Note: I used to run a site with SMS texting information. I copied this page over from the old site in case it's still useful to you!
Most modern cell phones have the ability to send and receive short text messages. This is usually called SMS or text messaging — or just “texting” for short.
SMS stands for “short message service,” and it’s the oldest, most reliable way of sending text messages from phone to phone.
SMS is kind of like a super-simple email for phones. Even the cheapest phones support SMS now, so it’s a truly universal way to communicate.
With SMS, you enter a message using your cell phone’s keypad. With most carriers, you’re limited to very short messages — 160 characters at the most.
Newer texting standards, such as MMS and RCS, let you send longer messages containing pictures and videos. For the most part, you don't have to worry which you're using.
Once you’ve finished writing a text message on your phone, you can send it to anyone else’s cell phone. All you need to know is their phone number. Off the message goes, and in a few seconds to a few minutes, your friend’s phone will beep, and the message will appear on their screen.
SMS to email "gateways"
You can also use SMS to send email messages from a computer to a cellphone, or from a cellphone to a friend’s email account.
And if you know your phone number's equivalent email address, you can receive emails on your phone through the SMS app.
Yes, you can get email on your phone — even if you have an old-style “feature phone” and not a smartphone! All you need to know is your cell phone’s email address.
This page explains how to figure out your phone’s email address so people can send email to you via SMS.
Most carriers have “SMS gateways” that take email messages from the Internet and deliver them to their customers’ cell phones as SMS text messages.
The only tricky part is that you need to know what carrier the recipient’s phone is on — it’s not enough to know their phone number. That’s because the carrier determines what the email address of the receiving phone is going to be. For example, AT&T’s phones are all “something@txt.att.net” while Verizon phones are “something@vtext.com.”
Sound complicated? It’s not. All you need to do is find your carrier in the list below and then use the pattern shown there to figure out your email address. If you want to email a friend’s phone, ask them which carrier they use, and off you go!
AT&T Wireless
[10-digit phone number]@txt.att.net (plain text messages)
Example: 2125551212@txt.att.net
[10-digit-number]@mms.att.net (for multimedia messages)
Example: 2125551212@mms.att.net
More info on ATT Wireless text-to-email
Boost Mobile
No longer available. More info
Cricket Wireless
[10-digit phone number]@sms.cricketwireless.net
Example: 1234567890@sms.cricketwireless.net
[10-digit phone number]@mms.cricketwireless.net (multimedia messages)
Example: 1234567890@mms.cricketwireless.net
Sprint
Sprint is now part of T-Mobile, and the brand has been inactive since 2020. The following details might work if you're on a legacy account, but try the T-Mobile instructions first.
[10-digit phone number]@messaging.sprintpcs.com
Example: 2125551234@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile
[10-digit phone number]@tmomail.net
Example: 4251234567@tmomail.net
Note: T-Mobile does a lot of spam filtering. Its forums are filled with accounts of people's messages note getting through. More info on T-Mobile's email gateway.
Tracfone
The address varies. It might be [10-digit phone number]@vtext.com, if your service is coming via Verizon, or possibly [10-digit phone number]@mypixmessages.com.
Verizon
[10-digit-number]@vtext.com (for text messages)
Example: 9495551212@vtext.com
[10-digit number]@vzpix.com (for multimedia messages)
Example:
9495551212@vzpix.com
Verizon gives subscribers the ability to turn this feature on or off. MClick here for more information on email-to-text from Verizon.
Virgin Mobile
Virgin Mobile USA is defunct, having merged with Boost, which was then acquired by Dish Network, which turned off its email gateway. It's possible that legacy accounts might use the old address:
[10-digit phone number] @vmobl.com
Example: 5551234567@vmobl.com
In Canada:
[phone number]@txt.virginplus.ca or [phone number]@vmobile.ca
More information from Virgin Mobile's support forum
Other U.S. and Canadian carriers
- Bell Canada: [10-digit-phone-number]@txt.bellmobility.ca
- Centennial Wireless: [10-digit-phone-number]@cwemail.com
- Cellular South: [10-digit-phone-number]@csouth1.com
- Cincinnati Bell: [10-digit-phone-number]@gocbw.com
- Metro PCS: [10-digit-phone-number]@mymetropcs.com or [10-digit-phone-number]@metropcs.sms.us
- Qwest: [10-digit-phone-number]@qwestmp.com
- Rogers: [10-digit-phone-number]@pcs.rogers.com
- Suncom: [10-digit-phone-number]@tms.suncom.com
- Telus: [10-digit-phone-number]@msg.telus.com
- U.S. Cellular: [10-digit-phone-number]@email.uscc.net
this page last updated 2024-08-21.