Forward text messages to email with a virtual phone number

Q: I was wondering if there's a free service out there that you can use to have text messages sent to. There are more & more companies using texting as a way to communicate coupons, sales and codes (ie Redbox). I do not have texting on my phone plan because frankly we just don't need it yet and don't want to incure the extra costs. Thanks for your perspective! - Tracy (location unknown)

A: I have to admit this one really stumped me for a while. I didn't know of anything off-hand so I hit the Internet and started doing some Google searches.

I found a few services that offer what is called a virtual mobile number but they were mostly geared towards business customers wanting a central mobile or text number for their business.

So to answer your question, I did the next best thing. I asked my peers. And lo and behold, one came through for me. And with an answer that was staring me right in the face the whole time! So while I will be the one answering your question on my blog, credit is owed to @ahow628 on Twitter for steering me in the right direction.

Free and easy

The simplest solution is to get a Google Voice number. The service is free and all it takes to get one is a Google account, which just so happens to also be free.

Start by going to voice.google.com. If you don't already have a Google account, click the Create an account button. If you already have a Google account (ex: a Gmail address) just sign in with that.

I don't have the space to go through the entire setup of a Google Voice number but it's pretty straight-forward and by the time you are done you will have your own virtual phone number.

But we're not quite done yet. In order to get text messages sent to your Google Voice number sent to your email address you need to make a tiny tweak to your Google Voice number. Here's how:

1. Using the Settings | Voice Settings link near the top right of your Google Voice page.

2. Click the link for the Voicemail & Text tab.

3. Check the box next to Forward text messages to my email.

4. Finally, click the Save changes button.

That's it. Now you can freely give out your Google Voice number to services like Redbox and have any text messages sent to you automatically forwarded to your Gmail address!

Note: This solution works only with a Gmail address and will not work with any other email provider.

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