If you are on a computer and receive a text message on your mobile phone, wouldn’t it be great if you can reply to the text message without answering the call? Yes, you can, and there are excellent applications and services to achieve this goal.
Whether you use Apple or Android, you can send and receive text messages on your Mac, Windows PC or Chromebook. Read on to determine the best option for you.
How to send texts via Your Phone for Windows 10
This solution is mainly suitable for users who use Windows 10 PCs and Android phones. It relies on Microsoft’s built-in Your Phone app introduced in the April 2018 update and the Your Phone Companion app for Android.
This combination allows users to send and receive text in Windows 10, receive Android notifications in the action center, and access pictures stored on the phone.
Your Phone app also supports iPhone, but only to forward web pages from Microsoft Edge for iOS. iPhone support does not include text messages, notifications and photo access.
This method requires the following:
- Android 7.0 Nougat or newer.
- Windows 10 April 2018 Update or newer.
Step 1: Click the “Start” button to find and start the “Phone” application. Or, enter “your” in the search field in the taskbar and select the generated app.
Step 2: The application opens on the screen. Select Android and click Continue, as shown above.
Step 3: Switch to an Android phone, and install the “Mobile Companion” app from Google Play. On some Samsung phones, click the link to Windows, and then log in to your Microsoft account. If the link is successful, a Windows 10 PC will appear.
Step 4: Follow the instructions on the Android phone: log in with the same Microsoft account used on the Windows 10 PC, enable permissions, etc. When finished, click the “My computer is ready” link.
Step 5: Tap the Allow button on the following screen to enable the connection between the phone and PC.
Step 6: Click Finish on the following screen.
Step 7: On the Windows 10 PC, the Android phone should be displayed in the upper left corner of the application. Click the “Get Started” button, and then click the “Settings” button on the next screen.
Step 8: Confirm the Bluetooth pairing on both devices.
After pairing the two devices, click the message icon on the left toolbar to use your Android phone to send and receive messages in Windows 10. This method does not work when using a third-party application as the main text messaging platform.
Please note that users can also retrieve photos from their mobile phones, make calls and receive notifications.
How to send texts via iMessage (iOS, iPadOS, MacOS)
This method usually requires an Apple device with a cellular connection. However, since it also relies on Apple’s iMessage format, users can bypass the cellular connection when sending messages to other Apple devices.
iPhone supports two types of messages. Users can send iMessages over the Internet via WiFi or mobile data, and the blue bubbles highlight these messages, and they are only received on Apple devices.
The iPhone also sends standard SMS and MMS messages through typical wireless carrier plans. Non-Apple devices will receive these messages and highlight them with a green bubble.
This is an important difference because Apple device owners who do not have a cellular connection or associated phone number can still send messages to other Apple device owners. All they need is an Apple ID.
However, to send text messages to all contacts with and without Apple devices, users need Apple devices with cellular network plans.
Here, we assume that the user has an iPhone, although an iPad with a SIM card and compatible mobile plan can also be used.
Step 1: Make sure that your iPhone is logged in with your Apple ID.
Step 2: Open the “Settings” application and scroll down to select “Messages.”
Step 3: Toggle the iMessage switch on the following screen to enable this service.
Step 4: Click Send and Receive and verify the phone numbers and email accounts that can be associated with sending and receiving iMessage.
In addition, select a phone number and/or email address where you can start a new conversation.
Step 5: Repeat the above steps on all other iOS and iPadOS devices. Make sure they are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 6: On the Mac, open the “Messages” application. Click the message on the menu bar, and then click Preferences on the drop-down menu. When a pop-up window appears, click the “iMessage” tab and log in with the same Apple ID.
Step 7: Move back to the iPhone, and then return to “Messages” in the “Settings” app. After arriving, click SMS Forward. This part involves SMS and MMS text messages.
Step 8: Switch the switch directly on the Apple device you want to send and receive SMS and MMS messages to. Each time the device is activated, the six-digit confirmation code displayed on the iPhone must be entered.
Doing so will confirm that you want to send and receive SMS and MMS messages on your Apple device. Depending on the settings, you may or may not need to enter the confirmation code.
To send a message on any Apple device, click or tap the “pencil” icon above the contact list. After that, enter the desired recipients and compose the message as usual.
Remember that even with iMessages, the limit of standard text messages (160 characters) still applies. Texts with more than 160 characters may be considered two or more for billing purposes, depending on its length.
Remember, iMessage is “free” when the device is connected to Wi-Fi. On the other hand, when using 4G or 5G, they count towards your monthly data allocation, so make sure to keep your local wireless network connection as much as possible.
Standard SMS and MMS messages are delivered through your wireless mobile operator.
How to send texts via Android Messages (Android and PC)
This method is very suitable for Android phone users, and it doesn’t matter which computer you use: all you need is a browser and the Android Messages app.
Android Messages enables Android smartphone owners to send texts directly from the web interface, no matter what device they use. It can run on desktops, laptops and even Apple devices. You have to set Android Messages as the default app on your phone, so make sure to do this before you start.
Step 1: Go to the homepage of Android messages.
Step 2: Open the Android messaging application on the phone.
Step 3: Click the three-dot menu icon, and then select “Web Message”.
Step 4: Click the blue QR Code Scanner button, and then use your mobile phone to scan the QR Code from the Android Messages homepage. If you are not sure how to use it, please refer to the guide below to learn how to use QR codes on today’s smartphones.
This will link your device and browser, and when syncing, you will see messages and contacts appear on the other device.
Step 5: Just like using an Android smartphone, use the web interface to chat with friends and family. Fortunately, there is no need to rescan your QR code every time.
You can keep the synchronization between devices. To do this, please select “Yes” when asked if you want to remember the computer in the web interface.
Sending texts via email
You can also send SMS messages using the email client on your phone. Even if you don’t have a mobile phone, you can use this method to send and receive text. However, you will need to know which carrier the recipient uses.
You can find this information here. We have compiled a list of the most widely used mobile service providers in the United States. Each operator has its own email gateway email address.
In most cases, you must send it to other gateways based on whether you are sending a multimedia message (MMS) or a plain text message (SMS). For more details, see the full text on how to send SMS via email.
