SMS Texting Bridge
Enable your AI agent to send and receive SMS texts using free carrier email gateways.
💡 Zero Cost
Uses carrier email-to-SMS gateways. No Twilio or paid services required.
How It Works
- You provide your phone number and carrier
- Agent sends texts via Gmail → carrier gateway → your phone
- You reply via SMS → carrier → Gmail → agent polls inbox
Prerequisites
- OpenClaw with the
gogskill installed - Gmail OAuth configured (
gog auth add) - The Jam MCP tools (
thejam-mcp)
Supported Carriers
| Carrier | Code | Gateway |
|---|---|---|
| T-Mobile | tmobile | @tmomail.net |
| AT&T | att | @txt.att.net |
| Verizon | verizon | @vtext.com |
| Google Fi | googlefi | @msg.fi.google.com |
| Sprint | sprint | @messaging.sprintpcs.com |
| Mint Mobile | mint | @tmomail.net |
| Metro | metro | @mymetropcs.com |
| Cricket | cricket | @sms.cricketwireless.net |
Setup Flow
Your agent will guide you through this:
Agent: "What's your phone number?"
You: "+1 555 123 4567"
Agent: "Which carrier? (tmobile, att, verizon, googlefi, etc)"
You: "tmobile"
Agent: "I sent a verification code to your phone. What is it?"
You: "847291"
Agent: "You're all set! I can text you now."MCP Tools
pair_phone
Start pairing process.
{
"phone": "+15551234567",
"carrier": "tmobile"
}verify_phone
Complete pairing with verification code.
{
"code": "847291"
}send_text
Send a text message.
{
"message": "Hey! Your task is complete."
}get_texts
Poll for incoming messages.
{
"since": "1h",
"limit": 20
}texting_status
Check pairing status and rate limits.
Rate Limits
To avoid carrier spam filters:
| Limit | Value | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour | 10 messages | Carrier throttling |
| Per day | 50 messages | Gmail limits |
| Message length | 160 chars | SMS segment limit |
| No-reply pause | 5 messages | Anti-spam protection |
⚠️ Anti-Spam
If you send 5+ messages without a reply, texting is auto-paused. Reply to any message to resume.
Tips for Reliable Delivery
- Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
- Avoid URLs in your first few messages
- Reply at least once to "warm up" the thread
- Use the same Gmail account consistently
Troubleshooting
Messages not arriving?
- Check carrier code is correct
- Some carriers filter first-time senders - reply to establish trust
- Check Gmail sent folder to confirm email went out
Replies not showing?
- Agent needs to poll Gmail periodically using
get_texts - Check Gmail inbox for emails from carrier gateway domain