WiFi Text?

[Chrisqo]

I'll start this off with the most likely answer is no so I don't sound like a complete *****, just a partial *****. I'm just sort of desperate to text under unreasonable conditions.

I'd really like to text someone who is an iPhone user (4s) using only WiFi. I know there are apps out there that let you do that. I don't have a concern about having to register some dummy number to run the program. My REAL question is there an app out there that will allow me to send a text message to someone WITHOUT having to download the same program on their phone. I'd like to send a text message using only WiFi without having the other side to have an alternative program, just their default program.

Pretty sure this will end up as a resounding no, but I have to ask.

 

[SpookDroid]

Well, the answer is NOT no. But it might be, depending on what you want to do.

1) The answer is YES if you want to send an SMS to an iPhone user. There are quite a few apps that offer texting for free, including Verizon's Messaging app (of course, you need to be on Verizon for this) or Google Voice (which you can get a new number for or port your current one). There are other apps out there for texting, too... just search the Play Store.

2) The answer is NO if you want to send an iMessage to an iPhone user. iMessage and SMS are NOT the same, and unfortunately, iMessage is not available for any other platform other than iDevices. If the iPhone you want to text doesn't have an active texting plan, they will not receive your SMS. They still receive iMessages through WiFi because that's like using Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp or similar IM apps. Apple just did a good job of integrating SMS and their own iMessage system into one app, which actually has the downside of making people think that iMessage is just SMS via WiFi for iPhones. It's not. It's a different messaging protocol.

 

[Chrisqo]

Thank you very much for your reply. It was obscenely quick and detailed. You answered my questions and then some. Once again, thanks.

 

[SpookDroid]

No problemo. Glad I could help.

 

[Rukbat]

You could also try an email to SMS gateway - http://martinfitzpatrick . name/list-of-email-to-sms-gateways/ (take out the spaces, there's a bug in the Android Central site) is a list of them for most carriers.

 

[SpookDroid]

You could also try an email to SMS gateway - http://martinfitzpatrick . name/list-of-email-to-sms-gateways/ (take out the spaces, there's a bug in the Android Central site) is a list of them for most carriers.

Yeah, but you need to know which carrier your destination number is using... I guess you could use all of them haha and have the wrong ones just bounce off the server. In any case, this still needs an active texting plan on the receiving end to work and some devices/carriers seem to have issues when replying to e-mail SMS's.