How-To use AOL Instant Messenger to send a Text Message to a phone

This week's how-to was inspired by a post over on www.boingboing.net regarding sending a SMS from AOL's Instant Messenger. We thought we'd show you how to do this on a Mac or PC with AIM (AOL Instant Messenger). This will also work with the Linux version of AIM, we didn't have time to test on our Xandros box- but there's not reason it wouldn't work.

Why would you want to send Text Messages to your phone, or someone else's phone? Well, since this came out we've been doing this for just about everything. Need to remember an address? IM it to your phone, need directions, grocery list, whatever, if you use IM all day popping off a SMS to yourself is super easy, also if you IM/SMS to someone they can actually reply back, the AIM system keeps track of the IMer and IM/SMSee.

Let's get started. If you haven't already, download and install AIM for your PC or Mac.

If you have a Mac, iChat works the same, so there's no reason to download the standalone AIM application unless you really want to. If you're on a PC, make sure you have the latest version, when you start AIM it will tell you if you have the latest version which is 5.5.

After installing the application (or if you already have it installed, we bet you do) start a new message…

On a PC:

1. Click People > Send an Instant Message (Alt - I).
   

   
   

2. Type +1 then the area code and phone number. Example [phone].
   

   
   

3. Make sure to put +1, before the area code and phone number. This will make sure AIM knows it's a USA number (country code). It's not clear if AIM will support international, but it's pretty safe to say it will at some point.

4. Click send.

5. On your phone you can reply and chat, or if you're just sending a message to yourself, just view it. Your AIM window will display that you have sent a message.
   
   
   

On a Mac:

1. In iChat AV click File > New Chat with person (Command - Shift - N).
   

   
   

2. Enter in the phone number. Again, make sure to put +1 before the phone number.
   

   
   

3. Click send. And of course, on the phone you can reply and it will appear on the desktop AIM client.
   
   
   
   

   
   

We tested this on a Mac (iChat AV and PC AIM) with a Sony Ericsson p900 and Nokia 3650, it worked great and should work on any phone and just about any phone network.

On a side note, if you use MSN Messenger you "can" do this, but it's not as easy, the other person needs to be on MSN Messenger, have a profile filled out with their Mobile number AND have set MSN to forward to their phone. Lastly, you'll need to right click or go to the offline contacts to send a message, this is also the same if you use a MSN Direct device like a SPOT watch. So for now, we think AIM is the easiest way to do this- we're hoping MSN changes this in future versions.

One more thing…you can also read more about this on Mac OS Hints.

[Josh @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I just tried it out on Trillian, following the instructions just fine, but I couldn't get it to work. I got a "User not logged in message." Anybody else having luck here?

[Tidus @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Excellent tip! I did not know about this. It works with AIM 5.2.3292, by the way, although the text message is filled with a bunch of other junk. But anyway, really neat thing.

[Giorgio Baresi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I've just tried to send an sms to an Italian phone number and the message hasn't been received...

[Chris Gunton @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Im in the uk and couldnt get it to work. I get the User is Unavliable message. pants.

[PMan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Works succesfully with Trillian Pro (build 2.013). Click on the yellow dot in the bottom-left, select "send an instant message", and then enter the phone number. Works like a charm.

[Daz @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Definately doesn't work for UK numbers, Yahoo doesn't work with them either :(

[chadvavra @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Cell companies get blocks of #'s. Not hard to find out what they are either.

Changing a # due to spam is alot more expensive than changing email.

This may be the reason I turn off SMS.

[Trent Jones @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Cool. What about initiating from a phone to an AIM User? I have a T616 that doesn't have AIM built in like some of the newer phones. Is there a way or service to initiate from the phone to a AIM user.

[Tim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Just tried to send from the AIM client built in to the Sidekick from T-Mobile, to that same phone's number. Nothing happened, but then most online SMS systems don't work with T-Mobile Sidekicks. Dodgeball sure doesn't.

