Free Unlimited SMS Messages

[MacRumors]

Macsimumnews provides a tip on how to send and receive unlimited SMS messages from your iPhone (assuming you have an unlimited data plan). The steps are as follows:

1. Create a new email message.
2. In the To: box, type 10digitnumber@teleflip.com. (1235551234@teleflip.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
5. All recieved text messages will be sent to you as an email.

They use the free service Teleflip.com to route your email messages to SMS and back. The service is free.

This means you won't be getting instant notifications of these SMS->email messages since you have to wait until your email updates. This will be far less of an issue once MobileMe is deployed as you will be able to get Push email sent to your iPhone.

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[Rozvagyj]

another way to do it is through AIM. with iphone 1.XX just go to meebo.com and use sign into AOL instant messenger. for the buddy put "+13101234567"

the message will be received to the phone as

"aim screen name (you can reply to this message) blah blah blah"

and using meebo will give you instantaneous responses!

[Akaal]

i dont understand, how does this work, does it work in the UK?

im gona get iphone 3g soon, and gona have a bundle of unlimited text messages put on my phone plan. do i still need this if i want to send unlimited text messages?

[Rozvagyj]

no. its for people that dont want to waste txt messages.

[NorfolkMustard]

Available in US and CAN only. Not UK (etc)

[amusiccale]

I've been using this on AIM for a while. Good tip!

[Tony25]

Originally Posted by Rozvagyj

no. its for people that dont want to waste txt messages.

I'm still confuse. How does it help from not wasting text messages? I understand the recieving part of it but how about when I want to send a reply? I will have to send it via a text message, right?

[therevolution]

Originally Posted by Tony25

I'm still confuse. How does it help from not wasting text messages? I understand the recieving part of it but how about when I want to send a reply? I will have to send it via a text message, right?

Maybe a picture will help?

       Email               SMS
You <--------> Teleflip <-------> Recipient

You send email to Teleflip, they send SMS to the recipient. If the recipient replies via SMS, it's sent to your Teleflip number and then relayed to you as an email.

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Originally Posted by Tony25

I'm still confuse. How does it help from not wasting text messages? I understand the recieving part of it but how about when I want to send a reply? I will have to send it via a text message, right?

no, you send it through email. They reply to your email. It's all email, except your friend would be sending txts.

[Rozvagyj]

Originally Posted by Tony25

I'm still confuse. How does it help from not wasting text messages? I understand the recieving part of it but how about when I want to send a reply? I will have to send it via a text message, right?

yea. using an email service thingy to save txts seems like a hassle. thats why i use aim to txt all the time...

its very simple and easy to use... lol. and the reciever can always txt back but just pressing reply...

[arn]

Originally Posted by Akaal

i dont understand, how does this work, does it work in the UK?

im gona get iphone 3g soon, and gona have a bundle of unlimited text messages put on my phone plan. do i still need this if i want to send unlimited text messages?

U.S. Canada only.

It converts your email to an SMS for delivery to others and reply SMS's into emails back to you,

arn

[thechidz]

ive actually been doing this for a few weeks now. only problem is if people try to reply to your text you wont receive it. they have to start a new text to send you so make sure you tell your contacts how to do it

[L3X]

Cool, my wife and I can do this. We're not paying for txt messages on our iPhone 3G.

[FreeState]

Originally Posted by L3X

Cool, my wife and I can do this. We're not paying for txt messages on our iPhone 3G.

Why not just use email then? Since its in your email already?

[BVGuitarPlayer]

Originally Posted by L3X

Cool, my wife and I can do this. We're not paying for txt messages on our iPhone 3G.

Why not just use MobileMe (.Mac soon) or Yahoo for push mail? Same thing, but better.

[bretm]

Originally Posted by BVGuitarPlayer

Why not just use MobileMe (.Mac soon) or Yahoo for push mail? Same thing, but better.

Because the person on the other end probably doesn't a have a cool iphone with email or unlimited data like you do. But they probably do have a crappy phone with unlimited sms/mms messaging. Duh?

Originally Posted by Rozvagyj

yea. using an email service thingy to save txts seems like a hassle. thats why i use aim to txt all the time...

its very simple and easy to use... lol. and the reciever can always txt back but just pressing reply...

Your buddy would be getting normal sms messages and would simply hit reply. You'd be operating from your mailbox, and they'd be operating from the sms messaging.

