The mobile phone is no longer required to send SMS messages.
Sending SMS messages via the Web can save you a lot of money on your mobile phone bill. Even though a single SMS message costs mobile phone companies a small fraction of a penny, some companies charge as much as 20 cents to send one. However, you can easily send an SMS message on the Web for free.
Instructions
SMS via Email
1. Open your email client and compose a new email. Begin entering your recipient's phone number (with 1 + area code) into the "Send To" box.
2. Determine the mobile carrier of your recipient and find the U.S.-based text messaging domain (see Resources) for that carrier.
3. At the end of your recipient's phone number, append the "@" symbol and then type in the domain that you found.
4. Type your SMS message into the body of the email and send your SMS message. You may want to include your name in the body, as your email address may not identify you on your recipient's phone.
SMS via Websites
5. Determine the mobile carrier of your recipient, and find an online service that allows you to send SMS messages (see Resources).
6. If required, register with the website of the service and then enter your recipient's mobile number in the appropriate text box.
7. Type your SMS message in the corresponding box and send your SMS when finished.
Google Voice
8. Request an invite from a friend or acquaintance with Google Voice. Google Voice is still in beta mode, so it is only accessible via invite.
9. Open your email invite and click on the link. Sign up for Google Voice or enter your existing Google account information.
10. Activate your phone to work with Google Voice. You will have to verify the phone number by accepting a call from Google Voice and entering the key code that Google Voice gives you prior to the call. Once your phone is verified, you can send SMS messages to mobile users from the main dashboard in your Google Voice account.
11. While at the Google Voice dashboard, click on "SMS" and type in your recipient's number. Then type in your SMS message and press "Send."
