[goliatham]

Is there a free way of sending SMS messages from my BB.
I know i can use such things as [email protected] to send someone an SMS from my email account.
But I have alot of contacts, and I'm not sure which carriers they are with.
Are there any BB apps for this, or mobile sites that have this capability?

[Radius]

Go to your carrier's website, many of them have a web based SMS page. The only drawback is they can't respond to you.

Otherwise I can't think of a truly free SMS package off the top of my hear. I suspect if it were so easy no one would ever buy an SMS package from any carrier.

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[amojeba]

You can use your free AIM or Yahoo IM app. Just add your friend's cell numbers to it, and you can message them (and they can message back) all you want.
It's free, so long as your have an unlimited BB data plan.

[goliatham]

a few questions.
1. Does it look weird in their inbox?
2. Can they reply?
3. If they reply, how does it get to me...still via the AIM app?
4. I've never looked into the IM apps. Any recomendations or some pros and cons some of the different options.

[bmwmpower]

Next thing you know, people will be asking how to make calls for free. If you can't afford SMS, then maybe you shouldn't have got a Blackberry. If your parents restrict your phone plan, then that's another story.

[Radius]

First, check who they support. For instance, Yahoo only supports Rogers in Canada, and AT&T, Cingular, Verizon and T-Mobile in the USA. If you have any international contacts, hope they are in a major world hub.

I don't go this route for a number of reasons, which is why I forgot about it.

Plus many of my contacts aren't on a supported network as I do a lot of international SMS's a month.

[Xopher]

Another option is Google Voice. You can send SMS messages through the app for free.

[amojeba]

a few questions.
1. Does it look weird in their inbox?
2. Can they reply?
3. If they reply, how does it get to me...still via the AIM app?
4. I've never looked into the IM apps. Any recomendations or some pros and cons some of the different options.

The SMS looks the same to the receipient, however it will NOT have your phone number showing. It will be a random #...I'm not sure if that number remains the same once you sign off / on instant messenger.

Take it from me - I've tried it before, it's a pain. Just get the SMS plan. I have an unlimited texting plan, and have much more piece of mind knowing I don't have to worry about additional overage fees or checking my usage for the month.

[trucky]

Another option is Google Voice. You can send SMS messages through the app for free.

+1 for GV, plus you can send and receive SMS from your desktop through your browser. Way cool stuff.

[elvin1983]

Just get the SMS plan. I have an unlimited texting plan, and have much more piece of mind knowing I don't have to worry about additional overage fees or checking my usage for the month.

I agree, and anymore, a text plan is really fairly priced. If you're going to be texting, why wouldn't you want to text like your BB is supposed to, not thru some round about way that you might not get responses and such... Pony up the extra $10 and text away... eat PB and J for a day, or, work an hour of overtime... It'll be worth it... trust us...

[tech_head]

Text SMS is overpriced.
It uses a low bandwidth data channel that he carriers have to maintain anyway. They found a way to profit from it. The reason SMS is limited to 160 characters has to do with the channel it's carried on. A 160 character message takes up no bandwidth on the regular cell network.

I have push email on my BB. The only reason to have text is because other people might text you.

$10 for unlimited texting. I already pay $30 for unlimited data and email.

[Radius]

Actually the cap has nothing to do with bandwidth. It was determined arbitrarily by a researcher who decided that was the average short message people would send after some experimentation.

If I can find the article that's quoted on I will post a link, it's on Slashdot somewhere.

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[PhotogJ]

Another option is Google Voice. You can send SMS messages through the app for free.

+1 for GV, plus you can send and receive SMS from your desktop through your browser. Way cool stuff.

Totally agree, Google Voice is awesome for sms and many more call related features. Have a Look Google Voice

[Tripster]

Nothing is really free!

Thnx, �Tripster�

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[ctylerforrest]

Next thing you know, people will be asking how to make calls for free. If you can't afford SMS, then maybe you shouldn't have got a Blackberry. If your parents restrict your phone plan, then that's another story.

Yeah really, what is it like $5 a month for unlimited? Mow the yard or clean the kitchen for 15 minutes and then you can afford to text...

[eve6er69]

Seriously BIS and no txt?
Why r u complaining you have a blackberry, send a damn email that's what there for. You have a lot of contacts and not a lot of time? Its not like you are txting them. Lol
You only have to add them in once to everybodys profile and then it will go through just like a txt.
Instead of spending all this time trying to figure a way around it you could have spent it altering your friends adress entry's

Or

All your friends could get berry's and you could just bbm them

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[rockigirl]

Another vote for GV. Unlimited texting is too expensive for me so free sms with GV comes in handy.

[goliatham]

GV works well, but I'm not yet convinced on needing to change my number. Once they get the porting working, I'll be all over it.

For now, I found out that there is a iphone webapp on txtdrop's website. The site works fine on my pearl, in IE emulation mode(didn't bother trying any other modes).
TxtDrop iPhone Free Text Messaging App
You enter your email, their phone # and a message.

They get the SMS from your email. When they reply it comes to you as an email, and you can see their carrier info.

My plan is that as I text I'll use this page the first time, as I get replies I'll fill their txt email addy into my address book.

Once I get each person's info, I can just send messages as an email.

If they change carriers, I'll just get a failed email, and I'll try again using txtdrop.

[fabuloso]

ATT has texting from email too.

PHONE#@txt.att.net

AND - Google Voice.

[GNICE]

You must be bugging man AT&T Unlimited Text is an extra $20 dollars Plus $30 for BB and another $40 for you minutes, S#$T i just stick to my 200 Text messages and email the rest. I wish unlimited was $5 extra i would be all over that. But since i don't really text much am good. Anyways imma check that GV out to see how it works, sounds pretty interesting

[viksra]

Google Voice (like others suggested) is great... but it's in a private beta right now and you need to get an invite from someone.

Only thing I don't like about Google Voice is that it seems to take a while before it pushes the SMS to your phone... it shows up immediately if you refresh it manually... but they need to work on it being pushed to the phone quicker

[twcw5804]

for verizon go to www.vtext.com to send from website.

[itsdollar]

The vzw website is a good option but I agree with some of the other posts, if you can afford the extra 10-20$ just get unlimited or try to stay within your plan. Your contacts should have email. That's even better especially since you have a blackberry and that's a huge part of what blackberrys do best.

[poiuytrez]

Usually I use VoipBusterSMS. SMS are sent throw data network, not free but very cheap.

[branden3112]

What I do is use Google Voice, have it notify me via my Gmail, and then respond via the GV app.

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