Using SMS/MMS Text Messaging with your Mailing List.
SMS and MMS are similar but different technologies for sending text messages to phones.
Add Subscriber's phone numbers to your List, and they will receive the emails as text messages. They can reply to the text message, and it will be sent to the Mailing List.
We send the message via email to their phone carrier using a special domain name. While the email arrives within a few minutes, the time it takes for the carrier to send the text message can vary.
Therefore, this service is not useful nor reliable if you need instant delivery.
Types of Text Messages
- SMS are short text-only messages.
A long email can be split up into several text messages. - MMS can contain text and graphics.
While Mail-List.com does not send graphics, the size of the text message can be fairly large.
Carrier Domains
Notice how some phone carriers have different domain names for SMS and MMS messages.
| Carrier | SMS Domain | MMS Domain |
|---|---|---|
| AT&T | mobile.att.net |
mms.att.com |
| Bell Mobility |
txt.bellmobility.com |
|
| Boost Mobile |
myboostmobile.com |
|
| Rogers |
sms.rogers.com |
mms.rogers.com |
| Sprint / Nextel |
messaging.sprint.com |
messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| T-Mobile |
tmomail.net |
tmomail.net |
| Telus |
msg.telus.com |
mms.telusmobility.com |
| U.S. Cellular |
email.uscc.net |
|
| Verizon |
vtext.com |
vzwpix.com |
| Virgin |
vmobl.com |
vmpix.com |
If your carrier's domain name is not listed, please see SMS gateway for a current listing.
How We Handle Messages
To conserve space, Headers, Trailers, and Physical Address will be automatically removed from outgoing messages.
Since the Click to Unsubscribe link is not included in text messages, we send a simple text email twice a month to all SMS Subscribers. This text message asks your Subscriber to reply if they want to unsubscribe. We do this since we are required by law to offer an easy way to unsubscribe.
Text Message & Phone Limitations
Since SMS and MMS have size limitations, we truncate long messages sent to phone numbers.
SMS text messages are for older cell phones.
Typically, this older cell phone only receives the first 140 characters of the email message.
MMS will work on smartphones (iPhone and Android).
Normally, a smartphone can receive up to 3,000 characters of the email message.
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How to Use Text Messaging with Your List
Turn on Mobile First Formatting
Log into your mail-list account at https://database.mail-list.com.
- Click Customize Your List.
- Click Mobile First formatting.
- Select Format All Email For Small Screens.
- Click Yes.
- Click Save.
Allow Phone Numbers
In the Customize Your List Menu, click Allow Phone Number on Your Email List.
- Click Yes.
- Click Save.
How to Add Phone Numbers to Your List
Add your Subscriber's phone number as well as their carrier's domain for the type of message being sent.
Examples phone number formats shown below:
[email protected] Basic phone getting short SMS messages (carrier: Verizon)
[email protected] Smartphone getting longer MMS messages (carrier: Verizon)
Do not include parenthesis or dashes in the telephone number; only use digits.