How to send free SMS from Gmail (except to Zimbabwe)

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Log in to Gmail, then go to Settings and click Labs. Enable ‘SMS (text messaging) in Chat’ and then Save Changes. And you’re done.

Now you can send SMS messages to your contacts’ mobile phones using Gmail chat.

Enter your contact’s name in the ‘Search, chat or SMS’ box in Chat (which is now Chat and SMS).

Select Send SMS from the box of options that appears to the right of your contact’s name, or press Enter. If the number is in your contacts, it will open a normal Chat dialog box, and off you go.

If the number is not in your Contacts, a dialog box will appear. In the dialog box, enter a phone number in the ‘Send SMS messages to this number’ field. Click Save and you’re done.

A Chat window appears. Just type your message as you would normally. When you hit Enter, the message will be sent to the phone number you entered.

If your contact replies, the text message response will appear as a reply in Chat. These conversations are stored in your Chat history just like regular chats (but keep in mind that you can’t go off the record while communicating via SMS).

Google does not charge for using this service. However, mobile providers’ standard charges will apply to any SMS messages sent from a mobile device to Google Chat.

Here’s the thing, though; Zimbabwe is not on the list of countries that Google Chat supports. So you can only send to your peoples in other countries.

Happy texting.