How to Receive an SMS on the Internet

1. Sign up for Google Voice (see 'Resources' below). This service allows you to register a phone number online for free. Using the Google Voice website, you can send and receive texts at no cost. You can even be notified of a received SMS message by e-mail if you'd rather not keep the site open.
2. Download AOL Instant Messenger (see 'Resources' below). In the United States, you can add a cell-phone number to your buddy list and send a friend a message as if he or she were using AIM online. The message is received on your friend's cell phone via SMS. When they reply, the message is sent to you in an AIM message.
3. Send an e-mail to your friend's cell-phone e-mail address. Most cell-phone carriers in the United States tie e-mail addresses to the phone numbers of their subscribers---for example, an AT&T cell-phone address looks like this: 2125551212@txt.att.net. When your friend replies, you'll receive the response as an e-mail message. Cell-phone e-mail addresses can be found on SMS 411 (see 'Resources' below).