Even though users are slowly moving away from SMS text messages to other forms of text messaging, SMS text messages still have their uses.
But did you know that it’s possible to text someone from your computer? Indeed, many texting websites let you send free SMS messages. Many don’t even have a registration process.
Here are the best sites to send free text messages to cell phones.
1. TextEm
TextEm lets you send free text messages, but you need first to create an account. Although some people may prefer to send a message anonymously, having an account brings some notable benefits.
For example, you can curate a list of frequently used contacts and—depending on the recipient’s carrier—get replies back into your TextEm inbox. If the carrier does not support responses to TextEm, you can set up email replies instead.
More than 100 carriers from the United States and Canada are supported. If you need to send a message to a number outside North America, it is not the service for you.
TextEm does not support bulk messaging; you cannot send the same message to several numbers at the same time. Don’t worry, some of the other services we’ll discuss do have the feature.
2. SendSMSnow
SendSMSnow is another free SMS service which requires you to create an account before you can send messages.
Once you do make an account, you can generate a phonebook of contacts, add profile pictures, and receive replies to your messages in your personal inbox.
SendSMSnow also supports group messaging, though it is not free. For every message you send, you will be charged one cent for every user in the group. For example, a single SMS sent to a 20-person group would cost $0.20.
In theory, the service works with cell phone numbers worldwide. We have no way to verify the claims, but you can reasonably expect most North American and Europe carriers to be supported.
The number of characters in messages is capped at 130.
3. Txt2Day
Txt2Day lets you send free text messages online with no registration. That makes the service perfect for sending one-off messages without exposing all your personal information (perhaps, for example, if you’ve accidentally left your phone and home and urgently need to get in contact with someone).
The list of supported carriers is smaller than that offered by TextEm and SendSMSnow. It is predominately focused on the large US companies, though there’s also support for a few European and Mexican ones such as Movistar, Telcel, T Mobile UK, and Vodafone Italy.
Because you do not need to create an account to send messages, there is no way to receive replies on the site. As such, the service is unsuitable for back-and-forth conversations. Some carriers support email replies, but it’s hit-and-miss at best.
Your messages on Txt2Day can be up to 140 characters long.
4. OpenTextingOnline
OpenTextingOnline is a texting website that lets you send free SMS messages online without creating an account.
It works with carriers in about 50 countries. Most of North America and the European Union is covered, but so too are some less-common locations like India, Nepal, Panama, and New Zealand. Just be aware that not all the carriers in all the countries are supported. For more exotic locations, you might find only one or two work.
Again, because you do not need to make an account, you cannot receive replies to your messages. And unlike Txt2Day, email replies are not available.
The maximum number of characters per message is 140.
5. txtDrop
txtDrop is a well-established name in the world of free SMS online. It’s been operational since 2013 and according to its own statistics has successfully delivered almost 25 million messages in that time.
You don’t need to create an account, but you can receive replies in your email inbox should you wish.
txtDrop is also unique in that it offers a macOS widget. If you install it, you will be able to send messages directly from your Mac desktop without needing to visit the official site. And if you run a website, there’s even a widget you can use on your page.
The service only lets you send free messages to the United States and Canada. Other locations are not supported.
6. Send Anonymous SMS
Another way to send free text messages online with no registration is to head to Send Anonymous SMS.
As the name suggests, the service requires no personal details in order for you to send a free text message. So, if you want to prank someone, fire off a quick message, or just use a service to anonymously contact people, this service might be the answer.
Unlike the other free SMS sites we’ve mentioned, you can theoretically spoof a phone number that’ll show on the other person’s screen when they receive the message. It is unclear how that would work, but it’s worth a shot if you’re trying to pull off a prank. Just make sure you stay on the right side of the law.
Send Anonymous SMS has a maximum of 145 characters and supports more than 80 different countries around the world.
7. TextEmNow
The final service we like is TextEmNow. The main reason that it’s worth recommending is because of the site’s higher character count. Unlike most free SMS sites—which have a limit of around 150 characters—TextEmNow lets you write messages that are up to 300 characters long.
The site’s developers also claim they do not log any IP addresses. We can’t say whether it’s true, but every other texting site we have discussed explicitly say they do log IPs (for spam/abuse monitoring), so TextEmNow’s approach is a refreshing change.
Technically, you can use TextEmNow to text any mobile number in the world, but as we’ve seen elsewhere, location-specific restrictions may apply.
Sending Free Text Messages From a Computer
In summary, yes you can text someone from your computer for free. But the service that’s right for you depends on a few factors:
- Where is the recipient based?
- Do you need to be able to receive replies?
- Is anonymity a critical feature?
- Do you want to use a privacy-conscious service?
If you would like to learn more about using SMS, check out our articles on how to use SMS in a clever way and how to view SMS messages on your computer.
Read the full article: 7 Sites to Send Free Text Messages to Cell Phones (SMS)
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