Security System - Email to Text not working

[darshm]

Hello,

I've setup my security system to send sms to my rogers cell  xxxxxxxxxx@pcs.rogers.com but the messages never arrive on my cell phone.

Is this service still active? Is there any specific setting that I need to turn on in my phone or on my Rogers account?

Thanks

Darsh

*Edited Labels*

[RogersMoin]

Hello, @darshm.

Welcome to the Rogers Community Forums! 🙂

I appreciate posting your query in the Community. I have just tested the Email to Text Service (@pcs.rogers.com) by sending an email from my Gmail account; I can confirm that it is active.  

In order to successfully use the Email to text service, you need to be using it from an email client. You may want to check with your security system support if the Email to text service can be used for sending out alerts and notifications etc. 

Community - Please chime in with your expertise on this matter. 

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[darshm]

Thank you Moin for testing this out. I also just now sent an email from my gmail account to my cell and it did not work.

[RogersMoin · Accepted solution]

Hello, @darshm.

Thank you for the update. Would you please send a text Subscribe to 0000000000 (10 zeros)? Reply Yes to the message received. Please wait for a few minutes and try sending an email again to PhoneNumber@pcs.rogers.com. 

Keep us posted on the outcome. 

Cheers,

RogersMoin

[darshm]

Thank you so much. That got it working.👍

[impala]

I'm trying to setup a Wyze motion detector to email sms text notifications to my Rogers prepaid cell phone. I have the $5/month for 250 domestic text messages add-on with unlimited received text messages.

I figured out the rogers email address is mycellnumber@pcs.rogers.com and have been doing some tests. Unfortunately, I get one message first that says "You have mail from xxxx@mail.com. Please reply with 'Read' to read your message". I do that and then I get the message I actually want to see. So it's a two step process and the few times I tried it the messages came from different senders 30500001, 30500002, 30500003, etc. So adding to contact list won't help.

Is there a way to avoid the first message and just get the email I want with the subject and body included? Are there any additional charges if I do this? I found some posts from around 2012 that said there was a subscription charge for email to sms, but maybe things have changed because I wasn't charged for the test messages I did today.

Thanks for any info or advice. 

*Added Labels*

[Pauly]

email to text is an old service from back in the day when phones never had email capability, it filled in a missing gap back then but in todays world, phones can easily receive email by adding an email address to your phones email app. why not use this instead? i have heard countless horror stories that email to text is unreliable and not working correctly, i think they have it just because its a legacy service but i dont think they will improve on it.

[RogersHarry]

Hello @impala

Thanks for your post! It's always exciting when you are setting up a new security system. In regards to your question, to avoid the first message, you will need to be subscribed to the $5 add-on. Please see the below information which describes the paid and unpaid options.

$5 Premium Email to Text Service
•Send email to  phonenumber@pcs.rogers.com
•Recipient will receive message seamlessly; no action required.

Free Email to Text Service

The first time you're sent an email to your phone number, you will receive a welcome SMS inviting you to enable the service by replying ‘yes’.

From that point moving forward, you will receive the following SMS alert when a message is received. "You have mail from <email address>. Reply with 'Read' to view your message.

The message will end with <More> if it contains more than 160 characters. To read the entire message, reply ‘M’ or ‘More’

To access the commands, send a text message to "0000000000" (10 zeros) with the word "help" to get a list of the commands.

Hope this helps!

RogersHarry

[impala]

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@Pauly wrote:
phones can easily receive email by adding an email address to your phones email app. why not use this instead? 

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Because I don't have a data plan and can't really afford one. Don't you need a data plan to use an email app? If I had data I could just receive notifications from the Wyze device directly and wouldn't need to worry about all this.

[OLDYELLR]

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@Pauly wrote:

email to text is an old service from back in the day when phones never had email capability, it filled in a missing gap back then but in todays world, phones can easily receive email by adding an email address to your phones email app. why not use this instead? i have heard countless horror stories that email to text is unreliable and not working correctly, i think they have it just because its a legacy service but i dont think they will improve on it.

---

That is a deplorable situation and there's no excuse for it. As a PayGo customer who has to pay $0.30 for every text sent or received and my cellphone sits turned off unless I take it with me when leaving the house, I often used this service to text friends and family members because my desktop computer is never turned off and I only turn my laptop off when I go to bed.  How much is Rogers actually saving by eliminating this service?