[Tom Scrace @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I tried it on OS X but no success. I get the same 'user not logged in' message. Then again I am in the UK so that may be stopping me.

Tom

[sam @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

tried it with gaim from an ICQ account. i get a message on my phone but not the actual text content. it only says:

[ICQ #]: (using AOL IM)

(You can reply to this message)

[Blackfist @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Worked for me. If you get user not available, its because you didn't add the '+' sign before the 1.

[aliencamel @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

This has been available on ICQ for years. ICQ also works with most Australian carriers but AIM/iChat doesn't. Download the ICQ client and give it a go.

[bob @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

From the company that thinks that supporting carburetors is a way to the hearts and minds of Hard Hat America, the IM SMS trick kinda works, but only one way (on my company i60c). Maybe the newer models can do it, but mine - even though it said that my reply was sent - can't. On top of that, it had to load the microbrowser to even receive the message (and only then because I hacked the phone's account to allow even that).

My personal Verizon phone didn't have a problem in OS X (from sunny San Diego) in iChat.

- bob

[Mathew @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I successfully sent a message to my Sprint Treo 600, but the sender was "unknown" so I was not able to reply from the phone's SMS app. BTW, I assume folks know that you can set up AOL IM to automatically make you appear always online and forward messages to a mobile phone.

[Scott @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

This method also works with the Fire application using the AIM service in a Mac.

http://fire.sourceforge.net/

[jake @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Hey- i know how to send an MSN mesage to my spot watch, but i hate having to keep the MSN application open- does anyone know how to send my SPOT watch a message from AOL IM?

[Jim @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

+1 is for americans and canadians.

foreigners, you can see your code here:

http://kropla.com/dialcode.htm

[orpheus @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Run trillian
make sure your signed on to aol
right click aol icon, send an instant message
enter the phones number includeing the +1
then type a message and hit enter to send
another option while ya have this window open is to right click and add to contact list once you do you can rename the contact Pal(Cellphone) to make quicksending a msg easier

[andrew @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

i had some guy making prank phone calls and i made a new sn so he wouldn't know me. then i im'd the cell # because he would recognize my number or would know it was me if i blocked my name, so:

grAFoxesRock: yo eric, what u up 2?

Auto response from [phone]: Your IM has been sent to my mobile device. When I receive it, I will be able to reply. Thanks for your IM! Want your IMs forwarded to your phone? Click here

grAFoxesRock: umm... hello, are you there...turn your phone on
[phone]: MY NAME IS JOE
grAFoxesRock: joe? joe who?
grAFoxesRock: i thought u were eric
[phone]: NOPE WHOSE THIS IF U DONT MIND ME ASKING
grAFoxesRock: take a guess dumb fuck!


AS you can see he was busted because i thought it was him in the first place.

[eric @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Is it possible to IM multiple phones at once?

[Kylie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

my grandma needs to learn how to use normal instant messaging and im not sure how to explain it to her. Help!!!

[bill @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I tried to send a message and got this back:
Auto response from +1xxxxxxxx838: Your IM has been sent to my cell phone and, although I can read your messages, I cannot reply. Thanks for your IM!Want your IMs forwarded to your cell phone? Click here.

["G" @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I just tried it with my brother and I just down loaded AIM5.5 and it didn't work the message I get back is user not on line. But his phone was on standing right next to me. The message first says not availabe then not on line he has recieved other text messages from peope with phones. What's up with this.?

[Monica @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Im not tryin to play u I just dont have it. Im sorry

[Ashley @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Does anyone know if I can and or how do I send an instant message to an italian cellphone? Thanks for any help you may be able to give!

[Anj @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Hi , i knw how to send txt with in the states on AIM. Is there ny way of sendin intl text ?>? cus its really expensive sendin fr my fone.. Pls help

[MOi @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I am using AIM 5.2.3292, AIMutation, Samsung cell and T-Mobile. It worked dandy! WOW, how grrreat! This is so awesome! No more cell to cell, e-mail to cell, or site to cell! I am always on AIM. I LoVE this!

