Yahoo!’s instant messaging client Yahoo! Messenger is certainly a great application that comes with all sorts of useful features. Amongst those useful features there is one that eludes a large number of Yahoo! Messenger users: you can send free text (SMS) messages via YM. Instead of using your mobile phone to send your friends a message, why not use Yahoo! Messenger to perform the same task free of charge.

“When you send an SMS message from Yahoo! Messenger, replies from your friends come back to you in Messenger, making it a quick and convenient way to chat with your friends when they’re not online. This feature is available in all of our versions – 9.0 for Windows, Messenger for Mac, Yahoo! Messenger for the Web, iPhone and even in the chat features in Yahoo! Mail,” Product Manager Sarah Bacon explains.

How to send SMS Messages in Yahoo! Messenger 9 for Windows
- Select a contact you wish to text
- Right click that contact
- Select Send SMS message
- Type in your text message and send it. You will be asked to provide a phone number if one is not stored in that contact’s details.

If you want to send an SMS message via Yahoo! Messenger 9 to a person that is not in your contacts list follow these steps: Actions menu -> Send an SMS Message -> Other contact. Alternatively you can just press Ctrl + T -> click Other Contact.

How to send SMS Messages in Yahoo! Messenger for Mac
- Select a contact you wish to text
- Go to the Contacts menu and select Send SMS
- Alternatively you can right click a contact -> select Send SMS message.
- During a conversation, you can always hit the Voice and SMS button in the IM window.

If you want to send an SMS message via Yahoo! Messenger for Mac to a person that is not in your contacts list follow these steps: File menu -> New SMS. Alternatively you can just press Shift + Command + N.

How to send SMS Messages in Yahoo! Messenger for the Web
- Locate the Mobile Contacts group in the contacts list. There you will find all the contacts you have provided a mobile number for.
- If a contact is not in the Mobile Contacts group and you want to send that person an SMS message, simply type that person’s name in the Find Contacts bar and hit Enter. A new IM window where you can type in and send an SMS message will be launched.

How to send SMS Messages in Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone
- Launch the Yahoo! Messenger for iPhone app.
- Start a conversation with someone.
- Tap the IM icon to change it to SMS
- Type in your SMS and hit Send.

How to send SMS Messages in Yahoo! Mail
- In the new Yahoo! Mail: sing in -> select a contact and click it -> in the upper right part of the window that opens you will notice 3 icons -> click the mobile icon.
- In the classic Yahoo! Mail: sign in-> locate the Mobile Contacts group -> open the group and select a contact. If the contact you want to text is not in the group, click the New text link at the bottom.

And a final word from Sarah Bacon: “It’s free to send SMS messages from Yahoo! Messenger but note that the friends who receive your messages may be subject to fees depending on their carrier and data plan. SMS message sending is supported by Yahoo! Messenger in the following countries and carriers:

United States: AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile
Canada: Rogers, Fido
India: Vodaphone Essar, Airtel, Spice, Escotel, Reliance
Indonesia: XL, Indosat, Hutch 3, Telkomsel
Malaysia: Celcom, DiGi
Philippines: Globe, Smart
Thailand: AIS, DTAC
Vietnam: Mobifone, Viettel, Vinaphone, S-Fone, HT, EVN

Here are some Yahoo! Messenger-related articles that you might want to check out:
Yahoo! Messenger 9.0: Installation Options You Need to Know About
Safety Tips for Yahoo! Messenger Usage