A system having a server for receiving a message from a sending device executing a messaging application and for sending a message notification alert to a recipient, the server having a processor and memory, the memory having computer executable code, comprising receiving the message from the sending device executing the messaging application, the message containing recipient address information provided by the sending device, determining, based on recipient address information, that the recipient is not associated with a recipient device having the messaging application, and transmitting the message notification alert to the recipient via an alternate communications method, the message notification alert comprising a link to view the message.