MogoTXT, a San Mateo, Calif.-based startup, has launched a service that allows you to send free SMS messages from your iPod Touch, which uses Wi-Fi to connect to the Internet. The SMS messages, which are ad-supported, can be sent to either a single person or to groups. The service works with regular cell phones as well, as long as they have a web browser — and just not if the carrier is Verizon.
To be clear: You can’t can send and receive SMS messages on your iPod Touch with this service, just send them. MogoTXT is using an IP-to-SMS gateway, so it doesn’t cost the sender any fees. And you need to be registered to send messages, which is clearly MogoTXT’s way of preventing abuse from spammers. The company also plans to make the service work with any networked or WiFi-enabled device, including video game consoles.
Related Reading: 5 ways to SMS for free
Important note, apparently your friends must also sign up for MogoTXT for this work. I just tried to add a friend and it just tells me they need to join MogoTXT.
This is not very useful unless you make your friends join this website (which probably ain’t going to happen).
One-way SMS from someone who most likely has a mobile phone with a bucket of SMS. Am I missing something?
It’s actually two way, and you can chat with several people at once. they can reply from their phone and i get it on my ipod touch.. pretty straightforward and cool
it looks like it works with any cell phone via SMS….
Awesome, it’s cool to have access to texting on an ipod touch.
Hi everyone. I am Andrew Won, Mogotxt’s Chief Operating Officer.
I thought I would write a quick note to hopefully correct GigaOM’s coverage about Mogotxt’s new services.
You do not need a cell phone with a browser to use Mogotxt’s service. You can use any old cell phone and you can text using Mogotxt exactly the way you already text. We kept it simple.
Mogotxt is the first and only company to offer the following:
1. Free mobile-to-mobile texting to and from any cell phone, Apple iPod Touch or computer. (Very soon, Mogotxt will also roll out SMS service for the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP devices. A native SMS application for the Apple iPod Touch (also useable on the iPhone) is also in the works).
2. Free one-to-one text messaging that allows SMS messages to be easily sent and received among cell phones and iPod Touches. (As noted, other Wi-Fi or other network-enabled devices will be supported soon).
3. Free reply-all, group texting messaging (chat) with an unlimited number of cell phones and iPod Touches. (Again, other Wi-Fi or network-enabled devices to be supported soon).
4. A number of advanced features that enable users on the fly to (a) initiate and conduct up to five group chats simultaneously, (b) invite others to join ongoing chats, (c) join or quit ongoing chats, and (d) manage their mobile lifestyle via a brand new message management console.
Please try out Mogotxt’s services. We worked hard to make it both slick and very easy to use. It’s free. Peace.
Please write to us if you have any questions. We will answer.
Will the service also work outside of the US? Say the UK for example? Would i be able to send txt messages from my ipod touch to a UK mobile phone?
Daniel,
If you have an iPod Touch and want to have SMS communications with another iPod Touch or computer, you can do this right now with our system from and to anywhere in the world. This will soon be true as well for the Nintendo DS, Sony PSP and other Wi-Fi or network-enabled devices.
As for access to cellular networks, our connectivity is limited to U.S. mobile carriers right now, although we have heard from our users that they can also receive our text messages in Canada. Just getting clearance for our service from U.S. mobile carriers was unbelievably hard because we pushed for and ultimately received permission to offer just about every SMS-related service possible. Where we differ from other SMS companies is that we offer a complete range of capabilities.
Because some of our investors are European, we are already looking at extending our services abroad. Please be sure to look for announcements in this regard soon on our website at http://www.mogotxt.com
Best.
Be warned you get what you pay for, if you don’t want adds, abilty to msg anyone on any network and want every network globally then http://www.flextxt.com/ipod.html works great. The international message costs are a lot cheaper than msging from your mobile!
this sms thung doesnt seem to work for people in uk. I tried to sign up and i entered my POSTCODE but there was enough spaces in the box to type the whole thing. Has anyone in uk gt it working and if not then is there an alternative.
Dear James,
At present, Mogotxt offers its service only in the United States. We have heard from some of our users that Mogotxt’s service also works in parts of Canada but we can’t confirm this.
We are working on expanding our service to Europe so please look for future announcements.
We have a lot of great new services and features in the works so please visit our site periodically to check.
Andy
There isn’t much that works for UK users..
If you use Orange on your mobile you can send 30 free txts a month from the Orange website using your ipod touch or your pc.
https://services.orange.co.uk/sam/templates/web/sign_in.htm
There is a new site that i found that lets you send txt messages from your pc for just 2p a txt It works on the ipod touch.
when you register it credits you with 20p (10 free txts) I tried it and it works.
http://www.fishtext.com/cgi-bin/account?page=
How do u get this?
I thought u can send text messages through the notes?or am I wrong?
From,
My iPod touch
cool
ok! its seems be pretty cool, this service. But how can others cell companies let you use it, if its free?
Also, i wonder know, i am in Canada (QC) and i want send sms from my ipod touch to cellphone of my father, so what i can do to set it free not only for me but also for my father, while he receive them? Is it possible? Thank you.