To send an SMS with Java, users need a free or paid Twilio account, prior knowledge of Java, and a smartphone to test the project. The process starts by creating a directory for the project, downloading the Twilio Java helper library, buying a Twilio phone number, and logging into the Twilio Console to select the desired country and SMS capabilities. Users then create a file named SmsSender.java, paste the provided code, and compile it using a command line interface. The code initializes the Twilio client with account credentials stored as environment variables, creates a new message instance to send an SMS to a personal phone number from a Twilio phone number, and prints the message SID on the terminal for reference. Once compiled, users can run the Java class using a specific command depending on their operating system, resulting in a quick and convenient way to send an SMS with Java.