RSS feeds have traditionally been delivered using a RSS reader / browser or using email. But now, you can also send your Blog’s RSS feeds to subscribed users via SMS. This tutorial is specific to Indian users, but you can tweak it to work for your country too.
This will make use of Google’s new SMS Channels features which is free in India.
To use this, you just need to have a working RSS feed on your blog, which is available by default if you are on Blogger or WordPress. To have customized RSS Feeds, use FeedBurner.
Just login to Google using your Google account and go to: http://labs.google.co.in/smschannels/browse
You will need to register with your mobile number and verify it if you are a first time user.
Next, click on Create Your Own Channel.
Enter the Channel name, Description etc and in the source, select RSS / Atom Feed and enter your Blog’s RSS feed URL.
Tick the ‘Allow Publishing by – only ME’ and ‘Who can subscribe – Any user’ options. You can set the content to the Title or the Title with Body.
Click Create Channel and start inviting users to your Blog’s SMS channel.
Users can now get SMS updates for your blog by SMSing ON <channelname> to 9870807070.
To get SMS updates for my blog, SMS ON PathikShahDotCom to 9870807070
Using Google’s SMS Channels, you can receive any RSS Feed on your mobile through SMS. Just create a new channel for a feed you want and subscribe to it.
December 13th, 2008 at 3:03 pm
[...] is another ingenious way to use Google’s SMS Channels for India. If you want your Orkut scrap updates to be delivered directly to your mobile via SMS [...]
December 23rd, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Great Tip,
Thank you.
I will set up a new channel today..
March 2nd, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Nice one, was looking for just this.
May 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 am
http://www.smsyard.com
July 27th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Fantastic Article. I was able to setup my own private channel which tracks the updates made to a blog written by some XYZ person using RSS and get the SMS alert.
The only issue i face is the delay. For e.g. The update was made on blog at 10 pm but i received the SMS next day in evening at 5.30 pm. What can be the exact reason for delay? Anyway to backtrack the issue or any suggestions.
Thank you very much.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Nah, there is no workaround for that. Google checks the feeds only at certain times in the day, and then sends the SMS.
July 27th, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Thanks a lot for that vital piece of information. Is it possible to find out exactly how many times and more important at exactly what times does Google check for the feeds? Is there any source of info. for this fact or any place i can track/leave a feedback for the same.
You’ve been a tremendous help. Thanks again.