Google launches free SMS service via Google Talk in India

Low on phone balance? No worries! Search giant Google has started rolling out free SMS service for Gmail users in India that permits them to text their contacts via Gmail chat window. according to Google, the service is supports Aircel, Idea, Loop Mobile, MTS, Reliance, Tata DoCoMo GSM, Tata Docomo CDMA and Vodafone in some circles (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Gujarat, A.P, Bihar, W.B. & A & N, Assam, N.E.). Amazingly, India�s largest carrier, Airtel, and government-owned MTNL and BSNL are missing from the list. 

Users get fifty credits everyday and every credit is equal to one outgoing text message. If somebody replies to the message, it pops informed Google talk itself instead of the phone. Users get five credits for each reply they get to messages sent from this service. However, it doesn't send messages to numbers that are registered under DND, which might be a limiting issue. This feature was activated for Indian users on October 10 and is available for normal Gmail users additionally as those on Google Apps. 

The company's web site offers step by step instructions on however users will send SMS messages to their contacts' mobile phones using Gmail Chat: 

1. Enter your contact's name in the 'Search or invite friends' box in Chat, and choose Send SMS from the box of options that seems to the correct of your contact's name. Or, if you have already got a chat window open for this contact, simply click options, and choose Send SMS.

2. in the window, enter a telephone number within the 'Send SMS messages to this number' field. This feature is only launched in selected countries. Click here for the list of supported countries and operators. If you're not settled in one among these countries you can still use it, however you will not see the SMS possibility in Chat until you change it manually within the Chat settings page.

3. Click Save.

4. a chat window seems. simply sort your message as you would normally. after you hit Enter, the message are sent to the telephone number you entered.

While Google will not charge users for this service, if users need to send any SMS from their mobile to Google Chat, the mobile operators' standards charges can apply.