Yesterday Google started rolling out the ability to text from the web with Android Messages. The feature gives users a lot more flexibility in choosing how and where they can carry on conversations. As long as your Android smartphone is powered on, you can text from a desktop computer or even other mobile devices — including iOS products like an iPad if you just open up Safari. Aside from text, you can also send emoji, stickers, and images over the web.
Using Android Messages on the web requires using Android Messages as your main texting app on your phone. I like it just fine, and Google is clearly planning big things for the future, but if you prefer, say, Samsung’s default messages app or something else, the two don’t work together.
With that out of the way, getting started and setting things up is fairly simple.
- Make sure you’ve got the latest version of Android Messages installed on your phone.
- Go to messages.android.com on the computer or other device you want to text from. You’ll see a big QR code on the right side of this page.
- Open up Android Messages on your smartphone. Tap the icon with three vertical dots at the top and to the far right. You should see a “Messages for web” option inside this menu. If you don’t, just give it some time. Google is rolling out the feature gradually to everyone over the next week.
- Tap “Scan QR code” and point your phone’s camera at the QR code on your other device. In less than a second, your phone will vibrate and the two will be linked up. You should notice your conversations show up in the left column of the browser window. Google says that “conversation threads, contacts, and other settings will be encrypted and cached on your browser.”
Note: this doesn’t mean your actual text conversations are encrypted. They’re not.
And that’s it. To make sure you don’t have to repeat the QR process, you can keep your computer paired with your phone by enabling “Remember this computer.” That’s in the settings menu, which you can access from the web version of Android Messages by clicking on the three-dot icon to the right of “Messages.” You shouldn’t turn this on if you’re using a public PC that other people can easily access.
Which browsers work with Android Messages on the web?
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Microsoft Edge
- Safari
Lol I just sent a text from my Android phone using Safari on my iPad turns out the web is neat.
— Dieter Bohn (@backlon) June 19, 2018You can remove a computer’s access to your messages from your Android phone.
If you want to revoke a web browser’s access to your conversations and messaging, you can quickly do so from your Android smartphone. Go back to the “Messages for web” area of Android Messages and you can choose to sign out of individual computers or all of them with a click.
There’s a dark mode!
Android Messages doesn’t have a dark theme on mobile, but Google has created one for the web, where all the app’s whites and light grays might overload your eyeballs at night. You’ll find “Enable dark theme” in settings (on the web) right above the “Remember this computer” option mentioned earlier.
Keep your phone powered on.
Android Messages on the web can’t work independently of your smartphone. So if your battery dies or if your phone shuts off for any reason, you won’t be able to send any texts from your computer.
Drag media into the Android Messages conversation to attach and send.
Sending a photo from Android Messages on the web is dead simple. You can either use the attachments icon — to the right of emoji and stickers — or just drag and drop media into the conversation window to send an MMS.
Texting has its ups and downs. On the one hand, it’s a fast and convenient mode of conversation that everyone uses. On the other, it’s still slower and more prone to typos than typing by a traditional keyboard. Wouldn’t it be great to get the best of both worlds?
Well, it’s possible!
The answer is to send SMS texts directly from your computer, which enables you to type your messages in less time with fewer typos, plus it allows you to take advantage of certain advanced tools like text expanders. And best of all, there are several different ways to make this happen.
Here are some of the best and easiest ways to send an SMS text message from your Windows PC for free.
Textfree
Pinger is the company behind Textfree, a mobile and web app that facilitates the sending of free SMS texts by providing you with a U.S.-based phone number. These messages are regular SMS messages, so you can send them to anyone, even if they don’t use a Textfree app.
Other supported features include group messaging, MMS photo messaging, international messaging, and voicemails.
