You can send a text message to an email address, but it requires the recipient's carrier
Texting to an email address works by converting your message into an SMS through an email-to-SMS gateway. Your phone or computer sends the email to a special address that combines the recipient's email with their wireless carrier's domain. The carrier then delivers it as a text message to their phone. This only works if you know which carrier they use — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, or another provider.
The recipient receives a standard text message on their phone, not an email. They can reply to your text normally, and their response comes back as a text to your phone or email, depending on which method you used to send the original message.
Key Takeaways
- Email-to-SMS gateways let you text someone by sending an email to their carrier's special address, which looks like phonenumber@verizon.com or phonenumber@att.com.
- You must know the recipient's wireless carrier to use this method, since each carrier has its own gateway address.
- The recipient sees a normal text message on their phone, not an email, and can reply as they would to any text.
- This method works from a computer, tablet, or phone and does not require any special apps or accounts.
- Some carriers charge the recipient a small fee per message, while others include it in their plan at no extra cost.
Find out which carrier the recipient uses
Before you can send a text to an email address, you need to know the recipient's wireless carrier. Ask them directly — this is the fastest way. You can also check their phone bill if you have access to it, or look at their phone's settings. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap Cellular, and look for the carrier name at the top. On Android, go to Settings, About Phone, and look for the carrier or network operator name.
If you cannot find out their carrier, you can try sending to multiple carriers in sequence, but this wastes time and may confuse the recipient if they receive duplicate messages.
Use the correct email-to-SMS gateway address for each carrier
Each major wireless carrier in the United States has its own gateway address. Send your email to the recipient's phone number followed by the carrier's domain. Here are the most common ones:
- Verizon: phonenumber@vtext.com
- AT&T: phonenumber@txt.att.com
- T-Mobile: phonenumber@tmomail.net
- Sprint: phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
- US Cellular: phonenumber@email.uscc.net
- Boost Mobile: phonenumber@sms.myboostmobile.com
- Virgin Mobile: phonenumber@vmobl.com
Replace "phonenumber" with the recipient's actual 10-digit phone number, including the area code but no dashes or spaces. For example, if the recipient uses Verizon and their number is 555-123-4567, you would send the email to 5551234567@vtext.com.
Send the message from your email account
Open your email program — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, or whatever you use — and create a new message. Put the gateway address in the "To" field. Leave the subject line blank or write something very short, since some carriers do not display it in the text message. Type your message in the body, keeping it under 160 characters if you want it to arrive as a single text; longer messages split into multiple texts.
Click Send. The message travels to the carrier's gateway, which converts it to an SMS and sends it to the recipient's phone. Delivery usually takes a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on the carrier and network conditions.
Send a text from your phone using the email-to-SMS method
You can also send an email-to-SMS message directly from your phone's email app. Open your email app, create a new message, and enter the gateway address in the "To" field just as you would from a computer. Type your message and send it. The process is identical — the carrier converts the email to a text message on the recipient's phone.
Some phones also let you send a text through email by using voice commands. On iPhone, you can say "Send email to [gateway address]" to Siri, then dictate your message. On Android, Google Assistant works the same way. This is slower than typing, but useful if your hands are full.
Understand what the recipient sees and how they reply
The recipient receives a standard text message on their phone. The message shows your email address or phone number in the "From" field, depending on which carrier you used and how you sent it. They can reply to the text normally, and their response comes back to your email inbox as an email message, not as a text to your phone.
If you want to continue the conversation as texts, you can reply to their email using the gateway address again. This back-and-forth works, but it is slower than regular texting because each message has to travel through email first. For ongoing conversations, it is better to exchange phone numbers and text directly.
Know the limitations and when this method does not work
Email-to-SMS has several restrictions. You cannot send pictures, videos, or other attachments — only text. Some carriers limit the number of messages you can send per day to prevent spam, so sending dozens of texts this way may fail. International carriers often do not have public gateways, so you cannot text someone on a foreign phone number this way.
If the recipient's carrier is not in the list above, search online for "[carrier name] email to SMS gateway" to find their address. Some smaller carriers and prepaid services have different gateway addresses or do not support email-to-SMS at all. If a message fails to deliver, the email usually bounces back to your inbox with an error message explaining why.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I send to the wrong carrier?
The message will not reach the recipient. The carrier's gateway will reject it, and you will receive a bounce-back email explaining that the address does not exist. Ask the recipient which carrier they use and resend to the correct gateway address.
Can I send pictures or videos this way?
No. Email-to-SMS gateways only convert text. If you try to attach a file, most carriers will reject the message or strip out the attachment and send only the text portion. Use regular text messaging or a messaging app like iMessage or WhatsApp to send media.
Will the recipient be charged for receiving a text sent this way?
It depends on their carrier and plan. Most carriers include incoming texts in standard plans at no extra charge, so the recipient pays nothing. Some prepaid carriers charge a small fee per incoming text, but this is rare. The recipient's bill will show the message as a normal incoming text.
Why would I use this instead of just texting normally?
This method is useful if you are at a computer without a phone, if your phone does not have texting service, or if you want to send a message from your email account for record-keeping. For most everyday texting, regular SMS is faster and simpler.
Can I set up automatic texts this way?
Yes, if your email program supports rules or filters. You can create a rule that automatically sends an email to a gateway address when certain conditions are met. This is useful for sending reminders or notifications, though it requires some technical setup in your email settings.