[BVGuitarPlayer]

This is a forum for people obsessed with their Macs. How many iPhones have been sold? Who doesn't have one?

[Dakotafan]

not sure if I should go with this or not.

[Jstick]

i am confused. cant you just send emails to your friends phone number like xxxxxxxxxx@vtext.com and whatever the att one is.

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Originally Posted by Jstick

i am confused. cant you just send emails to your friends phone number like xxxxxxxxxx@vtext.com and whatever the att one is.

yes, that's one way. The reason why there's teleflip is just in case you don't know the carrier that whoever you're sending the text to uses.

[Jstick]

Originally Posted by tuffluffjimmy

yes, that's one way. The reason why there's teleflip is just in case you don't know the carrier that whoever you're sending the text to uses.

oh i see....this is pretty stupid then

[VDA]

Sigh. Here we go again. The iPhone 3G hasn't even been released yet and already a hacking tool is published in order to "circumvent the system." Unbelievable.

Ok, so it's not really a hacking tool in the truest sense, but still you get my point. Just be an honest consumer and pay for any and all services rendered, for Christ's sake!!

I think we can all agree that with the wide-open access to the iPhone's software that the SDK has provided (worldwide, mind you) there will be more than a few security concerns shortly after it launches. Apple hasn't been a target because its products haven't saturated the market the way other platforms have, but with the iPhone 3G now being made more mass market-friendly with the "cheap" price, vast availability, and programming code access it's just a matter of time before every hacker, crook and lowlife on the planet exploits it --- especially when you consider how much of the Internet you're able to access with this device.

I hardly think this forum needs to offer additional "tips and tricks" to assist them...in my most humble opinion.

I can just picture it now --- having to install "Norton Internet Security 2009 for Iphone" on my frickin phone!!! That's another $79 charge on top of the near $100 I'll be paying for monthly service!!!

[Dakotafan]

Originally Posted by VDA

Sigh. Here we go again. The iPhone 3G hasn't even been released yet and already a hacking tool is published in order to "circumvent the system." Unbelievable.

Ok, so it's not really a hacking tool in the truest sense, but still you get my point. Just be an honest consumer and pay for any and all services rendered, for Christ's sake!!

I think we can all agree that with the wide-open access to the iPhone's software that the SDK has provided (worldwide, mind you) there will be more than a few security concerns shortly after it launches. Apple hasn't been a target because its products haven't saturated the market the way other platforms have, but with the iPhone 3G now being made more mass market-friendly with the "cheap" price, vast availability, and programming code access it's just a matter of time before every hacker, crook and lowlife on the planet exploits it --- especially when you consider how much of the Internet you're able to access with this device.

I hardly think this forum needs to offer additional "tips and tricks" to assist them...in my most humble opinion.

I can just picture it now --- having to install "Norton Internet Security 2009 for Iphone" on my frickin phone!!! That's another $79 charge on top of the near $100 I'll be paying for monthly service!!!

god forbid people would want to save a few bucks!

[GenericUsername]

Originally Posted by VDA

Sigh. Here we go again. The iPhone 3G hasn't even been released yet and already a hacking tool is published in order to "circumvent the system." Unbelievable.

Ok, so it's not really a hacking tool in the truest sense, but still you get my point. Just be an honest consumer and pay for any and all services rendered, for Christ's sake!!

What's dishonest about sending an e-mail rather than an SMS message? AT&T is willingly going to provide unlimited data service.

Originally Posted by VDA

I think we can all agree that with the wide-open access to the iPhone's software that the SDK has provided (worldwide, mind you) there will be more than a few security concerns shortly after it launches...

If an iPhone user doesn't get apps from anywhere other than the App Store, he or she should be safe. For one, Apple is supposed to vet all apps submitted for distribution through the App Store. For another, I doubt any malware writers will want to provide identifying information about themselves, which they'd have to do, via registration, to get apps distributed through the App Store.

[djdole]

Originally Posted by VDA

Just be an honest consumer and pay for any and all services rendered, for Christ's sake!!

There is nothing shady, dishonest or 'hacking' about this AT ALL.

Each cell phone already has an email address. Everyone with a cell phone is paying for that service.
That's all this is is making use of a service, paid for (the recipient phone's email address).

All teleflip does is slightly simplify the process by taking care of the translation from their email address recipientnumber@teleflip.com to the carrier's email address for the recipient. (ie recipientnumber@vtext.com etc)