![Texting Apps For Pc Texting Apps For Pc](https://www.bloomtimes.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/1276856-1024x1024.png)
Pinger offers an awesome standalone app called Pinger DesktopPinger Desktop - The Best Desktop Texting Application [Mac OSX & Windows]Pinger Desktop - The Best Desktop Texting Application [Mac OSX & Windows]Over a year ago, I introduced MakeUseOf readers to Textfree. Since then, a lot has changed. I still use Textfree to this very day, and the entire application has been rebranded as Pinger. If you...Read More, but recently decided to cease acceptance of new Pinger Desktop accounts due to a greater focus on mobile apps instead. Fortunately, it’s similar enough to Textfree Web that you won’t lose out on much with the latter.
Texting is free to the United States, Canada, and these international countries.
Pushbullet
Pushbullet has been a fan favorite app for a couple of years now. It started out as a simple way to forward notifications and transfer files between your mobile device and your desktop computerThe Fastest File Transfer Methods Between PCs and Mobile DevicesThe Fastest File Transfer Methods Between PCs and Mobile DevicesPC-to-mobile files transfers are easy to do. This article covers five fast transfer methods between PCs and mobile devices.Read More, but has recently evolved into something much more.
In late 2014, Pushbullet added the ability to send SMS texts from your computer through your phone. Then, in 2015, they expanded the feature so that messages are synced across all of your devices and you can have full conversations regardless of which device you’re on at the time.
As of now, the feature is guaranteed to work as long as you’re using Pushbullet on Android 4.4+ as well as the Pushbullet Chrome extensions or the Pushbullet desktop app.
MightyText + GText
MightyText is an awesome little app that can synchronize an Android smartphone’s messages with Android tablets and any of the mainstream browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, and IE). It’s very useful and worth checking out if you haven’t alrady.
But for the purposes of sending an SMS from your desktop, you’ll need to install a secondary Chrome extension called GText. This extension modifies your Gmail inbox with a Compose SMS button (but first you’ll have to authorize the extension to access your inbox).
Learn more by checking out our overview of sending text messages with MightyText and GmailGtext From MightyText: Send SMS From Gmail, Using Your Android Phone NumberGtext From MightyText: Send SMS From Gmail, Using Your Android Phone NumberRead More.
AirDroid
Like Pushbullet and MightyText, AirDroid is another app that makes it easy to check your SMS texts from your computerHow to View and Send SMS Text Messages on Your ComputerHow to View and Send SMS Text Messages on Your ComputerWant to view and send text messages with your computer? These apps and services let you access SMS without your Android or iPhone.Read More. It works by synchronizing your devices together, allowing you to read and write SMS texts right from your computer in real-time.
All you need is the AirDroid app on your Android smartphone. Then, you can synchronize using the Windows client or the AirDroid web client (or the OS X client if you also have a Mac lying around somewhere).
But what’s great about the latest version of AirDroid is that it’s about more than just synchronization. It has a bunch of advanced features that make it easy to manage your entire smartphone remotely, including: mirroring the device’s screen on your computer, answering or rejecting calls, file transfers, contact list management, and more.
Learn more in our overview of AirDroid 3 featuresHow Do I Manage My Android From My PC? Meet AirDroid 3How Do I Manage My Android From My PC? Meet AirDroid 3For a seamless connection between your Android and your PC or Mac, you've got to try AirDroid 3. You can even mirror your device's screen to your computer!Read More. Be aware that some advanced features (like unlimited file transfers or remote access to the mobile camera) are only available in AirDroid Premium, which starts at $1.99 per month.
Google Voice & Google Hangouts
Do you remember Google Voice? It peaked in popularity a few years ago, but it’s still around and still quite useful — not just for setting up call forwardingHow To Set Up Call Forwarding With Google VoiceHow To Set Up Call Forwarding With Google VoiceRead More, but also for a bunch of other neat uses5 Awesome Things You Can Do With Google Voice5 Awesome Things You Can Do With Google VoiceBlog from your phone, call Canada for free or use your computer to make free phone calls. Google Voice isn't the easiest Google service to explain to non-techies, partially because it can be used for...Read More like sending and receiving texts.
