How to Send SMS via Email: Simple Guide

Of course, sending an SMS via an attached phone or GSM modem using AT commands in PDU mode is fun. Sometimes you just want to send a plain text message from your application and you don’t want to bother with phones, SIM cards, data plans, PDU mode and so on.
In these cases, the easiest solution would be to use an SMTP to SMS gateway. SMTP is the protocol used to send an email (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol). What such a gateway does:
- is receive an email
- look at the intended recipient
- figure out a phone-number from/for that recipient
- send the text of the email as an SMS to the recipient’s phone
You could send an SMS message this way using any SMTP library (they come with .NET, JDK and many open source libraries are available to do this from C or C++).
There is a really simple way to test this: just send an email from your email client.
Of course there are some limitations:
- The originator will be some service number, but won’t tell you anything about the sender. Typically something like “From: <source-email-address>” will be inserted in the SMS to give you a clue.
- If your email is too big, it will be truncated at some arbitrary point (160 characters less than the space needed for the originator’s email address).
- You can’t send anything fancy like WAP push, EMS, etc, just plain text.
- Not all mobile operators have such a gateway, so you can’t reach all recipients this way.
- Because of billing and spamming reasons, the recipient will have to opt-in to receive SMS messages via email this way.
Below is a table of mobile operators and the email address format to use to send to one of their subscribers. Replace <n> in the email address with the phone number.
This list is extracted from the Quick SMS WordPress Plug-in developed by Martin Fitzpartick, which is make available under the GPL and BSD open source licenses.
Australia | ||
T-Mobile/Optus Zoo | 0<n>@optusmobile.com.au | Activation method unknown. |
Austria | ||
T-Mobile | 43676<n>@sms.t-mobile.at | Activation method unknown. |
Bulgaria | ||
Mtel | <n>@sms.mtel.net | Activation url is http://www.mtel.bg/mail2sms/index.php |
Globul | <n>@sms.globul.bg | Activation with sms to 1552 with text OPEN |
Canada | ||
Aliant | <n>@wirefree.informe.ca | Activation method unknown. |
Bell Mobility | <n>@txt.bellmobility.ca | Activation method unknown. |
Fido | <n>@fido.ca | Activation method unknown. |
MTS Mobility | <n>@text.mtsmobility.com | Activation method unknown |
Rogers Wireless | <n>@pcs.rogers.com | Activation method unknown. |
Sasktel Mobility | <n>@pcs.sasktelmobility.com | Activation method unknown. |
Telus | <n>@msg.telus.com | Activation method unknown. |
Virgin Mobile | <n>@vmobile.ca | Activation method unknown. |
Germany | ||
T-Mobile | 0<n>@t-d1-sms.de | Send OPEN to 8000. |
Vodafone | 0<n>@vodafone-sms.de | Send OPEN to 3400. |
O2 | 0<n>@o2online.de | Send +OPEN to 6245. |
E-Plus | 0<n>@smsmail.eplus.de | Send START to 7676245. |
Iceland | ||
OgVodafone | <n>@sms.is | Activation method unknown. |
Siminn | <n>@box.is | Activation method unknown. |
India | ||
Andhra Pradesh AirTel | 91<n>@airtelap.com | Activation method unknown. |
Andhra Pradesh Idea Cellular | 9848<n>@ideacellular.net | Activation method unknown. |
Chennai Skycell / Airtel | 919840<n>@airtelchennai.com | Activation method unknown. |
Chennai RPG Cellular | 9841<n>@rpgmail.net | Activation method unknown. |
Delhi Airtel | 919810<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Delhi Hutch | 9811<n>@delhi.hutch.co.in | Activation method unknown. |
Gujarat Idea Cellular | 9824<n>@ideacellular.net | Activation method unknown. |
Gujarat Airtel | 919898<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Gujarat Celforce / Fascel | 9825<n>@celforce.com | Activation method unknown. |
Goa Airtel | 919890<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Goa BPL Mobile | 9823<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Goa Idea Cellular | 9822<n>@ideacellular.net | Activation method unknown. |
Haryana Airtel | 919896<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Haryana Escotel | 9812<n>@escotelmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Himachal Pradesh Airtel | 919816<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Karnataka Airtel | 919845<n>@airtelkk.com | Activation method unknown. |
Kerala Airtel | 919895<n>@airtelkerala.com | Activation method unknown. |
Kerala Escotel | 9847<n>@escotelmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Kerala BPL Mobile | 9846<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Kolkata Airtel | 919831<n>@airtelkol.com or | Activation method unknown. |