[Taz @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

does the im to a celle from Metro Pcs work, cuz i just tried it, and dint get the message, anyone knows is derz some other way...thnx

[Me @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

does the person who recieves the text get charged...

[momiji @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

my friend just text me from aol to my phone and it worked fine and now im sending to two people from my phone to aol

[sheri @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

i tried to test out sending a text message from aim and it's not sending to my phone why not. it s saying that it sent on aim but i'm not recieving it

[amber @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

i tried to do it but everytime i tried to send it i got a "user inavailable". whats wrong???

[Minnie @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I tried sending a message to my friend and all it said was:
Message could not be delivered. Please try again later. What's up with that? I have gotten through before!

[Fran @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

BEWARE! My friend in NYC sent me 'testing 123' message from her AOL instant message to my Puerto Rico cell phone and I've been receiving it every 2 mins for the last 2days and cant get it to stop.Good thing in PR we dont pay for incoming messages.

[Melissa @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Well, I live in the United States, and i'm having some huge problems. I don't know if you guys could help me or not..because on our site it doesn't help at all.. but this is my problem, when texting from the computer to someones phone (with their personal number) it says that the message could not be delieverd. It use to work, but 4 days ago it just stoped working, if someone could PLEASE PLEASE help me that it works again it would be so greatly appreciated thank you

[Alen @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Im having a problem that not many ppl do. I recieve massages from ppl that i dont want to recieve massages from, is there anyway to block that person or to block people from massaging me from AIM?
anyone please help

[vince @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

i typed in +1 and my nuber and other number and it is a the screen name '+1 .....' is not valid"........ whats going on?

[Erik J. Barzeski @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

This does not work with Cellular One, currently.

[Dave @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I can send messages just fine, but I cannot reply from my phone (Sprint / Samsung VGA 1000). What I really want to do be able to recieve SMS messages on computer. I want someone with just text messaging to be able to send a message to AIM, YIM, MSN... Any alternatives or ideas?

[done @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

test

[yasmina @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

maman il faut appeler un mec de numericable pour qu il r?e les chaine et revient vite

[Connor @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

For all the users that get this message:

Auto response from +1########## (11:43:49 PM): Your message could not be delivered. Please try again later.


This is most likely the problem:

Mobile messaging is very reliable, but messages may not be recieved if your buddy is out of the service area, or if the batteries are low.

I searched for a good hour to find this out, so hopefully this will help the people that had the same problem as myself.

My AIM = FL ST FAN21
If for some reason you have a question...

[Eleanor @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

hi i have been trying the aol instant messenger to a phone but i don't think it is working. I think it is because i live in the uk and not in america so i dont know whether i have to put the +1 at the beginning!!

[David @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

i tried to send a text to one of my friends phone and when i try to send it,it doesnt do anything it wont say that its been sent or anything and i ask my friend if they got it but they say they didnt how can this problem be solved HELP please thanks...

[David @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I tried to send a text to my friends phone and when i type the words in and send it ,it wont say that its been sent or anything and i asked my friend if they got it and they said no also i know about the +1 thing and it still doesnt work how can this problem be solved please hlep me thanks ...

[Paul Collins @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

Yesterday it worked, today it doesn't, to two local numbers on U.S. Cellular. I get the "Your message could not be delivered" response from AIM. It's not the phone, the battery, or being out of network (phone-to-phone SMS still works). So I guess either USC or AIM decided to block the message after the first one went through? Odd.
FWIW, USC offers an email-to-sms gateway but charges customers $1.95/month for the service. I'd rather use IM anyway, if it worked! I seem to be getting exactly what I paid for :-/

[alex @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

It works with GAIM

[Crystal @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

I tried this out and after reading the post about placing the + in front of the number my msg went through but I'm not sure it was recieved by the end user (my bfs cellphone)... Guess I'll know later.. =)

[Manuel @ Dec 19th 2005 2:26AM]

hey does anyone know how to send a Picture to a phone from the Web