Free SMS via Gmail now in SA

The Gmail SMS service allows users to send SMS messages to contacts for free, and receive replies via SMS within the same Gmail Chat dialogue box.

Gmail SMS has been activated in SA and is currently available for MTN and 8ta subscribers.

The Google service allows Gmail users to send free SMSes from within Gmail Chat. Replying via SMS from a phone to Gmail is, however, charged at regular SMS rates.

Google explains that in order to send an SMS to Gmail contacts, users must enter the contact's name in the "Search or invite friends" box in the Gmail Chat interface, and click on the new "Send SMS" option that appears in the list of available actions next to the contact's name.

In the dialogue box that appears, users must then enter themobile number they wish to associate with the selected contact. Once set up, a chat window will appear into which one can type a message as normal. On pressing enter, the message is sent directly to the specified mobile phone. Replies via SMS will appear in the same Chat window.

Google notes: "One thing to keep in mind about these numbers, though, is that after 30 days of inactivity, they'll get recycled. In other words, if your friend sends you an SMS message from Google Mail, but then doesn't send anyone an SMS from Google Mail for over a month, the number associated with his Google Mail account will become associated with another Google Mail account."

Google says users trying to send SMS messages to a recycled Gmail number will get a warning to say the message will be sent to another user.

Getting credit

Each user is given an SMS credit allocation of 50 messages. Each message sent via Gmail is one credit, and every time a user receives an SMS message in Chat, that user's credit increases by five, up to a maximum of 50.

"If your SMS credit goes down to zero at any point, it will increase back up to one 24 hours later. So, you won't ever be locked out of the system," says Google, explaining that extra credit can be "bought" simply by sending messages from Gmail to one's own phone and replying to that message via SMS multiple times.

The service is currently not supported by Vodacom and Cell C, and attempts to send SMS messages from Gmail return an error message. Both operators are, however, said to be looking into providing the service.

Vodacom's executive head of corporate affairs Richard Boorman says: "We're currently investigating the possibility of providing this service and we should be in a position to make a decision shortly."

A list of supported operators for the Gmail SMS service globally can be seen here.