Text Messaging for Beginners

By Rick Broida

Ever wonder what all those teenagers are doing when they’re hunched over their phones, tapping furiously at the keys? They’re sending text messages. Ever wonder why? Because it’s a fast, efficient method of communication—and a great way to obtain useful information. Of course, text messaging isn’t just for teens: Real estate professionals can put it to productive use as well.  •  Just what is a text message? Think of it as e-mail for cell phones. Granted, many phones can send and receive actual e-mail, but text messaging offers a few distinct advantages. One of them is instant delivery: A text message sent from your phone to, say, a co-worker’s phone arrives almost immediately—not unlike an instant message sent from one PC to another. Another is information: Various services can deliver all kinds of information—traffic reports, flight status, property values, etc.—to your phone, either automatically or on-demand, via text message.

All this “texting” relies on a technology called SMS, short for Short Message Service. It’s used to relay very brief messages: usually no more than 160 characters, or the equivalent of a couple of sentences. Why the length limitation? When SMS technology was first developed, phones with QWERTY keyboards didn’t exist—the only way to compose a message was using the 9-digit numeric keypad. Even today, that’s a slow, laborious way to type, so there was (and is) logic in keeping messages terse.

You’ll discover that yourself if you’re currently carrying a phone equipped only with a keypad. As you’ve no doubt noticed, each number (except for 1) has three or four letters imprinted alongside it. To compose text, you press an individual number until it cycles through to the letter you want, then move on to the next letter. For the word “home,” for example, you’d press “4” twice: the first press displays a “g,” the second an “h.” Then you’d press “6” three times to get an “o,” pause for a moment for the cursor to move forward, and then press “6” again for an “m.” Finally, two presses of the “3” key gives you an “e.”

Need a space or an eraser? “0” is almost always the “space bar,” and you backspace/delete by pressing the CLR (clear) button.

Confusing? It definitely can be until you get the knack of it. Consult your phone’s manual (or find the nearest teenager) if you need more help. Some phones offer other methods of entering text via keypad, including “predictive” software that attempts to guess the word you’re typing—so you don’t have to spell out the whole thing. Of course, when it comes to composing messages, nothing beats a phone with an actual keyboard. All BlackBerry® models famously employ them, but you can also find keyboards on various Palm- and Windows Mobile-powered phones. Even touch-screen phones like the Samsung Instinct, LG Dare, and Apple iPhone have full QWERTY keyboards—virtual ones that appear on their screens.

Getting Started

>> So, just how do you send and receive text messages? It’s easier than you might think. Check your phone’s menus for “messaging” or a similar entry, then choose “New.” In the “To” field, enter the recipient’s 10-digit phone number (most phones will also let you look up numbers from the address book). Yep, the text-message equivalent of an e-mail address is nothing more than the phone number.

Virtually all cell phones can send and receive text messages, but you’ll want to investigate your carrier’s rates. If you don’t have a data plan, you may have to pay a per-message charge (usually anywhere from 10 to 25 cents). If you do have a data plan, it may have a restriction on how many messages you can send and receive per month before getting charged extra. And before you start sending text messages to co-workers, clients, and others in your circle, keep in mind that they may incur a charge just to receive your message. It’s probably good business (to say nothing of courteous) to ask permission before texting.

Beyond Words

>> What else can you do with text messaging? More than you might imagine. For example, HouseFront (www.housefront.com ) can shoot property values and other house-specific information straight to your phone. Just compose a text message listing the property’s street address and city, then send it to HOUSE (46873 on your number pad). In a minute, you’ll receive a reply listing the year the house was built, the square footage, the number of baths/bedrooms, and the estimated price.

Sick of getting stuck in traffic? Sign up for Traffic.com’s MyTraffic alerts: You’ll receive traffic reports via SMS at designated times, like when you’re headed to work or leaving for your daily lunch meeting. If you end up taking an alternate route and get lost along the way, Google SMS (www.google.com/sms) can rescue you with driving directions: Compose a text message with the start and destination addresses, then send it to GOOGLE (466453). Within a minute, Google will send back a text message containing turn-by-turn directions.

Speaking of driving, the last thing you should be doing behind the wheel is tapping on your keypad. Thanks to a free service called Jott (www.jott.com ), you can send text messages using your voice instead of your thumbs. To use Jott, just call a special number from your phone, say the name of the person you want to contact, and then start talking. (Remember to keep it short: Standard text-message limits apply.) The service can text anyone in your contact list (which you have to set up in advance on the Jott site).

Get more voice-powered power from Tellme (www.tellme.com ). When you dial this free service, you can request driving directions, traffic updates, maps, business listings, and more—then get the information delivered to your phone via SMS. Not bad for a technology that’s 23 years old.

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Rick Broida is a freelance writer and a contributor to numerous outlets including Wired Magazine, CNET, Family PC, and Popular Science; he also is the author of How to Do Everything with Your Palm Powered Handheld, 6th Edition.