### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/1 "2015-03-16T16:56:48Z")
I would like to send text messages from my computer to a cellphone. Preferably for free. Also, while I don’t mind getting ads and spam since I’ll throw away the account when I no longer need it, I would like to make it so that the recipient does not get ads or spam as a result of my texts.
We are both in Canada.
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### Author:  [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/2 "2015-03-16T17:01:10Z")
With Verizon phones, you compose an e-mail without a subject line, and send it to \@vtext.com; An example would be [8008675309@vtext.com](mailto:8008675309@vtext.com).
Other carriers have similar methods, but Verizon is mine, therefore it’s the one I know.
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### Author:  [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/3 "2015-03-16T17:05:47Z")
[Does this help](http://www.techwyse.com/blog/online-innovation/send-sms-through-email-to-usa-and-canada/)? Always test first.
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### Author:  [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/4 "2015-03-16T18:50:07Z")
For AT&T cellphones this is [from their website:](http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB63037&cv=820)
**To send a text, picture, or video message to an AT&T wireless device from your email:
[ul]
[li]Text message: Address your email to the recipient’s 10-digit wireless phone number, followed by @txt.att.net, for example, [COLOR=“Black”]5551234567**@txt.att.net\*\*[/li][li]Picture or video message: Address your email to the recipient’s 10-digit wireless phone number, followed by @mms.att.net, for example, 5551234567\*\*@mms.att.net\*\*[/li][li]Don’t include dashes or spaces in between the numbers.[/li][/ul]\*\*[/COLOR]
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/5 "2015-03-16T21:50:03Z")
Google Voice will work with any carrier (I think).
[https://www.google.com/voice](https://www.google.com/voice)
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### Author:  [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/6 "2015-03-16T23:06:20Z")
> [@Hail\_Ants](#):
>
> For AT&T cellphones this is [from their website:](http://www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB63037&cv=820)
>
> To send a text, picture, or video message to an AT&T wireless device from your email:
>
> Text message: Address your email to the recipient’s 10-digit wireless phone number, followed by @txt.att.net, for example,
Hey, I tried this and it worked. The “sender” looked like some sort of weird spam text sender, though.
Cool.
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### Author:  [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/7 "2015-03-16T23:09:21Z")
Can the recipient whose cellphone I send the message to reply to me easily or take the initiative of contacting me first?
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/8 "2015-03-16T23:16:56Z")
> [@MichaelEmouse](#):
>
> Can the recipient whose cellphone I send the message to reply to me easily or take the initiative of contacting me first?
Google Voice does this. You can set it up to email you when you get a text (with the content of the text).
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/9 "2015-03-16T23:58:29Z")
I send all my texts this way since I don’t have a cellphone. It works great.
Look up the cell phone carrier inputting the cell number here:
> **[Welcome to FreeCarrierLookup.com](https://www.freecarrierlookup.com/)**
>
> Get Telephone Carrier Data
Then go here to see which address to use for which carrier:
> **[emailtextmessages.com - emailtextmessages Resources and Information.](http://ww1.emailtextmessages.com/)**
>
> emailtextmessages.com is your first and best source for all of the information you’re looking for. From general topics to more of what you would expect to find here, emailtextmessages.com has it all. We hope you find what you are searching for!
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/10 "2015-03-17T00:34:13Z")
I’m on Fido in Canada, and I used to be able to send to \@fido.ca. Check the recipient’s carrier.
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### Author:  [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/11 "2015-03-17T00:36:06Z")
> [@dougrb](#):
>
> Google Voice will work with any carrier (I think).
>
> [Voice](https://www.google.com/voice)
Google Voice is nice, but it’s a little bit more than a plain computer -\> SMS gateway. It requires you to set up a Google Voice account first, which must be tied to a real cell phone number.
You can set one up using your current phone number and then disable forwarding, so essentially it just gives you a free SMS number. But that’s maybe a little more complex than needed.
> [@MichaelEmouse](#):
>
> Can the recipient whose cellphone I send the message to reply to me easily or take the initiative of contacting me first?
Depends on the carrier, but they can often directly text your email address instead of a phone number. If they reply to one you sent them, then yes, it’ll route replies back to you too.
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### Author:  [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/12 "2015-03-17T02:32:53Z")
> [@Honey](#):
>
> I send all my texts this way since I don’t have a cellphone. It works great.
>
> Look up the cell phone carrier inputting the cell number here:
>
> [http://www.freecarrierlookup.com/](http://www.freecarrierlookup.com/)
> Then go here to see which address to use for which carrier:
>
> [http://www.emailtextmessages.com/](http://www.emailtextmessages.com/)
That second link doesn’t list my carrier (cellcom), but the first one looked up the number and gave me an email address with the number embedded. Sending a test text message to that link worked!
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### Author:  [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/13 "2015-03-17T04:23:21Z")
> [@Musicat](#):
>
> That second link doesn’t list my carrier (cellcom), but the first one looked up the number and gave me an email address with the number embedded. Sending a test text message to that link worked!
Yeah, it’s not a comprehensive list of carriers. It’s cool that you got it to work.
Was it this?:
@cellcom.quiktxt.com
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/14 "2015-03-17T04:37:12Z")
> [@Reply](#):
>
> Google Voice is nice, but it’s a little bit more than a plain computer -\> SMS gateway. It requires you to set up a Google Voice account first, which must be tied to a real cell phone number.
>
> You can set one up using your current phone number and then disable forwarding, so essentially it just gives you a free SMS number. But that’s maybe a little more complex than needed.
Agreed… unless you don’t have a cell phone. I only have a land line (ya, get off my lawn) and to be clear you can just as easily link google voice to your land line. And since land lines have the antiquated “Long Distance” charges… POOF free long distance calls.
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### Author:  [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)
#### Post date: [March 17, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-send-texts-from-a-computer-to-a-cellphone/715125/15 "2015-03-17T04:47:37Z")
Had to add but missed the edit window. I’ve come to realize that the younger generation doesn’t even know what “long distance” charge even means.