While not as likely these days, if you should you ever find yourself without your phone (or without your text messages working) and in need of sending a text message, you can still do so through your email account.
There are a few different ways to accomplish this with the first being sending an email as an SMS. Within your email client, you can compose your email whether on your smartphone or your computer. Rather than entering a recipient email address, you can add the 10-digit phone number of the person you would like to send to including the appropriate “@gateway” address behind the phone number. A list of some of the most common ones can be found here. Note if you message exceeds 160 characters it will be sent through the Multimedia Message Service (MMS); the person you are trying to reach will need a plan including this or they may be charged an extra fee.
If you plan to use email for texting often, there is a Chrome browser extension called Send Your Email to SMS (text) which is specifically designed to help send texts faster from Gmail. The extension will add a phone icon to your Gmail email window so if you type out the email you want to send and click on it, it will bring up a list of your Gmail contacts to choose from to send to. You’ll also receive replies on your Gmail and can continue the conversation this way.
Another option includes business-friendly web app services, like Message Media. To learn more about this and read through the mini guide on how to text via email, visit here.
