3 Ways to Send Free SMS Text Messages from a Computer

There’s several ways to send free SMS text messages, here’s the best ways I know of to send free texts from the computer, using either the AIM protocol (with iChat or Adium), Google’s GTalk within Gmail, and finally a free website known as GizmoSMS.

When using any of these methods, keep in mind the SMS messages may be free for you to send, but they are not necessarily free text messages for the other person to receive!

Send Free SMS Text Messages with AIM

We covered this in the past showing how to get free sms text messages on the iPhone but it’s certainly not just limited to the iPhone. Basically just send an instant message to a new screen name, but enter a phone number instead in the format +18885551212, send your instant message as usual but AIM will deliver the message through SMS and then you can talk as if it’s a normal instant message! This is my preferred method of sending SMS through the computer. (Works on Meebo too!)

Send SMS through Google Talk / Gmail

Enabled some time ago, you can now add phone numbers as a contact in GTalk / Gmail and send free SMS text messages this way, it works quite well to send SMS through a browser.

When the person responds to the text, it’s just like any other GTalk conversation within Gmail.

For Android users, these actually sync with their broader SMS / texts, which is a nice bonus.

Free web-based SMS with GizmoSMS

Another option is called GizmoSMS, accessible through this website, which is pretty straightforward and worked like a charm for every number that I tried it with. Basically just enter the phone number, the message, and the captcha code and away the message is sent. The downside to this method is that there is no way to specify where the message came from, so this is best for a last resort really.

If GizmoSMS doesn’t work, try out TxtDrop which does basically the same thing.

Don’t forget that though sending the messages is free for YOU, it may cost the recipient something, so be mindful of messaging charges!

Sending SMS Text Messages with Skype (paid)

Skype works to send SMS as well, by the way, but it’s not free. Instead you will need Skype credits.

iMessage (not SMS, but messages)

Of course iMessage is not SMS text messaging, but to talk to any other iPhone, Mac or iPad user it is free to use iMessager as communication method.

If you know of another way to send free SMS text message, share with us in the comments below!