That’s right. As soon as you claim a Google Voice number, which only takes a few minutes at most, you can start sending SMS texts from that new number. Seriously, it doesn’t get much easier than this.
You can also send SMS texts through Google Voice using Google Hangouts. Not only is Hangouts one of the best Android messaging appsThe Best All-in-One Messaging & Calling App for Android: Google HangoutsThe Best All-in-One Messaging & Calling App for Android: Google HangoutsWhat if there was one app that could do it all? Meet Google Hangouts for Android.Read More available, the new Hangouts web clientGoogle Finally Made a Hangouts Web App & It's Worth ItGoogle Finally Made a Hangouts Web App & It's Worth ItFor the longest time, Hangouts on desktop was a nightmare. Now, it has got a major update on the web in the form of an all new dedicated web app.Read More is sleek, beautiful, and worthwhile. To get it working, you’ll have to enable Google Voice integration in the Hangouts settings.
Note: Google Voice is only available to residents of the U.S. so international users will need to resort to another service instead.
Microsoft Outlook
Texting Apps For Pc Free
Did you know it was possible to send SMS texts using Microsoft Outlook? The process is a little more involved than some of the solutions offered above, but as long as you can get it up and running successfully, it works well enough — especially if Outlook is already part of your regular toolset.
The easiest way is to set up an account with a third-party service that supports the Outlook Mobile Service (OMS) protocol. Fortunately, this can be done through a painless step-by-step wizard within Outlook itself.
In the ribbon, navigate to the Home tab, then click on New Items, then select Text Message (SMS). This will launch the wizard that configures your Outlook account with a nearby third-party service.
Note: This feature is only available in Microsoft Outlook 2010. It was removed in Microsoft Outlook 2013. Also, some services may charge a fee on top of any mobile carrier fees you might incur per text message.
Online Text Message
There are so many “free SMS text” services on the web that it would be impossible to list all of them to satisfaction. However, we’ve covered a few of them in our list of free online SMS servicesThe Best Ways To Send A Free SMS OnlineThe Best Ways To Send A Free SMS OnlineIn an era where smartphone ownership is becoming the majority, it’s hard to imagine someone who can’t (or won’t) send out text messages. When was the last time you knew someone who didn’t have a...Read More so check them out if you prefer an on-demand method with very little hassle (e.g. no account creation).
Online Text Message is one of the better ones but it comes with a few caveats. It’s quick and painless to use, but you must be at least 18 years old to use it legally. It also has a less-than-ideal privacy policy that will scare away most privacy freaks.
Long story short: In exchange for using this free service, Online Text Message collects your email address, phone number, and IP address. Messages are also limited to 100 characters. That’s the price to pay for instant convenience.
Sending Text Messages Is Easy
You have so many options and we’re confident that at least one of them will work out well for you. Give them all a try, though, and let us know which one you end up liking the best. As for me? I’m particularly impressed by the ease of use from Google Voice and Google Hangouts.
If you’re still looking for more ways to make your SMS life easier, consider these alternative SMS apps for Android and these Android SMS scheduling apps, both of which will improve your overall smartphone experience.
Looking for additional messaging options? Take a look at these self-destructing apps and sites for secure messaging5 Self-Destructing Apps to Send Secure Messages or Stay Organized5 Self-Destructing Apps to Send Secure Messages or Stay OrganizedIf you want to ensure your data isn't stored anywhere, use these self-destructing apps to send sensitive information.Read More.
Give a try to my new project DesktopSMS (DesktopsSMS Lite for Android, DesktopSMS Client for Windows PC). Native Windows app, no registration needed. Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks.
I used to use MightyText but now they have a 250 messages per month limit with their free service so now I use PushBullet. Thanks for the article!
I use Pushbullet, works like a charm. If I leave my phone in another room and I get a text, it shows up on my pc and I can answer it from my pc.
