Any non-mobile SMS secrets to share ?

[smallhagrid]

Hi Folks.

I live in a very rural area and let my cellular run out because it was just a paperweight here.

Been using google voice but soon I will be ditching that.

I got really spoiled by using the PC for SMSs to a few friends via GV - it can work 100% via email and that's just very cool - but not cool enough to be worth keeping with google services.

My query:

Does anyone here have any great ways to easily get & send SMS messages from the PC ??

There's alot of commercial services offering different ways to pay for different ways of doing SMS, I even found one that offers SMS via SMTP, and it's expensive.

There's also site-based ones that mostly sort of work some of the time - but are very unreliable.

I'm hoping for either something uber cheap or free that works pretty well that I can use via my desktop PC - could it be there's some sort of program I haven;t found that does this ??

One program that I did find that is totally free is Phoner=>

http://www.phoner.de/index_en.htm

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1359

It does SMS right in the app, but it's help is not in english and I have no idea how to configure it for SMS.

Thanks in advance for any helpful replies !!

Edited April 24, 2014 by smallhagrid

[Bob1st]

https://www.pinger.com/tfw/

[smallhagrid]

Pinger's Textfree online idea is pretty cool:

https://www.pinger.com/tfw/

Sadly, it mostly does what is shown in the attached screenie...

Aside of that is their Pinger desktop app - which I tried before (but forgot about...thanks !!), and it seems quite buggy - I may file a ticket with them and see if they know why.

Thanks...right now I am searching on softphone + sms and seem to have found some decent hits.

[jackieo]

EDIT.....THIS MAY OR MAY NOT WORK....FOR YOU...you said you dont have cell service....hmm o well, here it is

you can send & receive sms with yahoo messenger. tested and working :) ( oh wait, you said you dont have cell service)

well...you should still be able to SEND sms...anyway.. try it and see, if it works youre all set.

I use it to talk to my GF when my stupid tracfone runs out of minutes

you can also sms anyone on your contact list just add their phone # to their "Contact Details" and you're all set.

if they are offline, texting in the messenger window will go right to their phone, and when they call back to you, it will do the same

( you need to add YOUR phone # to your contact details) google for precise procedure, I cannot remember how I did it)

you will need to enable your phone at work with yahoo which is easy, it sends you a text message and a number code to your phone then you put that # in the box in the messenger config window and click apply...(something like that)

google for the procedure.

you need to be logged onto your phone # when you log off yahoo, (right click on task bar yahoo smiley)

to get sms texts in your yahoo messenger window.

if YOU are offline, and they send sms to YOU, a box will popup on your desktop showing the message when you logon to yahoo.

have fun.

you dont have to have a phone to send sms....but to recieve im not sure...

but for those who DO have a phone here is the config instructions.

I will save you some hassle, here it is

https://help.yahoo.com/kb/messenger/yahoo-messenger-sms-mobile-device-sln1673.html

Set up Yahoo Messenger texting (SMS) on your mobile device

Set up texting on Yahoo Messenger for your mobile device, how to change your listed mobile number, and how to deactivate the "I'm Mobile" service.

When you're away from your computer, you can still send and receive your Yahoo Messenger instant messages as text (SMS) messages on your mobile device. All you need to do is set up your mobile device in Yahoo Messenger on your computer.

Set up your mobile device

1. Sign in to Yahoo Messenger on your computer.
2. Click the mobile phone icon next to your display image and select Set up Mobile Phone. The Get Yahoo Messenger on Your Mobile Phone window opens.

3. Enter the telephone number of your mobile device in the Number | Continue.
   • You will receive a text message with a confirmation code on your mobile device. The Get Yahoo Messenger on Your Mobile Phone window changes and it asks you for the confirmation code you just received on your mobile device.
4. Enter the 4-digit confirmation code in the Enter code box and click to select the check box option for Automatically sign me into my mobile phone when I log out of Yahoo Messenger on my PC.
5. Click Next. (The Get Yahoo Messenger on Your Mobile Phone window changes to tell you that you've successfully registered your mobile device.)
6. Click Done.
   • You are now set up to send and receive text (SMS) messages using your mobile device. However, you have one final step to complete. You'll need to set up Yahoo Messenger to send your IMs as text (SMS) messages when you're not signed in to Yahoo Messenger on your computer.
7. Click the mobile phone icon next to your display image at the top of your messenger window and select Always Sign In to (your mobile number).

After you change this setting, all Yahoo Messenger IMs go directly to your mobile phone when you aren't signed in to Yahoo Messenger on your computer.

Change your listed mobile number in Yahoo Messenger

Please see the article, "Change your listed mobile number in Yahoo Messenger".

Additional Information

BlackBerry, Android or an iPhone owners can go to the Yahoo! for Mobile page to get the latest version of Yahoo Messenger that is designed specifically for your mobile device.

Edited April 25, 2014 by jackieo

[smallhagrid]

Thanks Jackieo.

Correct - I have no mobile anymore, also=>

I prefer to avoid using yahoo-made software if at all possible, sooo...:

I was testing portable IM clients today for SMS via yahoo, ICQ & AIM.

Miranda & Pidgin both baffled me...Pidgin looked like it worked, but didn't seem to send anything ??

Couldn't get yahoo to work for SMS on either of them - could be I'm just IM-challenged ??!

Still have yet to test Digby, Esmska & Ekiga though.

Actually - at 1st glance it looks like Ekiga.net might be a really good SMS solution, but I've yet to try it.

I'll post back after I've done some more testing.