Gmail SMS: How Does It Work and Details

Gmail rolled out their SMS chat feature for Mobilink subscribers a few days ago. It is a free web-to-SMS service which enables Gmail user to send SMS to any Mobilink subscriber via Gmail chat. Mobilink user can also reply back to that SMS which will appear on Gmail user’s chat box.

How does it work? Well, this feature is very easy to use and has a couple of commands that are useful to remember.

Note: All the SMS commands and pricing details below are for Moblink.

How Does Gmail SMS Work

We wrote a few lines of simple steps earlier that you need to follow to enable SMS in Gmail chat. Here are some more easy steps to quickly send a SMS:

• Log into Gmail account using web browser such as Internet Explorer, Firefox or Google Chrome.
• In Chat and SMS text box (ileft sidebar), enter the number of Mobilink subscriber to send message and click on Send SMS.
• In the chat box, enter the name of message recipient in Contact Name text box; check the country name and mobile number (MSISDN) of mobile recipient (Mobilink subscriber) are correct. Once done, click Save as it will help to build contact list.
• Type message in the chat window and hit Enter. Message will be sent to the mobile number entered.
• To send message to already saved contact, type his name or number in Chat and SMS text box. Desired contact will be displayed below. Select it from the list and send message.

For the Mobilink subscriber:

• To respond to the message received from Gmail user, simply reply from mobile. Reply will appear on Gmail interface of Gmail user.
• Mobilink subscriber can reply to the message received from Gmail user within 24 hours.

Gmail SMS Commands

There are a few commands you might need to remeber as a Mobilink user when you receive a SMS:

• HELP: Command can be used to get list of useful commands.
• BLOCK: Command can be used to block messages from a specific Gmail user. This command should be sent in response to the SMS from that Gmail user whom you want to block.
• UNBLOCK: Command can be used to un-block Gmail user. After the execution of this command, mobile subscriber will be able to receive messages from the Gmail user he has previously blocked.

NOTE: These commands can be sent in response to SMS received from the Gmail user only.

How to Block Gmail SMS

Google and Mobilink has worked out an anti-spam mechanism as well to stop/block any spam messages sent out through Gmail chat. However, if you still want to block any messags, you can use the following commands.

Following commands can be sent at 2434000.

• STOP: To block all messages from all Gmail users.
• START: To enables receiving SMS messages from Gmail if you’re currently blocking these.

Service Charges

• SMS sent by Gmail users to Mobilink subscribers will be free of cost. You get free SMS credits.
  
• SMS sent by Mobilink subscribers to Gmail users will be charged @ Rs. 1+Tax/SMS.
• No subscription is required to avail Gmail SMS service.

SMS Credits in Chat: Everything About Them

You must have seen the “SMS Credits” count at the bottom of your chat box and it decreases after every SMS you send in the chat. Well, here is how that works and how you can get more credits:

SMS credit is an allocation of SMS (text messages) that you’re able to send to a mobile phone:

• Initially, you’re granted a credit of 50 messages.
• Every time you send a message, your credit decreases by one.
• Every time you receive an SMS message in Chat (for example, when a phone user replies to one of your messages) your credit increases by five, up to a maximum of 50.

If your SMS credit goes down to zero at any point, it will increase back up to one 24 hours later. So, you won’t ever be locked out of the system.

Want more SMS credits immediately? Read below:

Keep in mind that if you’d like a higher message credit, you can always send an SMS to your own phone, and then reply to that message multiple times. Every time you send a reply message, your SMS credit is increased by five. Effectively, you’re buying more messages by paying your phone company for these outgoing messages.

I hope this was helpful to you and clears any confusion about Gmail SMS feature.