How to Get Free Text Messaging on Your Cell Phone

1. Using the web browser on your mobile phone, create an account on txtdrop.com or textem.net. You may also use a computer if you do not have internet access on your mobile phone. Complete the registration information which includes providing your mobile number and email address and confirm your account by clicking on the link in your email. Once confirmed, head back to the website and log in.
2. Locate the messaging tab on the home section of your user page. Enter the recipient's mobile number in the 'to' field, followed by your mobile number or email in the 'from' field. Type your message in the message box. Depending upon the service that you are using the character limits may be different. For example, text2day.com only allows you to send 140 character messages at a time, while textem.net does not impose a character limit. However, the recipient may receive multiple texts if the character limit is over 160.
3. Submit the message and confirm the submission by entering the validation code if prompted. Wait for the message to populate in your sent folder to confirm that it has been sent to the recipient. If the recipient chooses to reply, the message will be sent to your email address. You will receive the email on your phone if you have email capabilities.

How to Send a Free Text Message to a Nextel Phone

Text Via Email
1. Launch the email client you regularly use. If you use web-based email in place of an email client, log in to the website that hosts your email account.
2. Click on the 'Compose' or 'New' buttons in your email client to begin writing a new email message.
3. Enter the email address of the Nextel user you need to contact in the 'To' field of your new mail message. All Nextel email addresses are in the following format: tendigitnumber@messaging.nextel.com, meaning that you would enter 3135551212@messaging.nextel.com if you wanted to send a text to (313) 555-1212.
4. Compose your message. Remember that text messages are limited to 160 characters, and that any characters in excess of 160 may be omitted or divided into multiple messages.
5. Click the 'Send' button in your email client. While cell phones do not directly receive emails as text messages, the Nextel system forwards your message to the Nextel user as a text.
Text Via AOL Instant Messenger
6. Launch AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). Log in using your AOL screen name and password, and click the 'Sign In' button in AIM.
7. Start a new instant message. Click the 'People' menu on the top of your 'Buddy List' window and select 'Send Instant Message.'
8. In the 'To' field within AIM, enter the 10-digit mobile number of the Nextel user you want to text, preceded by the country code, which is +1 for the United States. For example, if you wanted to text message (212) 555-1234, type the following in the 'To' field: +12125551234.
9. Compose the text message in the body of the AIM window, just as you would if sending it to an AIM user.
10. Click the 'Send' button in the lower-right hand corner of the screen to send the message to a Nextel phone.

How to Attach a Nokia Hands

1. Press the power key on the Nokia hands-free device and hold it down until the green light starts to flash. This will place your headset in the pairing mode and allow it to be detected. Turn on your cell phone, locate the Bluetooth feature on your cell phone and activate it.
2. Set the Bluetooth mode on your cell phone to search to allow it to detect other Bluetooth devices. Choose the Nokia devices on the listed items that the cell phone has detected. If the phone does not detect the headset, make sure it is powered on.
3. Enter 0000 as the pass code when the cell phone requests it to complete the connection. Test the headset connection by making a call using your cell phone and the Nokia hands-free headset.

How to Identify a Phone Number for Free

1. Enter the phone number into a reverse phone number search website. The owner's name and address may be available for free in one of these directories (see Resources). A reverse search works for most phone landline numbers, unless the number is an unlisted number.
2. Enter the phone number into a call tracking website. These sites provide a database of information compiled from other people who report receiving calls from the same number. Two of the most used sites are Who Calls Me and 800notes.com (see Resources). The amount of information available for a phone number varies.
3. Find information on the number's area code and three-digit prefix. Even if you can't get information on the specific phone number, you can still find its general place of origin through the area code and prefix. Many phone companies, like Verizon, offer free area code lookup (see Resources) that will give you the caller's state. Next, use a search engine like Google to look up the area code and prefix together in order to narrow down the location even further. For example, if the number is (708) 555-1212, search for '708-555.' The area code tells you that it's an Illinois number, and the prefix narrows down the exact city or town.
4. Call the number and ask the person who answers to give you the information. You may not even have to ask because if it's a business, the employee may answer the call with the business name. Use this direct method when you can't find the information through indirect means. For example, if you're getting repetitive calls or hang-ups, you are entitled to know who is harassing you.

How to Send Web SMS

SMS via Email
1. Open your email client and compose a new email. Begin entering your recipient's phone number (with 1 + area code) into the 'Send To' box.
2. Determine the mobile carrier of your recipient and find the U.S.-based text messaging domain (see Resources) for that carrier.
3. At the end of your recipient's phone number, append the '@' symbol and then type in the domain that you found.
4. Type your SMS message into the body of the email and send your SMS message. You may want to include your name in the body, as your email address may not identify you on your recipient's phone.
SMS via Websites
5. Determine the mobile carrier of your recipient, and find an online service that allows you to send SMS messages (see Resources).
6. If required, register with the website of the service and then enter your recipient's mobile number in the appropriate text box.
7. Type your SMS message in the corresponding box and send your SMS when finished.
Google Voice
8. Request an invite from a friend or acquaintance with Google Voice. Google Voice is still in beta mode, so it is only accessible via invite.
9. Open your email invite and click on the link. Sign up for Google Voice or enter your existing Google account information.
10. Activate your phone to work with Google Voice. You will have to verify the phone number by accepting a call from Google Voice and entering the key code that Google Voice gives you prior to the call. Once your phone is verified, you can send SMS messages to mobile users from the main dashboard in your Google Voice account.
11. While at the Google Voice dashboard, click on 'SMS' and type in your recipient's number. Then type in your SMS message and press 'Send.'

How to Register for Airfare Alerts

Instructions
1. Find a travel website that best suits your itinerary. If you are a loyal airline frequent flyer, you may choose to search for the lowest fares only from that particular airline's website.Other travel sites, such as Farecompare.com, compile data from multiple airlines and travel agencies and present you with many options.
2. Create an account on your chosen site. Log in and fill out dates and times, departure and arrival cities you are considering for your trip. Some websites allow an unlimited number of route requests, others have restrictions.
3. Modify your alert with filters to expand your options.For example, Bing.com/travel can predict when your fare is expected to increase or decline; and Yapta.com lets you know if your fare drops below what you paid for it and helps you get a refund or voucher for the cost difference.
4.
Alerts may be sent by text, email or social media.
Sign up for the mode of communication that attracts your attention most during the day. All sites offer to send alerts by email, and many will send you messages via SMS, Twitter or Facebook.Anecdotal accounts suggest that Twitter alerts, because they are in 'real time,' are received faster than e-mail.

How to Track Text Messages Online

1. Find a reverse cell phone directory. Several services online can identify the sender of a text message or a cell phone call you received. Some claim to be free, but they aren't. Most will allow you to perform a preliminary search that will identify the type of sender (cell phone or landline phone) and the location. But you'll have to pay if you want to learn the identity of the sender.
2. Decide how often you need to identify unknown text message senders. Most services offer a one-time charge to provide the information for a single message. If you expect to use a service more than one or twice a year, consider an annual subscription.
3. Consider a specialized service if you want to monitor your child's text messages. Such services offer aggressive monitoring systems that alert parents automatically when their children receive unapproved text messages or phone calls. The services also provide complete listings of all communications, including content and the senders' information.