How to Send & Receive SMS on a PC

SMS (Short Message Service), also called text messaging, is a service that allows you to send or receive text messages up to 160 characters. SMS service has grown to become a popular communication tool. This service is employed for personal and professional purposes. SMS is a simple and cost-effective way of staying in touch with friends or family. It is also used as a marketing tool by marketers to directly approach potential customers. Nowadays, several websites on the Internet are also offering SMS services. Most online SMS services are offered free of charge.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Using Gmail Chat

1. 1

   Go to the Gmail website (see "Resources").

2. 2

   Register with Gmail by clicking the "Create an Account" button.

3. 3

   Complete the registration form by providing your name, desired login name, password and other required details.

4. 4

   Sign in by using your username and password.

5. 5

   Click on the "Settings" link after signing in, and go to the "Labs" tab.

6. 6

   Look for the "SMS in Chat gadget" and "Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat" in the list. Enable both of them by selecting the "Enable" button.

7. 7

   Scroll to the bottom of page and click the "Save Changes" button.

8. 8

   Enter mobile phone number of the recipient in the text box under "Send SMS" on the left pane and hit the "Enter" key. Type in the contact name of the recipient, and select his country in the window that appears. Click the "Save" button.

9. 9

   Type the text message in the chat window that appears and hit "Enter" key to send the text message. You will see the recipient's reply in the same window.

Using TxtDrop

10. 1

    Go to the TxtDrop website (see "Resources").

11. 2

    Fill the form you see on the homepage. Type in your email address, recipient's mobile phone number and the text message you wish to send. You have to provide your email address for receiving the replies the recipient will send.

12. 3

    Click the "Send" button.

Using SendSMSNow

13. 1

    Go to the SendSMSNow website (see "Resources").

14. 2

    Click on the "Register" button in the left pane under "New Members" heading. You need to register to start sending SMS.

15. 3

    Fill out the registration form by providing username, password, email address and other required details. You will receive the recipient's replies in your email.

16. 4

    Log in to the website by entering your username and password in the login form on the homepage. The login form is on the left pane under "Members" heading.

17. 5

    Fill the send SMS form on the homepage. Select the recipient's country of residence and type in his mobile phone number. Provide your name to let the recipient know who has sent the SMS. Write the text message and click the "Send SMS" button.

How to Receive Free SMS Service

According to the International Association for Wireless Telecommunications, text messaging, also know as short message service (SMS), is more popular than phone calls as a means of communication. Sending an SMS is generally quicker than making a phone call, and in some ways it's more convenient and efficient. If you use certain online services, you can send and receive your SMS for free.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 1

   Pick an SMS service that allows you to send and receive SMS for free (see Resources). There are dozens of these sites available. A few that you can consider are SendSMSNow, 411SMS and Txt2Fun. While these sites will require you to register, you won't have to download any software.

2. 2

   Register with SendSMSNow. Create a user name; provide your first and last name, email address, password, gender, country and date of birth, then agree to the terms and conditions and enter the security code. Submit your details and wait for your confirmation email. When you receive this email, click on the included link. Log in to your account and send your text message. Your reply will be sent to your SendSMSNow account.

3. 3

   Sign up for 411SMS. Register by entering your email address and password. Once you've submitted this information, you'll be sent login details. Log in to the account and send your text message---your reply will be received in this account.

4. 4

   Register with Txt2Fun. This site requires that you provide a user name, password, email address, first and last name, country and mobile phone. Once you've agreed to the terms and conditions, you'll be able to send and receive text messages from this account for free. You may also send bulk SMS for a small per-message fee of $0.03 as of September 2010.