How to Send and Receive Text Messages for Free

1. There are several sites out there that allow you to send text messages for free, but most do not actually allow you to receive. However, both AIM and Google Voice allow you to send and receive messages for free.
2. To use AIM for text messaging, download the AIM application (aim.com) and sign up for an account.
3. To send a text message, open up a new Instant Message (IM) window and type +1 and then the cellphone number. For example, if you want to send a text message to 999-555-1212, type +19995551212 and then type the message in the box. The message will be sent to the person's phone. When he responds, you'll receive an IM with the response. You can continue to talk using this IM window.
4. To use Google Voice for IM, obtain a Google Voice account by navigating to the Google Voice website and signing in, using your Google account. If you don't have a Google account, you can create one. You can then log in, select SMS and type the phone number you want to text. Type the message and click 'Send.' You can refresh your screen to see when the response comes back.
5. Both Google Voice and AIM can be used on your mobile phone if you have a BlackBerry, smartphone or iPhone. This makes text messaging overseas easy and free.