So, you want to send and receive free text messages with your Windows Mobile 5 device? Read more, we’ll tell you how, and it’s easier than you think.
First and foremost, you need to have the Messaging MSFP on your device. This means that you have to be running AKU 2.0 or higher. You can check this by looking at the build version in Settings > System > About. The last numbers are your AKU version. If you do not have AKU2, check the Knowledge Base to see if an update is available for your device.
Next, setup a Mail2Web account. Mail2Web is a free service that provides you with a Microsoft Exchange Push Email account. This allows you to send and receive emails instantly, and they also have a guide on their web site for setting up with your Windows Mobile device. Finally, you need to re-code your text message contacts with a new email address, representing their text message email.
And, to make it easier for you to do that, here are all the U.S. numbers:
Alltel: number@message.alltel.com
Cingular: number@mobile.mycingular.net
Cingular (former AT&T Wireless): number@mmode.com
Sprint PCS: number@messaging.sprint.com
Nextel: number@messaging.nextel.com
Qwest: number@qwestmp.com
T-Mobile: number@tmomail.net
Verizon: number@vtext.com
Unsure whose carrier a user is on? The easiest way is to call them of course, but you can also set up a rule action to send to all the carriers at once. Then, you simply enter the 10-digit number and it will send to all U.S. carriers, routing through to the proper one on the customer end.
Want a how-to on that? Send us feedback and we’ll write a guide.
Now, when you want to text someone, simply go to your contacts and send an email using the SMS address. Mail2Web will send the email, and the carrier will pass it onto the phone. The receipient can reply to you as if any other phone sent the message (in most cases… some providers do not relay the email, if this happens simply attach your Mail2Web email at the bottom of the message).
Keep in mind that you are sending a text message. Limit your message to 160 characters and do not send any attachments or images. MMS support does vary based on carrier, feel free to discuss that further in the forums, using the link below.
