Many cellular carriers assign email addresses to cellular phone numbers and support SMS or text messaging by email. You don’t need to install special add-ins in Outlook to send text messages, but the recipient will need text messaging enabled on their cellular plan (most carriers enable it by default) and have a phone capable of receiving text messages (most new phones are text-capable).
To use, compose a short email message using less than 160 total characters in Outlook (or any email client) and address it to the cellular number at the carrier’s email domain. Remember to remove your signature from the message before sending. Note that some carriers will break apart larger messages into 160 character messages, others will deliver only the first 160 characters.
The phones only support plain text messages but the carriers strip multipart HTML, so you don’t need to remember to switch to plain text format.
Email sent to cell phones is billed to the subscriber as a text message.
See Tools below for add-ins that can send SMS to phone numbers.
US Cellphones
The major US cellular carriers use the 10_digit_number@cell.carrier_domain.com format for SMS to text capable cell phones, with a limit of 160 characters in the subject and message body (total).
Carrier Send Email to phonenumber@.... Alltel @message.alltel.com AT&T @txt.att.net Nextel @messaging.nextel.com Sprint @messaging.sprintpcs.com SunCom @tms.suncom.com T-mobile @tmomail.net VoiceStream @voicestream.net Verizon @vtext.com (text only) Verizon @vzwpix.com (pictures and videos)
Verizon users can register an alias at vtext.com to give out instead of their phone number. Both alias@vtext.com and phone_number@vtext.com will be valid addresses for the phone.
If you don’t know the carrier, enter the number in 123-456-7890 format at http://www.phonenumber.com/reverse-phone.
Web Based Interfaces
If you know the phone number and carrier, you may be able to send SMS from a web page.
Verizon http://www.vtext.com
Tools
Tool for sending SMS messages using a subscription service. Allows you to mix SMS addresses with other address types in a single message. | |
Send and receive text messages instantly from your email account with the Textmagic secure Email to SMS service. | |
Send Short Message Service (SMS) messages to virtually any SMS wireless device from Outlook, using any Outlook address list. Can also send vCard contacts and vCal appointments via SMS to compatible devices. | |
This add-in enables sending and receiving SMS from the Outlook application using the mobile phone or GSM modem. The short messages may be sent to any number, Outlook contact or distribution list. The received SMS are delivered to the Inbox folder. The add-in supports long SMS, non-Latin encodings and WAP Push messages. | |
Use this add-in to send SMS text messages through most GSM mobile phones connected to your PC using Outlook 2003. You can enter your SMS text within a Outlook-type entry form and have it sent to your mobile phone for delivery through your mobile phone network service. There is no requirement to install third-party software or to subscribe to additional mobile network services if your mobile phone can be connected to your PC. This is typically via an infrared connection, Bluetooth technology, or a USB/serial cable. The SMS messages can be saved as a draft, grouped, and forwarded like standard Outlook 2003 e-mail. | |
Enables any version of Outlook to send SMS messages to mobile phone numbers listed in Outlook contacts and generate SMS appointment reminders automatically. Can also handle SMS replies back to your Inbox. Product consists of an Outlook add-in plus a service to generate the SMS messages. Does not trigger Outlook security prompts. A Lotus Notes version, NotesSMS, is also available. | |
Allows you to send SMS notes from Outlook. Supports two-way SMS, scheduled delivery, templates, and delivery confirmation. Also includes dialog for jotting down phone messages. Free for personal use, but message blocks must be purchased separately. | |
Service and software that allows you to send SMS messages from within Outlook, use rules to forward incoming email messages to SMS with optional text compression, and send reminders to SMS. Tracks sent SMS messages in the Journal folder. Also available in a 2-way version that allows you to read SMS replies from your desktop. | |
Use the global TeleMessage messaging service to send messages from within Outlook to telephones (using a text-to-speech engine), fax machines, pagers, SMS devices, email addresses, and instant messaging applications. |
More Information
For a list of Outlook and Exchange Server SMS tools to forward reminders to your cellular phone, see
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Last reviewed on Dec 8, 2011
are most of the sms services for outlook 2010 and exchange 2010 have the same problem that when someone gets your outlook generated sms text, there is no caller id , but worse is that when peple respond to your outlook text, you cant do a lookup on their number automatically to find out who sent you a text.
Yes, that is a major problem with the services. If you use the email address of the phone and send it as an email, it should show your name as the sender – but you need to know the carrier, which isn’t always possible.
Diane,
Great article!
I sent a txt message to myself to test it & it worked!
What about being able to do this to send messages to phones in Canada?
Thanks,
Arturo