How Can I Receive My Mobile Text Messages Though Yahoo Messenger?
By Fred Decker
There are a number of instant-messaging programs available for casual chat. Some, such as Yahoo Messenger, offer a surprising range of features. For example, you can use Messenger to send texts to your friends or contacts and receive their texted replies. This is especially handy if your friends don't have data plans on their phones and can't use a Web-based interface.
From the Messenger Window
Step 1
Pull down the "Actions" menu and select "Send an SMS Message."
Step 2
Scroll through your list of contacts, select the person you wish to text, and click "OK."
Step 3
Type your message in the Messenger text box. When you're done, click "Send." The text will be delivered to your friend's phone. The response, when it comes, will be displayed in Messenger.
From Your Contacts List
Step 1
Scroll through your Yahoo Messenger contacts until you find the person you want to message.
Step 2
Right-click on that person's contact listing, then choose "SMS" from the pop-up menu.
Step 3
Type your message in the Messenger text box and click "Send." Your friend's response will be displayed in Messenger.
References
Tips
- SMS text messages can be sent from Yahoo Mail as well. Right-click on your contact's listing and select SMS from the resulting pop-up menu.
- Your friends won't be able to receive text messages unless their carrier is supported by Yahoo. In the United States, the list of approved carriers includes AT&T, Alltel, Sprint/Nextel, Verizon, T-Mobile and Virgin Mobile. In Canada, approved carriers are Rogers, Fido and Telus.
- A Messenger client is also available for cell phones, enabling you to use your phone's text functions to participate in Y! Messenger chats. This permits the use of Messenger without a data plan, though standard text rates apply. It can be a useful option if your cellular plan includes unlimited texting.
Warnings
- Although there's no cost to you, your friends will have to pay their normal costs for incoming and outgoing texts. It would be both prudent and considerate to keep a note in your contacts indicating which friends prefer not to be texted.
Writer Bio
Fred Decker is a trained chef and certified food-safety trainer. Decker wrote for the Saint John, New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal, and has been published in Canada's Hospitality and Foodservice magazine. He's held positions selling computers, insurance and mutual funds, and was educated at Memorial University of Newfoundland and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology.