Gadgets & Gizmos

Google has partnered with Mobilink to offer its Gmail users an ability to send free text messages to any Mobilink number from their Gmail accounts or through Google Chat.
Gmail offers this facility for limited operators throughout the world, and Mobilink is the first operator they have collaborated with in Pakistan.
With this service Mobilink subscribers can also reply back to SMS messages sent from Google chat, which will appear on Gmail user’s Gmail interface.
It merits mentioning here that first message has to be sent by a Gmail user via Gmail chat client. This means that Mobilink subscriber cannot initiate chat himself/herself with his Gmail contacts from mobile phone.
How to send SMS to Mobilink Numbers:
Gmail users will have to simply Log into their account. In the Send SMS box above Chat, enter the Mobilink phone number you want to send a SMS.

 Next a window will appear (shown below) where you can check the country code and phone number of the SMS recipient to save this contact to build your address book. Next time you will be able to send SMS to same number by typing his/her name.
Next a chat-window will pop on right bottom, simply type the message and hit enter… that’s it.
Your message will be sent to the phone number you entered.



How Mobilink Subscribers  Respond to Gmail Chat SMS?

• 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.

Commands for Mobilink Subscribers:
Mobilink subscriber can use below commands while chatting via Gmail SMS service through his/her mobile phone. Please note that these commands can be sent in response to SMS received from the Gmail user only.

• 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

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, but with limited daily credits. Read below to learn on how to receive more 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.

How to Get Google SMS Credits:
Gmail offers initial SMS credit for 50 SMS, which decreases each time you send an SMS from Gmail chat client.

• 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.
• you can also send an SMS to your own phone, and then reply to that message multiple times to get 5 credits for each reply. This is legal, as you’re buying credits by paying your phone company.
• If your SMS credit goes down to zero at any point, it will increase back up to one 24 hours later.