Send an Anonymous Text
Communicating in an increasingly virtual community can be fun and daunting at the same time. Though most people cherish anonymity, they have a hard time retaining it. If you'd like to send a text, but keep yourself anonymous, there are different ways to achieve that. Read on to discover how to send an anonymous text.
Contents
Steps
Using An E-mail Account
- Create a new e-mail account for yourself. You don't want to use your personal account since the sender will be able to view your personal information (name, e-mail address, etc.). Instead, choose a completely new, free e-mail provider (Google, Yahoo, etc.) and set up an entirely new e-mail account without any of your personal information.
- Get the person's phone number. Make sure to find out and confirm the phone number of the person you'd like to text.
- Even though you're sending an e-mail, you'll need the person's phone number as part of their e-mail address.
- Discover the person's carrier. The person you want to text has a phone carrier, like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, Metro PCS, or others. All of these carriers make it possible to send a text to the person's phone via e-mail. To find out a person's phone carrier, you can either ask your contact directly, or try one of these free look-up sites:
- Combine your contact's phone number with their phone carrier e-mail. In other words, you'll compose an e-mail that will reach the person's phone, not e-mail account. Simply fill in the person's ten digit phone number (no hyphens or spaces), and then choose one of the following e-mail templates for their specific carrier:
- AT&T: SMS: 10digitphonenumber@txt.att.net, MMS: 10digitphonenumber@mms.att.net
- T-Mobile: SMS/MMS: 10digitphonenumber@tmomail.net
- Verizon: SMS:10digitphonenumber@vtext.com, MMS: 10digitphonenumber@vzwpix.com
- Sprint: SMS: 10digitphonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com, MMS: 10digitphonenumber@pm.sprint.com
- Metro PCS: SMS/MMS: 10digitphonenumber@mymetropcs.com
- Alltel: 10digitphonenumber@message.alltel.com
- Virgin Mobile: 10digitphonenumber@vmobl.com
- Compose a new e-mail from your new e-mail account. Once you've gathered all of the necessary information about the person you'd like to text, log into your new e-mail account and compose a new e-mail. Enter the person's phone number and corresponding e-mail address template from the list above in the addressee line. Then, hit Send.
- To make the e-mail appear more like an actual text message, leave the Subject line blank.
- Your contact will receive an anonymous text.
Using An iPhone App
- Select an app for your iPhone. Though there aren't any iPhone apps that mask your real phone number, there are quite a few apps that will create a new, fake number from which you can send messages. The list below provides a few examples of possible apps.
- Pinger
- TextPlus
- TextNow
- Burner
- Wickr
- Backchat
- Open the App Store. Then, look to the bottom right and tap on Search.
- Type in the app of your choice. Or, you can perform a general search by entering Anonymous Text. Various results will come up. Tap on an app of your choice, then tap GET (most of these apps are free), then Install.
- Enter your Apple Id Password. After tapping Install, the system will ask you to confirm your password. Enter it in the space provided. Then, tap OK.
- Tap Open. Once the app has finished installing, tap on Open. Then, you'll be asked to log in or sign up. Tap on sign up, then enter your phone number. Keep in mind that you'll have to enter your real phone number in this step. You'll likely receive a text from the app with a confirmation code. After you've successfully registered, the app will ask you to create your new, fake number. Or, you can choose to have the app randomly choose one for you.
- Keep in mind, that some apps like Burner are free to download but will require you to purchase credits in order to send anonymous texts.
- Send your text. Once you've set up your texting app, simply write a message from within the app. Enter your contact's phone number, then simply hit Send.
- Your contact will receive an anonymous text.
Using An Android App
- Select an app for your Android. There are a few options for blocking your phone number while still being able to send texts from your Android phone. Below is a list of a few possible options.
- Anonytext
- Anonymous Texting
- Private Text Messaging
- Anonymous SMS
- Launch the Google Play Store. Tap on the Google Play icon, then tap on the three horizontal lines to the upper left side corner of your screen. Tap on Store Home.
- Tap on the search icon. Look the top right corner, and tap on the search icon. Then, type in the app of your choice. Or, you can perform a general search by entering Anonymous Text.
- Choose an anonymous texting app. Once you've made your selection, tap on the app you'd like to download. Some apps are free, while others come at a fee.
- Depending on whether the app is free or not, you'll either tap on Install or on the price for the app.
- Open your app. Once the app has finished installing, simply open the app. Some apps will provide you with a few free messages, while others will charge a fee to actually start using the app's services.
- Enter your contact's phone number. Tap on the option to begin texting, then type in your contact's number. Write your message, and hit Send. Most apps are very easy to use, and will guide through all of the required steps to begin texting.
- Your contact will receive an anonymous text message.
Using Web-Based Anonymous Text Messaging Sites
- Choose an anonymous web-based texting site. You can perform a basic web search by entering criteria such as Anonymous Texting or Free Anonymous Text Messaging.
- Read the rules of the website you select. Basic rules usually prohibit you from using the service to commit fraud, stalking, or other crimes. Additional rules may include those regarding fees, frequency of use, privacy, among other concerns.
- Some free text messaging services have actually been known to shut down due to abuse. Verify that the service you are using is still active and pay close attention to the Terms of Service listed on the website.
- Be aware that these services have the ability to track you down based on IP address. In other words, if you do use the service for something illegal or shifty, you will be caught.
- Type false sender information if required. Some services require you to input a phone number, but this is not always the case. If you need to come up with a fake number, you could make it convincing my attaching your area code to a random phone number. You could also choose something obviously fake, like 555-555-5555.
- Services that specialize in strictly anonymous texts usually skip the step of having you input a phone number. Instead, the service will usually generate a false phone number to send the text message with.
- Type the receiver's phone number. This information is required in all cases. Type the intended recipient's full ten-digit phone number, including the area code. Some anonymous texting services will also ask you to specify the mobile carrier.
- Write and send your message. Type out the message, review any last minute requirements the website may have, and click on the Submit or Send button.
- Your contact will receive an anonymous text.
- Some free texting services have character limits. These character limits usually reflect character limits common to texts sent via cell phone, and they can range from 130 characters to 500 characters.
Tips
- There are legitimate reasons to send anonymous text messages. For instance, you could use anonymous texting to report illegal activities to the authorities, report fraud to your company's management, or to similarly tell someone important information that you cannot state if that person knows who you are.
Warnings
- Do not use anonymous texting, in any form, to stalk someone, send scams or viruses, or perform other illegal activities. You can be tracked down if necessary even though a service or method is otherwise considered “anonymous.”
