The practice of transmitting short message service (SMS) messages through electronic mail using AT&T’s gateway allows users to forward text messages to mobile devices by addressing an email to a specific recipient’s phone number concatenated with the “@txt.att.net” domain. For instance, to send a text message to the AT&T wireless number 555-123-4567, an email should be sent to 5551234567@txt.att.net. The message content will then be delivered as a text to the targeted device.
This method provides a convenient alternative to directly using a mobile phone for text messaging. It offers benefits like integration with existing email systems, enabling users to send texts from computers or other devices that may not natively support SMS functionality. Historically, this function was a practical solution for sending notifications from servers or applications, or for individuals needing to communicate via text when phone access was limited.