You can still use email to text someone, but the free method only works for a shrinking list of carriers, so the direct answer depends on who you're trying to reach. For most people, the reliable path forward is either a limited free option for specific carriers or a paid email-to-text service that works with every major provider.
Can you still use email to text someone?
Most major U.S. mobile carriers have discontinued or are in the process of discontinuing their free email-to-text gateway services. AT&T's gateways were shut down on June 17, 2025, and messages sent to them now silently fail. Verizon's gateways are scheduled to be fully shut down by March 31, 2027, and are already experiencing degraded service. This means the free method you may have used in the past no longer works for many recipients. The two paths forward are: a limited free method for carriers that still support it, and a paid method that reliably reaches anyone.
How to send a text from email for free (limited carriers)
For carriers where the gateway still works, compose an email with the recipient's 10-digit phone number followed by the carrier's gateway domain in the "To" field. The message body should be kept concise; standard SMS messages are limited to 160 characters using GSM-7 encoding. If special characters or emojis are used, the SMS character limit drops to 70 characters due to UCS-2 encoding. Some carriers do not convert emails with more than 160 characters into MMS; instead, they send them as two or more SMS messages. This free method works for US Cellular and Google Fi subscribers. A Free Carrier Lookup Service can be used to find SMS and MMS domain gateways for a number if the carrier isn't on the provided list. Some networks only offer MMS services depending on the recipient's messaging service plan, meaning recipients of email-to-MMS messages may face additional charges to view their mail.
- Determine the recipient's carrier. If it is US Cellular or Google Fi, proceed.
- Enter the recipient's 10-digit phone number (no country code) in the "To" field of your email.
- Add the carrier's gateway domain after the number with an @ symbol. For US Cellular, use @email.uscc.net for SMS and @MMS.uscc.net for MMS. For Google Fi, use @msg.fi.google.com for both SMS and MMS.
- Keep your message within 160 characters if using plain text, or 70 characters if using emojis or special characters.
- Send the email. The recipient will receive it as a text message.
The reliable alternative: paid email-to-text services
For reliable email-to-text functionality, especially for business use or to reach recipients on major carriers that have shut down their free gateways, a paid third-party email-to-SMS service is now the practical alternative. These paid services route messages through 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) registered numbers, which are compliant with current industry standards and offer higher delivery rates. They are suitable for both personal and business use, and they work for AT&T, Verizon, and all other carriers. You sign up for the service, compose your email through their provided interface or API, and the message is delivered as a text to any phone number you specify. The 'Send Your Email to SMS' Google Chrome extension embeds into Gmail and saves you the need to find the network gateway domain by just requiring the recipient's mobile number. Commercial SMS/MMS network gateways like ClickSend and SMSGlobal offer business communication suites with features like bulk messaging, two-way messaging, API access, and Microsoft Outlook compatibility. Web app services like MessageMedia offer a separate email service as part of a comprehensive business communication suite.
Why free carrier email gateways shut down
The free carrier gateways were not designed for business or automated messaging and were prone to spam and phishing abuse, which contributed to their shutdown. AT&T and Verizon ended their services because spammers and phishers exploited the gateways to send bulk unsolicited messages that bypassed normal carrier filters. Carriers and MVNOs may throttle your data or block the sending of your messages entirely because the free email-to-text service essentially provides 'free' texting. If your messages fail when using a free gateway, you are not doing anything wrong, the system itself has been disabled or degraded by the carrier.
Other easy ways to text from a computer
If you prefer a non-email solution, there are other easy ways to text from a computer. You can use iMessage on Mac systems, Android Messages on Windows and Linux, or the Your Phone Companion app on Windows 10. These methods sync with your phone and let you send and receive texts directly from your computer without relying on carrier gateways. For those exploring privacy options, you might also consider the 13 best apps for sending anonymous message or text, which provide additional control over sender identity. If you need to manage text messaging and T-Mobile texts specifically, T-Mobile offers its own web-based messaging interface through T-Mobile Digits, which lets you access your text messaging and T-Mobile texts from any device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send an email to a text message internationally?
International carriers have their own gateway domains, but many have also shut down these services. carriers only. Paid email-to-text services typically support international numbers.
Will the recipient see my email address as the sender?
When using free carrier gateways, the recipient sees the sender as a short code or a number starting with 10101, not your email address. Paid services often allow you to set a custom sender ID or reply-to address.
What happens if I send a message longer than 160 characters?
If you use plain ASCII text, messages over 160 characters are typically split into multiple SMS messages. If you use emojis or special characters, the limit drops to 70 characters per message. Some carriers convert longer messages to MMS automatically.
Can I send attachments like photos from email to text?
Yes, but only if you use the carrier's MMS gateway domain (e.g., @MMS.uscc.net for US Cellular) and the recipient's carrier supports MMS from email. For carriers that have shut down their gateways, attachments will not be delivered.
Why did my email to a Verizon number stop working?
Messages sent to @vtext.com or @vzwpix.com may silently fail or be delayed. A paid email-to-text service is the reliable alternative for Verizon recipients.
