Travel Technology - SMS Texting Services -Any way to use your phone but be invisible?

I've been getting into Text Messaging from my cell recently. I have T-Mobile. The problem isn't the cost of the messaging, but the obvious use of the service on my T-Mobile bill. We share a family plan and I don't want the same number popping up, daily. Any suggestions?

I've been getting into Text Messaging from my cell recently. I have T-Mobile. The problem isn't the cost of the messaging, but the obvious use of the service on my T-Mobile bill. We share a family plan and I don't want the same number popping up, daily. Any suggestions?

You could send SMS'es from your PC, either via a paid service like Telemessage (http://www.telemessage.com/), which allows you to send SMSes from Outlook or via a web interface, or you may be able to use the SMS'es-recipent's service provider's website. Finally, some/many SMS subscribers have essentially an email address, to which email are sent and then they get delivered as an SMS. For me, a Tmobile subscriber you would send an email to my10digittelno@tmomail.net

Not sure how accurate this list is...

1+AreaCode+MobileNumber@mobile.mycingular.com Cingular
AreaCode+MobileNumber@mmode.com former AT&T users on Cingular
AreaCode+MobileNumber@page.nextel.com Nextel
AreaCode+MobileNumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com Sprint (US)
AreaCode+MobileNumber@tmomail.com T-Mobile
AreaCode+MobileNumber@vtext.com Verizon
AreaCode+MobileNumber@vmobl.com Virgin Mobile (US customers only)
AreaCode+MobileNumber@teleflip.com All carriers


Or you could get a second Tmobile pre-paid SIM and swap that into your phone when trying to send your SMSes.

Or you could get a second Tmobile pre-paid SIM and swap that into your phone when trying to send your SMSes.

Probably the most practical solution for this kind of situation.

1. Correction: t-mobile addresses are <10 digit #>@tmomail.net.
2. You can use your phone to send emails vs. sms. Just send to the aforementioned address for the recipients phone. Emails go to SMS#500.

We share a family plan and I don't want the same number popping up, daily. Any suggestions?

Yes, write long letters instead. Gives a chance for the fire to burn down down a bit. ;)

You could send SMS'es from your PC, either via a paid service like Telemessage (http://www.telemessage.com/), which allows you to send SMSes from Outlook or via a web interface, or you may be able to use the SMS'es-recipent's service provider's website....

As someone else pointed out to me, you can also use teleflip.com Send an email to 10digitphonenumber@teleflip.com and it is delivered to the receipient's cell phone without having to know which carrier.

For complete privacy, you could use an anonymous remailer service ;)

I've tried several of the ways posted and they all worked. Teleflip.com is great. Now if I could make the line items for the TM I receive invisible, it would be better.

Does T-Mobile itemize SMS usage when you purchase the 300 or so message/month plans? That may be worth looking into...

Does T-Mobile itemize SMS usage when you purchase the 300 or so message/month plans? That may be worth looking into...
Yes, it's itemized.

Yes, it's itemized.

NO they do not. Got my bill yesteday and all messages were lumped together except those that were over the usage.

Can u use teleflip to send a msg to an International Number, and how does that work? Do u use +(then country code)?

{Edit}
Checked out teleflips site and they don’t work for the country I’m interested in, UK… So anyone know of a free web based msging service to an international number?

NO they do not. Got my bill yesteday and all messages were lumped together except those that were over the usage.
Interesting - mine are itemized. Perhaps it's the account type or region?

Update: Just checked my current bill - looks like they no longer provide this detail. I haven't check back to see when it stopped, but I'm pretty sure it was there in June, at least.