Send SMS (text messages) from Gmail

Another day, another addition to Google’s favourite beta endeavour – Gmail. This time, the company’s added the ability to send SMS (text messages) to mobile phones.

From today, click on Labs in your Gmail account (under Settings, or click the green phial icon from the front page) and you’ll be able to enable 'Text Messaging (SMS) in Chat', which tells you almost all you need to know. You can use it right away from a standard Gmail Chat window – just click the Switch to SMS link, type in a phone number and start texting.

Mind you, there is one major drawback. More after the cut.

Right now, Gmail’s new SMS feature works only with US-registered mobile phone numbers. On the plus side, though, Google hasn’t limited use of the facility to US Gmail account holders. So, if you’re a Blighty-based Gmailer with lots of US contacts, this provides a quick, simple and free way to send text messages to US mobile phones.

SMS numbers are automatically saved along with a contact’s details, so sending texts after set up is a simple case of clicking 'Send SMS'.

Google is keen to point out that the recipient’s phone will show the text as originating from a 406 area code, which apparently spells 'G0O'. Er, okay. As each contact’s messages will be routed through a different 406 number, recipients of your texts will be able to reply, with the responses showing up in the Gmail Chat window.

[ Official Gmail Blog]