"Texter" redirects here. For the American surname see Texter .
For a technical history of the Short Message Service see Short message service.
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
A user typing a text message on an LG enV.
Text messaging or texting is the common term for the sending of "short" text messages from mobile phones using the Short Message Service . It is available on most digital mobile phones and some personal digital assistants with on-board wireless telecommunications. The individual messages which are sent are called text messages or more colloquially texts or SMS.
SMS gateways connect mobile SMS services with any online service that is able to connect with the gateway e.g. instant message services the world wide web desktop computers and landline telephones . Devices that connect to mobile phones and PDAs through protocols such as Bluetooth may use the same type of link to send SMS messages over a wireless network. SMS arose as part of the widely deployed GSM protocol but is now also available with non-GSM systems.
The most common application of the service is person-to-person messaging but text messages are also often used to interact with automated systems such as ordering products and services for mobile phones or participating in contests. There are some services available on the Internet that allow users to send text messages free of direct charge to the sender.
