Send text messages from your PC
What you need: Android phone; Any web browser Time required: 10 minutes
Google now lets you send text messages to Android phones from any web browser on your PC. You first need to install the free Android Messages app from www.snipca.com/28274. We’ll show you how to set this as your default
messaging app, then sync the app to your browser to read and reply to text messages from the convenience of your PC’S larger screen. You can attach photos to messages, and even use a dark mode within the browser.
STEP 1
Unless you use a Google Nexus or Pixel phone, it’s likely that your phone manufacturer (Samsung, Huawei or LG) will have their own default messaging app. If so, you first need to set Android Messages as your default messaging app, so open Settings on your phone, tap ‘Apps & notifications’, ‘Default apps’, Messaging/sms, select the Messages app, then tap Change to confirm. Now open any web browser on your PC and go to https://messages.android.com 1 . You’ll see a QR code on your screen 2 . Turn on the ‘Remember this computer’ slider 3 to see your messages the next time you visit this website.
STEP 2
Next, open the Messages app on your phone, tap the three dots at the top right, the ‘Messages for web’ option, then the Scan QR Code button. This launches your PC’S camera. Point this at the QR code on your PC screen. In a second, you’ll see all your phone’s text messages in a neat list 1 . Click any recipient name 2 to see their messages in the preview window 3 . Move your cursor to any message in the list, then click the three-dot button that appears beside it. You’ll see three options 4 – to archive or delete that message, or turn off notification sounds for messages from that sender.
STEP 3
To send a text message from your PC, click ‘New conversation’ 1 type the name of the person/ people that you want to message 2 , then type your message in the text field below. The three icons 3 let you add emoticons, stickers and PC photos to the message. Alternatively, you can drag and drop photos from your PC into the main window to attach them. Click Send 4 when you’re done (your mobile network provider’s SMS/MMS rates apply). Click the ‘More options’ button 5 to see a pop-up menu. Here, click Archived to see those messages. The website also has a dark theme, which is useful if you’re using it at night. To enable it, click Settings within the menu, turn on the ‘Enable dark theme’ slider, then click Done.