Messaging is returning as a function of Skype. You can read about it in the Insider Hub (the blog about what's new in Build 10565) or by reading the blog directly at
http://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2015/10/12/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-10565/
The blog says in part
Skype messaging, calling and video experience: As we’ve announced previously, Skype messaging, calling and video capabilities will come integrated into Windows 10 through the Messaging, Phone and Skype video universal Windows apps. These Windows applications enable quick and easy, free calling and messaging to other Skype users across phones, over 3G/4G and Wi-Fi tablets and to PCs Wi-Fi. With this build, you can preview the integrated capabilities on your PC while an upcoming Windows 10 Mobile Insider Preview build will have these integrated capabilities for you to preview soon on mobile devices. Try things like Quick Reply from Action Center where incoming notifications will come in with the option to reply inline without opening the application. This is an early preview and you can expect some bugs, and more features to come as we deliver monthly updates.
With mobile carriers charging anywhere from $20 to $30 a month for unlimited plans, smartphone users with a love of texting might feel like coughing up this kind of cash is their only option. In reality, there are several great apps available that allow users to text for free.
Many of these apps also offer additional perks like group chat and video. Here are several options that will save you money and offer you more than just your basic text.
1. imo
More than just your basic free texting service, imo allows you to message friends and family on most instant messaging networks — Facebook Chat, Google Talk, Skype and AIM — by allowing you to sync your accounts. It also allows users to send emoticons, photos, video, and voice messages for free. Noted features include group chats, push notifications, and voice calling, which Android and iOS users can utilize without using plan minutes.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, and Nokia.
2. KaKao Talk
KaKao Talk is a free app that lets you call and text anywhere at any time for free. All you need is a phone number. Not only does it support 12 different languages, but it offers fun alternative communication options like funny voice filters during phone calls, animated emoticons, and a walkie-talkie setting. Sending photo and video is also included, as are group chats, and rewards for adding a favorite brand as a friend.
Available on: iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Bada, and Windows.
3. WeChat
WeChat not only provides free texting, but includes multimedia features like voice messaging. Using its “shake” feature, you can exchange information like photos and contacts with nearby friends. Users also have access to a “look around” feature that lets them see if anyone close by is also on the app.
Available on: iPhone, Android, Windows phones, and Symbian platforms.
4. Pinger
Text for free from more than 100 countries around the world, with Pinger. With its photo-based interface, users are able to select a friend’s photo and view their texts, photos, calls, and voicemails in the same area. As far as texting goes, Pinger provides you with a phone number, where texts are unlimited. An added bonus is a feature that allows you to see when your sent text has been read.
Available on: iOS, Android, and Windows.
Texting App For Pc Download
5. textPlus
The app, textPlus offers free and unlimited messaging no matter what type of phone you have. After providing you with a free phone number, this sponsor-supported app is most known for its group-messaging feature and community texting, which allows you to talk to people around the world in a chat-room type venue. Photo messaging and voice notes are also available.
Available on: Windows phones, iOS, and Android.
What other text messaging apps do you recommend? Share in the comments below.
Tired of emailing yourself photos? Sick of being interrupted by text messages? Microsoft is making it easier to use your Windows PC to access the photos and messages on your Android phone.
The company's new Your Phone app, included in the upcoming Windows 10 October 2018 update, displays recent photos and texts from your phone -- which you can drag, drop, copy and paste on to your desktop or into other applications. Initially, the app will support phones running Android 7.0 or newer versions of Google's mobile operating system. (The company did not specify whether or when it would make the feature available to iOS users.) The Your Phone feature will roll out to all Windows users on or around Oct. 9.
In June, Google released its own Web-based Android messaging app that works on both Mac and Windows devices. And Apple, which introduced seamless messaging across iOS and MacOS devices back in 2012, unveiled full photo and messaging synchronization via iCloud in June.
Microsoft also announced some related enhancements to its Windows Timeline, which displays recently accessed files and sites and which launched in April. Beginning today, documents, emails and websites recently viewed on an Android phone will also be included in the Windows Timeline. In early November, the company will extend support for the feature to Apple devices that run Microsoft's Edge browser.
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