com | number@pm.sprint.com |
Cricket Wireless | number@sms.cricketwireless.net | number@mms.cricketwireless.net |
Metro by T-Mobile | number@mymetropcs.com | number@mymetropcs.com |
Boost Mobile | number@smsmyboostmobile.com | number@myboostmobile.com |
US Cellular | number@email.uscc.net | number@mms.uscc.net |
Google Fi | number@msg.fi.google.com | number@msg.fi.google.com |
Rogers Wireless | This service was canceled in 2023. | This service was canceled in 2023. |
Telus Mobility | number@msg.telus.com | 1number@mms.telusmobility.com |
Bell Mobility | number@@txt.bell.ca | |
Freedom Mobility | number@txt.freedommobile.ca |
Using a carrier gateway email is a nifty solution for private users. For businesses, however, this isn’t very practical. Here’s why.
Bottom line: if you want to use an email to text service for your business, you’ll need a professional solution through an SMS gateway provider.
With an SMS gateway service provider like Sinch MessageMedia, your business can send email to text to individual contacts and contact groups.
Here’s how this works.
Replies to the SMS will appear in both the email client inbox and also in the Sinch MessageMedia Hub inbox. You can use any standard email client, like Gmail, Outlook, or Hotmail. You can send emails as text messages to both mobiles and landlines, with landline SMS messages converted to voice that’ll reach recipients as a phone call.
Here are some things to look out for when sending a text from your email client.
Before you start sending to customers, it’s a good idea to test it out using your own mobile phone number. Also, try sending an SMS to the email address by texting back to check if everything’s set up correctly.
Then, you’re good to go. It really is that easy.
Try Sinch MessageMedia for free, plus get 25 SMS credits.
There are so many powerful ways for businesses to use email to text. Here are just a few of them:
Given how easy it is, it’s no wonder that businesses of all shapes and sizes send email to SMS. For example:
Sending text messages via email is quick, easy, and cost-effective. Think of it like a short-cut. With the right authorizations in place, your team can bypass the SMS portal to get urgent messages out to customers using the email platform they know and love.
And, because it saves time and isn’t more expensive than sending SMS via the web portal, your business gets an additional benefit.