Send Email To SMS From Outlook, Gmail Or Any Inbox
Address an email to the mobile number at 160.com.au and it arrives as a text. Replies come back to your inbox, with no software to install and no monthly fee.
Trusted by Australian businesses since 2002
Email-to-SMS lets you send SMS directly from your email account. Put the mobile number followed by @160.com.au in the To field, your own number and SMS secret in the Subject, and the message in the body. 160.com.au delivers it as an SMS on Australian carrier routes, and replies can come back to your inbox.
How Email to SMS Works in Three Steps
Step 1: Sign up free
Create an account and get free trial credits. Click your username to open your profile and copy your SMS secret.
Step 2: Address the email
Put the mobile number followed by @160.com.au in To. Put your mobile in international format, then @ and your SMS secret, in Subject.
Step 3: Type and press Send
Write the message in the body and send it. The text reaches the phone, and a delivery report comes back to you by email.
Send Text Messages to Any Mobile Using Email
Their number goes in To.Type the mobile number followed by @160.com.au, for example 0412345678@160.com.au. Local and international formats both work in this field.
Your details go in Subject.Type your mobile in international format, then @ and your SMS secret, for example 61400000000@secret123. The Subject always takes the international format.
Text several people at once.List each number followed by @160.com.au in the To field, separated by commas. Save the address as a contact and your mail program fills it in next time.
Send SMS From Outlook, Gmail or Any Email Client
Outlook on any device.Open a new email in your existing email account and fill in the three fields. It works the same in Outlook on Windows, Mac, the web and the phone app, because the address does the work. Thunderbird and Yahoo Mail work too.
Gmail works the same way.Click Compose on the desktop site or in the Gmail app. Google Workspace accounts work like personal Gmail.
Keep your signature off the phone.Add [end] on its own line after your message. Everything below it, such as a signature or company disclaimer, is left out of the text.
Everything after [end] stays out of the SMS.
Send and Receive SMS From Your Email Inbox
Start the Subject with an exclamation mark.Type it as !61400000000@secret123 and the text goes out from a number that accepts replies. Each reply lands in your inbox as a normal email.
Answer from your mail program.Reply to that email and the person gets your answer as another SMS. A whole conversation can run from your inbox, and replies can go to your mobile too.
Use a number when you want answers.A text sent under your business name has no number to reply to. Use the exclamation mark or your own virtual number for two-way chats.
Send SMS Alerts From Your Existing Systems and Devices
Anything that sends email can text.Point a booking system, web form, calendar reminder or Zapier step at the 160 address. 160 converts the email into an SMS, so it fits the workflows you already run.
Devices that block the address.If a device or M2M app cannot email 0412345678@160.com.au, send to sms@160.com.au. Put the numbers in the Subject, separated by a slash, before your own number and SMS secret.
Alerts coming to you instead.To get the alert emails you receive as texts on your own phone, use the Email to SMS converter.
Send Under Your Business Name or Virtual Number
Show your business name.Put a name in brackets after your number in the Subject, for example 61400000000(A1Repair)@secret123. People see the name, but they cannot reply to it.
Send from your virtual number.Put your 160 virtual mobile number in brackets instead. Customers see the same number every time, and it costs $20 a month.
Registration lodged for you.A business name used as a Sender ID must be on the ACMA Sender ID Register. 160 registers it on your behalf.
Choose How Your Email to SMS Gateway Works
Pick an option to see exactly what to type in your email. The red part is what changes.
Send to Multiple Recipients
List each mobile number followed by @160.com.au in the To field, separated by commas. Every number gets the same text.
One email reaches the whole list.
Use Local or International Format
Write each number in the To field in national format (04...) or international format (614...). The Subject must always use international format.
You can mix both formats in the To field of one email.
Send Under Your Business Name
Add your business name in brackets after your mobile number in the Subject. The text shows your name instead of a number. People cannot reply to a business name.
From 1 July 2026 a business name used as a Sender ID must be on the ACMA Sender ID Register. 160 registers it for you.
Send From Your Virtual Number
Have a 160 virtual mobile number? Put it in brackets after your mobile number in the Subject, followed by your SMS secret. The text comes from your virtual number.
Customers see the same business number on every text.
Receive Replies (2-Way SMS)
Add an exclamation mark to the start of the Subject. The text goes out from a number that accepts replies, and each reply lands in your inbox as an email.
Answer the reply email and they get your answer as another text.
Send From Devices and M2M/IoT
Some mail clients and M2M or IoT devices cannot send to a mobile number address. Send to sms@160.com.au instead and put the numbers in the Subject, separated by a slash.
Your own number and SMS secret always go last in the Subject.
Remove Email Signatures
Type [end] after your message. Your signature, disclaimer and anything else after it stay out of the text.
Only the words before [end] are sent.
Get Email Alerts as Texts
Turn alert emails from other services into texts on your phone. Set it up under Email to SMS converter in your account:
- SMS email address: enter it in the sites that send you alerts.
- Email address: the service the alert comes from.
- SMS will contain: the subject, the body or both.
- Exclude all words before or after: where the text starts and ends.
