Messaging comes in many forms! Email, text, and ringless voicemail are just three examples, and businesses can maximize their marketing by making use of multiple channels together. One feature that combines these is Email-to-Text. Email-to-Text allows users to convert an email to a text message (essentially exactly what it sounds like). Simply send your email to a specific address and that email will appear as a text message to the recipient(s).
Email-to-Text is a very useful feature, but past implementations within AT&T and Verizon both had their flaws. Thus, the two companies discontinued this feature in the past year. In this blog post, we dive into the who, when, why, what-to-do-now, and where-it-matters of Email-to-Text. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Who, When, and Why
Before June 17, 2025, AT&T customers could send and receive texts by using the domains txt.att.net or mms.att.net. Customers of Cricket (which is owned by AT&T) could use txt.cricket.net or mms.cricket.net. An email sent to [email protected] would be texted to (123) 456-7890. Similarly, before December 9, 2024, Verizon customers could send and receive texts using the domains vtext.com and vzwpix.com.
Verizon’s change came as a result of their discontinuation of the Message+ app. The reason for the end can be found on their now-edited website page. It read, “The message space is rapidly changing and we want you to have the best messaging experience,” going on to mention Rich Communication Service Messaging as the change in question. RCS is the advanced messaging protocol changing the business messaging experience. You can learn more about RCS with this blog post!
AT&T hasn’t yet provided an official reason for their discontinuation. In general, though, the system is outdated and prone to spam and abuse. Spammers can make unlimited free email addresses and use those to send texts in bulk without ever needing a service provider.
These changes have left users searching for a new alternative. Next, we discuss one option!
What to Do Now
Businesses and organizations need not lose hope as these services are being phased out. There are still a number of messaging apps that allow you to send email-to-text messages. Naturally, as the ultimate messaging service, TextP2P is one of these!
TextP2P’s Email-to-SMS works just like that of AT&T and Verizon. Simply send an email to the domain sms.textp2p.com, and it will automatically be converted into a text. All messages will be available on both the mobile and desktop apps, and they’ll be shown in your two-way inbox — just like regular texts!
That’s not all though; here more of what TextP2P has to offer:
- Send from any email: No matter what email client you have, you can send email-to-text messages. TextP2P works with Gmail / Google, Outlook / Microsoft, Yahoo, and even custom domains like [email protected]. You’re also not limited to just one address; you can have unlimited authorized emails!
- Send to any number: No matter what phone carrier your recipient has, you can send email-to-text messages! Rather than using different domains for AT&T, Verizon, Cricket, and more, TextP2P allows you to cover all carriers with just one, easy-to-remember address: sms.textp2p.com.
- Customize what you send: Choose whether you want to create the text message from the email subject, the email body, or both! You also have the option to choose how long your message is, ensuring you don’t spend credits you don’t want to. Also available is the option to enable or disable a confirmation email.
- Send to existing lists: If you want to text a group of people, you can utilize existing lists in your TextP2P account! Rather than sending your email to [email protected], send it to [email protected] instead. For example, email [email protected] instead of [email protected]. List ID’s can easily be found on the Lists page.
- Craft the message you want: Emails allow for more flexibility and space as opposed to texts. So, we’ve made sure that much of that gets brought over when you use Email-to-SMS. Tables and bullet points, for example, retain their shape when going from email to text.
- Increase flexibility and efficiency: Different people within your business or organization could naturally have different messaging preferences. Some people might prefer to type on-the-go on their phone, while others opt for sitting down at their laptop. With unlimited authorized emails and Teammate Accounts (our newest feature!), multiple people can take advantage of both email and text marketing!
For more information, be sure to check out this webpage and this demo video!
Where it Matters
Email-to-Text can be used in a variety of ways, but its most common application is for system alerts — specifically for systems that can only send emails.
Email-to-Text allows you to send alerts more quickly and effectively. 98% of texts are opened — more than three times that of emails — and 90% of texts are read within three minutes! That isn’t to say that email doesn’t have its perks, but rather, that texts are better for immediate, time-sensitive information (like alerts). To learn more about email messaging and how it compares to texts, be sure to check out this blog post!
Here’s one real-life example: TextP2P is currently helping one radio station with their system alerts. Whenever any of their six radio towers goes down, an email is sent. Email-to-Text is then used to ensure that engineers get texts that can be acted on immediately and effectively.
Conclusion
Email-to-Text is gone from AT&T and Verizon, but businesses and organizations don’t need to worry. TextP2P has got you covered. Get started today with your 14-day free trial, and don’t hesitate to reach out. Request a demo, send us a message via the contact page, or chat using the teal icon in the bottom right of your screen. Thank you for reading!
