Did you know you can send text messages from your desktop or laptop email program, or even webmail? It is an easy and convenient way to send meeting reminders to the Sea Scouts, and their parents. Messages are delivered individually, not as group texts. Replies come back to your inbox. And you can maintain your contact info in one place. This is a great way to keep in contact, without the need to try and figure out how to send text messages from your phone.
You will need to know the recipient’s phone number and wireless carrier (e.g., Verizon or AT&T). Combine the 10 digit phone number and the carrier’s domain, separated by @, to form an email address.
For example,if the recipient’s mobile phone number is 333-555-1234 and carrier is Verizon,the “To” address would be 3335551234@vtext.com
Here are the domains for several common cellphone companies:
| Carrier | Domain |
|---|---|
| AT&T | txt.att.net |
| Sprint | messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| T-Mobile | tmomail.net |
| Verizon | vtext.com |
If you’d like to see a comprehensive list of cellphone carrier domains, then check out: emailtextmessages.com
Another great option is the free web service, Remind, which will allow your Sea Scouts & parents to “opt-in” to receiving messages. And Remind can send both email addresses, and text, without the need for you to know all those email hacks I mentioned above.
As a Youth Protection reminder, you should never communicate with any Sea Scout via one-on-one text messages or email. Always include another leader in your communications.