Standard texting costs apply. See email alerts to SMS for the full guide.
Send Reminders and Alerts as Texts People Read
IT and server alerts
Get a text the moment a server, site or backup fails, day or night.
Appointment reminders
Your booking system emails a confirmation, and the client gets it as a text.
Alarm and security systems
A sensor or camera trips, and an SMS reaches you straight away.
Healthcare recalls
A practice system sends a recall email, and it lands as a text the patient reads.
Finance and trading
A price or account alert reaches you by text instead of sitting in your inbox.
Customer service teams
Answer customer texts from the inbox you already have open, with no second app to learn.
Keep Sending While Free Email to Text Gateways Close
Some overseas carriers are shutting their free email-to-text gateways. AT&T in the United States closed its gateway in June 2025, and Verizon is closing its own by March 2027. 160 runs its own gateway, and it keeps running.
| Free carrier email-to-text | 160.com.au | |
|---|---|---|
| Who runs it | A mobile carrier, as a free add-on | A dedicated Australian SMS provider |
| Still open | AT&T has closed, Verizon is closing | Yes, running as normal |
| Cost | Free | Per text, with free trial credits to start |
| Delivery reports | Varies by carrier | Emailed to you after each send |
| Support | Varies by carrier | Sydney team on 1800 671 823 |
Start With 1.9¢ Texts on Your First Package
Choose the credits that suit you. The new customer price applies to your first order, and credits never expire while you send one SMS every 180 days.
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
- Text any mobile in Australia and overseas
- No hidden fees or contracts
- 100% delivery guarantee
- Full customer and tech support
- Dedicated account manager
Email to SMS costs nothing extra on any account: each text uses your normal credits. A virtual number for two-way texting is $20 a month if you want one, cancel any time.
* These are standard text messages of up to 160 characters. A message over 160 characters uses more SMS credits.
* This offer is only valid for new customers and applies to the new customer's first order. We reserve the right at our sole discretion to refuse this offer. It does not apply to existing customers or to new customer accounts related to existing customers.
* Package prices include GST. The per SMS rate is shown excluding GST. SMS credits are not transferable between accounts. The offer is limited to one account per business or person, and accounts opened to claim the offer more than once will have the additional credits removed.
Sending more each month? See standard pricing and coverage.
Questions About Our Email to SMS Service
How much will it cost?
It depends on the country and the network you send to. Most texts use 1 SMS credit, bought in packages, with no hidden fees. New customers get 1.9c per SMS (plus GST) on their first package, and full rates are on the pricing and coverage page. Free trial credits let you test email to SMS first.
Who will benefit from this service?
Both you and the people you text. You send from the inbox you already use, and with two-way SMS their replies come back to your email. It suits any industry, and there is no setup or software.
How will this help your business?
You can send one text or many, almost anywhere in the world. Email alerts such as stock alerts and price drops can reach you as texts. Messages travel on Australian routes with a delivery report for every send. You can show your business name instead of a number. Our systems sit in a secure Australian data centre.
Can you send an SMS from an email address? How does it work?
Yes. Use this format.
To: 04XXXXXXXX@160.com.au
Subject: 614YYYYYYYY@SMS secret
Message: your text
It helps when you have no text plan, or when you are overseas and want to avoid roaming fees. You can text mobiles in Australia and around the world.
Can I click links on SMS messages?
Yes, web links in a text can be tapped. Direct links to an email address or another phone number cannot. Depending on the phone, some linked content such as images or videos may not open.
How do I convert an email to an SMS?
Send the email from any account to the mobile number followed by @160.com.au, with your number and SMS secret in the Subject. To turn alert emails you receive into texts on your own phone, use the Email to SMS converter.
What are the types of SMS services provided by 160.com.au?
160.com.au is an Australian bulk SMS provider for notifications, alerts, reminders and marketing. Services include bulk SMS, the SMS gateway API, email to SMS, SMS marketing, online SMS and virtual SMS numbers.
Why should I choose 160.com.au for text messaging?
The platform needs no setup, works from anywhere and is simple to use. It is hosted securely in Australia, and our Sydney team takes support calls on 1800 671 823.
Is email to SMS being discontinued?
No. 160's email to SMS service runs as normal. Some overseas carriers are closing their own free email-to-text gateways, and that does not affect 160. We are a paid Australian SMS provider, and the service keeps running.
How do I get SMS replies back in my email?
Add an exclamation mark to the front of the Subject, for example !61400000000@secret123. The text then goes out from a number that accepts replies. When the person texts back, the reply arrives in your inbox as a normal email. Reply to that email and they get your answer as another SMS.
Is there a free email to SMS gateway?
Some overseas carriers offered free email-to-text, and several are ending it, including AT&T and Verizon in the United States. A paid gateway like 160 uses Australian carriers and gives you delivery reports and local support. You get free trial credits to start.
Where do I find my SMS secret?
Log in and click your username to open your profile. Your SMS secret is shown there. It goes after the @ in the Subject line of every email to SMS.
Start Sending SMS From Your Inbox Today
Open a free account, copy your SMS secret and send your first text from the email account you already use. Trial credits are free, with no credit card needed.