Gmail is the preferred free email platform for millions of people worldwide. To facilitate access to its email services, Google has developed proprietary applications for nearly all brands of smartphones, including iPhones, Android phones and BlackBerry phones. These applications provide access to the full gamut of Gmail's email services, such as sending, receiving and organizing email. However, if your phone doesn't have the capability to download one of these apps, or if you simply don't want to manage your entire Gmail account from your mobile phone, you can still easily set up your phone to receive SMS alerts whenever you receive emails at your Gmail account.
Log into your Gmail account and click the cog icon in the upper right corner.
Click "Mail Settings" from the drop-down menu that pops up.
Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab and click the "Add a Forwarding Address" button in the "Forwarding" section.
Enter your mobile phone's carrier-specific email SMS gateway. Typically, this is in the form of your10digitnumber@carriersmsgateway.com.
Confirm your cell phone's email address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to your phone. Open this email on your phone, then click the confirmation link it contains. This allows your Gmail account to use your cell phone's SMS gateway address as a forwarder.
Click the "Filters" tab in your Gmail settings. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the "Create a New Filter" link.
Customize your new filter. For example, if you'd only like to get SMS alerts when you get mail from specific email addresses, enter those email addresses, each separated by a comma, in the "From:" field. If you'd like to receive an SMS alert each time you receive an email, no matter who the sender is, enter your own Gmail address in the "To:" field.
Check the box next to the "Forward It To:" field and select your cell phone's email address in the adjacent drop-down menu.
Click the "Create Filter" button. Gmail will immediately start forwarding all incoming emails that fit your filter's criteria to your phone as SMS alerts.
Log into your Gmail account and click the cog icon in the upper right corner.
Click "Mail Settings" from the drop-down menu that pops up.
Click the "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab and click the "Add a Forwarding Address" button in the "Forwarding" section.
Enter your mobile phone's carrier-specific email SMS gateway. Typically, this is in the form of your10digitnumber@carriersmsgateway.com.
Confirm your cell phone's email address. Gmail will send a confirmation email to your phone. Open this email on your phone, then click the confirmation link it contains. This allows your Gmail account to use your cell phone's SMS gateway address as a forwarder.
Click the "Filters" tab in your Gmail settings. Scroll to the bottom of this page and click on the "Create a New Filter" link.
Customize your new filter. For example, if you'd only like to get SMS alerts when you get mail from specific email addresses, enter those email addresses, each separated by a comma, in the "From:" field. If you'd like to receive an SMS alert each time you receive an email, no matter who the sender is, enter your own Gmail address in the "To:" field.
Check the box next to the "Forward It To:" field and select your cell phone's email address in the adjacent drop-down menu.
Click the "Create Filter" button. Gmail will immediately start forwarding all incoming emails that fit your filter's criteria to your phone as SMS alerts.