ExRx.net

I am looking to save some bucks and switching cell phone carriers to one that does not offer unlimited texting since it is a prepay service. And considering the sheer volume of texting I do, if I continued what I was doing I'd use up my prepaid minutes way to fast. There is a way to send texts on the computer though thru yahoo and various other means. Anyone know anything about this? If the other person I am sending too still has unlimited texting, will these texts charge them anything? Texts comin from a computer don't come in as data charge for cells do they? I know there is a bunch of tech savvy people on here, that's why I'm asking here. Google couldn't answer me this!

Pretty sure computer texts cost the person sending and receiving with the phone.

They are not covered under unlimited text as far as I know.

I have been wrong before.

Google will let you get a google telephone number and you can text for that for free.

This is only outgoing texts, the incoming texts will still be charged to your phone texting plan, but effectively this doubles your texting but you have to do it from your computer, although if you have a smartphone you could text this way from your phone browser. That said, if you have a smartphone, you are already likely getting unlimited text.

I have an iphone with a limited texting plan from AT&T. Why pay for what someone else is offering FOC?

What I did is sign up for google voice. As mentioned above it assigns you an outgoing and incoming phone number. You can send and receive unlimited SMS texts from your computer (or in my case my iphone as well). The receiving party will only be charged if they do not have an unlimited texting plan or they have reached their text limit for the month. Google sends out the SMS text to the phone number not through the data plan. It will show up in the recipients message inbox as normal.

I am pretty sure that google voice will notallow you to send a MMS message (pictures) but, I don't know about receiving them.

If you sign up, just be sure to turn off the send text to mobile feature. Otherwise you will get two notifications of incoming texts. At least that's the way it was working for me.

Hope some of that helped.

I don't really know too much about it yet as I only signed up about a week ago. Apple finally approved the GV app.......

Travis

Actually yes guys that has been helpful. Off I go to google to check it out.

I just thought I would share this neat little thing with google as well. I went and signed up for google voice and got my own phone number and all, and so now i can text from a separate, but free number to everyone I know. But I also figured out a way to talk on google for free too on my computer. You can make outgoing calls on gmail without a phone itself (not google voice though, cause you need a VoiP authenticated phone, whatever that means). I just hooked up the mic I have to my computer through a USB port (it isn't a normal computer mic not sure how those work) and I can call whoever I want on my computer! It's kinda neat actually. I think it would be a compromise for those who talk a ton on their cell and don't want to pay for unlimited minutes. So I'm saving tons of $$$ on phone service now...

Anyone else have any ideas on howto save on random things, I'm all ears.

You can also "instant message" phone numbers from gchat on the gmail webpage, which is what it appears the OP wants to do. The number you're messaging just gets a text from some California number. This functionality can be enabled in the "labs" settings.