Send and receive text messages without a cell phone?

[Carson Dyle]

Is there some way that you can both send and _receive_ text messages from a computer _without_ a cell phone? I've seen some software and services that will let you tie into a mobile account, but nothing that works without one.

 

[Printer Bandit]

On a Mac using the Messages app?

 

[lxskllr]

GoogleVoice?

 

[GeekDrew]

Google Voice does exactly this.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

GoogleVoice?

Yes.

 

[Carson Dyle]

I looked at Google Voice and it appears to want to be tied to a phone.

"Before choosing a Google Voice number, please add a forwarding phone that will ring when that number is called. You can add more forwarding phones later."

 

[lxskllr]

Dunno how they do it now, but back when I used it, I had a prepaid number I barely maintained. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, but GoogleVoice always worked.

What exactly do you want to do? Something like im would be easier and more secure, but of course your partner would have to use it also.

 

[Carson Dyle]

What exactly do you want to do?

I want to text an online merchant to receive a coupon code, which will be texted back to me. It appears to be the only way to get the code. My cell phone is on the blink right now for some reason ("no service"), so I can't receive a text, nor can I activate the Google Voice account, since it wants to be tied to a phone and needs to dial the number for verification.

 

[lxskllr]

I want to text an online merchant to receive a coupon code, which will be texted back to me. It appears to be the only way to get the code. My cell phone is on the blink right now for some reason ("no service"), so I can't receive a text, nor can I activate the Google Voice account, since it wants to be tied to a phone and needs to dial the number for verification.

Check this out...

http://www.sendsmsnow.com/

Found via this search(may be others that will work if the above doesn't)

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=send+receive+sms+online

 

[holden j caufield]

you can sign up for pinger and install their desktop app and text from your pc.

 

[Conroe]

It can be done from AOL mail.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Pinger (textfree web) looked promising ... they give you a phone number. But it won't let you text to a short number.

 

[Dari]

I looked at Google Voice and it appears to want to be tied to a phone.

"Before choosing a Google Voice number, please add a forwarding phone that will ring when that number is called. You can add more forwarding phones later."

Yeah, you can add the forwarding number. But all you have to do is give out your Google Voice (GV) number. You can set everything up in the Google Voice settings so that your real phone number never gets any text or phone calls from your GV number. Google will check every year or so to make sure you have that forwarding number but they really don't care.

 

[Soapy Bones]

Google voice does what you want and if that merchant gets annoying you can easily block them. I'm moving almost all of that activity to google voice

 

[Captante]

You can also send email to text messages with some cell providers. For example with Verizon (or a Verizon Straight-talk/Trac-phone) you use:

phonenumber@vtext.com (numbers only)

 

[Rakehellion]

I want to text an online merchant to receive a coupon code, which will be texted back to me. It appears to be the only way to get the code. My cell phone is on the blink right now for some reason ("no service"), so I can't receive a text, nor can I activate the Google Voice account, since it wants to be tied to a phone and needs to dial the number for verification.

Get a friend to do it for you.

 

[Carson Dyle]

You can also send email to text messages with some cell providers. For example with Verizon (or a Verizon Straight-talk/Trac-phone) you use:

phonenumber@vtext.com (numbers only)

Where does the reply show up?

 

[Carson Dyle]

You can also send email to text messages with some cell providers. For example with Verizon (or a Verizon Straight-talk/Trac-phone) you use:

phonenumber@vtext.com (numbers only)

Nevermind. I just realized that's for send messages _to_ Verizon accounts. Duh.

 

[Captante]

Nevermind. I just realized that's for send messages _to_ Verizon accounts. Duh.

It works pretty well too ... they can reply & it will go straight to your inbox.