iPhone Trick: Send and Receive Free Text (SMS) and Picture messages from iPhone 3G

If you're an SMS junkie then you might have figured out that you will have to purchase SMS plans separately starting at $5 for 200 messages as the iPhone 3G rate plans published by AT&T last week did not include SMS.

But before you buy one of those SMS plans, you might want to checkout this simple iPhone trick to send free unlimited text (SMS) and picture messages from your iPhone 3G.

AT&T's rate plans for the first generation iPhone included at least 200 free, monthly text messages, strangely they have not included it in the iPhone 3G rate plans.

So before you sign up for one of those rate plans, you should checkout this simple, four-step process that will allow you to send free unlimited picture and text messages from your iPhone 3G.

1. Create a new email message.
2. The important part of the trick is to also know the address of the friend you want to send a picture or text message to. Below is the list of common providers:

All you will need to do is enter the recipients 10 digit number instead of xxx..  in the To: box for picture messages depending on the your friend's carrier.
Alltel = xxxxxxxxxx@message.alltel.com
AT&T = xxxxxxxxxx@mms.att.net
Boost Mobile = xxxxxxxxxx@myboostmobile.com
Cingular (AT&T) = xxxxxxxxxx@mms.mycingular.com
Einstein PCS = xxxxxxxxxx@einsteinmms.com
Sprint = xxxxxxxxxx@messaging.sprintpcs.com
T-Mobile = xxxxxxxxxx@tmomail.net
US Cellular = xxxxxxxxxx@mms.uscc.net
Verizon Wireless = xxxxxxxxxx@vzwpix.com
Virgin Mobile = xxxxxxxxxx@vmobl.com

and the following for text messages:
Verizon: xxxxxxxxxx@vtext.com
AT&T: xxxxxxxxxx@txt.att.net
Sprint: xxxxxxxxxx@messaging.sprintpcs.com

T-Mobile: xxxxxxxxxx@tmomail.net

Nextel: xxxxxxxxxx@messaging.nextel.com

Cingular: xxxxxxxxxx@cingularme.com

Virgin Mobile: xxxxxxxxxx@vmobl.com

Alltel: xxxxxxxxxx@message.alltel.com

CellularOne: xxxxxxxxxx@mobile.celloneusa.com

Omnipoint: xxxxxxxxxx@omnipointpcs.com

Qwest: xxxxxxxxxx@qwestmp.com

3. Type a message and click send.
4. The message will be sent to the cell phone with the number in the To: box

The same principle works while receiving picture or text messages thanks to the built-in email client (however its not completely reliable). All your friend needs to do is send the picture as an email to the email account that has been setup on your iPhone for you to receive a picture message.

This iPhone trick should work with the original iPhone as well.

As always do let us know if this worked for you.

PS: I had written about this earlier, but at that time it was only for picture messages so I have added some info for the text messages as it is no longer free with AT&T's iPhone 3G rate plans.

 

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