Madhya Pradesh Airtel | 919893<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Maharashtra Airtel | 919890<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Maharashtra BPL Mobile | 9823<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Maharashtra Idea Cellular | 9822<n>@ideacellular.net | Activation method unknown. |
Mumbai Airtel | 919892<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Mumbai BPL Mobile | 9821<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Punjab Airtel | 919815<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Pondicherry BPL Mobile | 9843<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Tamil Nadu Airtel | 919894<n>@airtelmail.com | Activation method unknown. |
Tamil Nadu BPL Mobile | 919843<n>@bplmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Tamil Nadu Aircel | 9842<n>@airsms.com | Activation method unknown. |
Uttar Pradesh West Escotel | 9837<n>@escotelmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
Ireland | ||
Meteor | <n>@sms.mymeteor.ie | Activation method unknown. |
Italy | ||
TIM | 0<n>@timnet.com | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone | 3**<n>@sms.vodafone.it | Activation method unknown. |
Japan | ||
AU by KDDI | <n>@ezweb.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
NTT DoCoMo | <n>@docomo.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Chuugoku/Western | <n>@n.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Hokkaido | <n>@d.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Hokuriko/Central North | <n>@r.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Kansai/West, including Osaka | <n>@k.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Kanto/Koushin/East, including Tokyo | <n>@t.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Kyuushu/Okinawa | <n>@q.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Shikoku | <n>@s.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Touhoku/Niigata/North | <n>@h.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone Toukai/Central | <n>@c.vodafone.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Willcom | <n>@pdx.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Willcom di | <n>@di.pdx.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Willcom dj | <n>@dj.pdx.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Willcom dk | <n>@dk.pdx.ne.jp | Activation method unknown. |
Netherlands | ||
T-Mobile | 31<n>@gin.nl | Send EMAIL ON to 555. |
Orange | 0<n>@sms.orange.nl | Activation method unknown. |
Singapore | ||
M1 | <n>@m1.com.sg | Activation method unknown. |
South Africa | ||
Vodacom | <n>@voda.co.za | Activation method unknown. |
Spain | ||
Telefonica Movistar | 0<n>@movistar.net | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone | 0<n>@vodafone.es | Dial 178 for info. |
Sweden | ||
Tele2 | 0<n>@sms.tele2.se | Activation method unknown. |
United States | ||
Teleflip | <n>@teleflip.com | Activation method unknown. |
Alltel | <n>@message.alltel.com | Contact Alltel for information. |
Ameritech | <n>@paging.acswireless.com | Activation method unknown. |
ATT Wireless | <n>@txt.att.net | Activation method unknown. |
Bellsouth | <n>@bellsouth.cl | Activation method unknown. |
Boost | <n>@myboostmobile.com | Activation method unknown. |
CellularOne | <n>@mobile.celloneusa.com | Activated by default. |
Cingular | 1<n>@mobile.mycingular.com | Activation method unknown. |
Edge Wireless | <n>@sms.edgewireless.com | Activation method unknown. |
Sprint PCS | <n>@messaging.sprintpcs.com | Activation method unknown. |
T-Mobile | <n>@tmomail.net | Activation method unknown. |
Metro PCS | <n>@mymetropcs.com | Activation method unknown. |
Nextel | <n>@messaging.nextel.com | Activation method unknown. |
O2 | <n>@mobile.celloneusa.com | Activation method unknown. |
Orange | <n>@mobile.celloneusa.com | Activation method unknown. |
Qwest | <n>@qwestmp.com | Activation method unknown. |
Rogers Wireless | <n>@pcs.rogers.com | Activation method unknown. |
Telus Mobility | <n>@msg.telus.com | Activation method unknown. |
US Cellular | <n>@email.uscc.net | Activation method unknown. |
Verizon | <n>@vtext.com | Activation method unknown. |
Virgin Mobile | <n>@vmobl.com | Activation method unknown. |
United Kingdom | ||
O2 #1 | 44<n>@mobile.celloneusa.com | Send ON to 212. |
O2 #2 | 44<n>@mmail.co.uk | Send ON to 212. |
Orange | 0<n>@orange.net | Activate via website. |
T-Mobile | 0<n>@t-mobile.uk.net | Dial 191 for info. Activate via website. |
Virgin Mobile | 0<n>@vxtras.com | Activation method unknown. |
Vodafone | 0<n>@vodafone.net | Dial 242 for info. Activate via website. |