[DCP416]

Hi: Why hasn't Rogers posted the actual instructions to use this service on the appropriate info page (showing step by step including Enrolling, Confirmation, need to reply with Read, and M or More or Help for command list?  They just post "All you have to do is email to xxxxxxxxxxx@pcs.rogers.com" which is actually worse than untrue, it's misleading.  When nothing happens, people are confused because they followed the posted instructions.

Specifically, I suggest that the incorrect / incomplete instruction on https://www.rogers.com/customer/support/article/set-up-email-to-text should be combined on a single page with instructions on https://www.rogers.com/web/content/wireless-text/email_text_commands and prefaced with a 5 line step-by-step instruction that is basically: 1) Enroll 2) Authorize 3) Test 4) Read 5) Read All ("More") + other commands.

Biggest problem is that searching for this inside both Rogers and via Google sends you first to the incomplete page of instructions (which IMHO has no purpose and wastes everyones' time.)

PS: One thing additional not covered in any instructions: after subscribing and confirming and receiving a bunch of test messages, I received a separate text enrollment confirmation from just one of the standard Rogers Sending IDs 3050004 that stated "You have mail but are not subscribed; reply 'Yes" to this message to subscribe (French ver in brackets)" - as stated I had already confirmed to the 0000000000 number and begun using the service and receiving email-to-sms conversions. ... so I replied 'Yes" again - and then got a reply message from 3050004 stating "You are already subscribed to the Rogers Email to SMS service.  For more information, send 'help' to 0000000000." I did nothing further and ignored other requests for re-confirmation of enrollment.

[DCP416]

Why I took the time to post my comments on instructions for email-to-sms...

The purpose for this service is not just an old ad-hoc bridging system designed for the days before phones had apps & emails.  There are many people who do not own a computer, and own a simple phone or just have free web mail on a home pc and don't own a mobile.  For me several individuals fall into this category including an elderly aunt.  So this service shouldn't be viewed as an outdated function, but more as an access empowerment service for marginalized or hard to service individuals. 

Since those people are obviously not very tech savvy, it is important to post clear, concise and full instructions such that receiver can add the service without trying to figure out with one of the people above why the service isn't functioning (not to mention, Roger's valuing its' customers' very valuable time).

[AJD123]

It is used because emails are often overlooked and not checked the minute they are received.  When someone receives a text message, they look at their phone right away.  It is often used for automation or security purposes to notify you of something important i.e. your alarm is going off...

[MichaelYYZ]

I received this text:

”Welcome to Rogers Email to SMS.
You have mail, but are not subscribed; reply 'Yes' to this message to subscribe.
(Envoyer Oui pour abonnement en francais)”

If I reply ‘Yes’ to the message to subscribe, would I be enrolled in the ‘FREE E-mail to Text Service’, or in the ‘$5 Premium E-mail to Text Service’? 

[RogersCorey]

Greetings @MichaelYYZ!

If you reply "Yes", then you would be subscribing to free Email to Text service. The free service allows you to receive emails via SMS. The Premium $5/mo service allows you to send. 

I hope that answers your question. 🙂

Regards,

RogersCorey

[MichaelYYZ]

Thank you. So, I will reply 'Yes' with the understanding that it will be free and I will not be subscribing to any Premium $5/mo service.

For my own curiosity, what do you mean by "The Premium $5/mo service allows you to send."? Send what to where?

[RogersCorey]

I'd be happy to sate your curiosity @MichaelYYZ!

The Premium service allows you to send emails via SMS from an email address that's created with your phone number included.

Regards,

RogersCorey

[DABII]

No, simply try adding the one in front of your phone number, making it complete, with all eleven digits, like so.

1-xxx-xxx-xxxx

There was a change in the system about 6 months back, and this is the simple fix.

I find the sending to email always works, without subscribing to Premium.

Do not spend anymore money, just to email to your phone via text. 😒

[PercyStark]

Apparently rogers just eliminated email to text on June 30 2023

[PercyStark]

What’s the solution now that rogers discontinued email to text on June 30 2023?

[Pauly]

the solution is to check the email message from an app on your phone now. all current plans have data, so they want you to get with the times im assuming