How to view and send SMS messages from an Android smartphone on your computer

Google has long been trying to adapt its mobile services for desktop computers. It is not only about releasing new versions of programs, but also about transferring proprietary solutions to the web so that they can be used from any device with an Internet browser. A vivid example of this integration is Messages for Web.

This tool does not have a localized name, but it is essentially a browser-based version of the "Messages" application on the Android smartphone. With its help, users can exchange SMS with friends, family, and colleagues directly on the computer or tablet.

How the tool works

First, you need to install the "Messages" mobile app from Google on Android, if you don't already have one. It is through this application that data will be sent when working with the web version.

Next, you need to connect the application to a desktop or laptop via a smartphone. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to the Messages for Web page in the web browser on your computer.
2. On your smartphone, in the Messages app, tap the three dots in the upper right corner and select Connect Device.
3. Tap the QR code scanner button on the screen and point your smartphone camera at the code displayed on the Messages for a Web page.
4. After scanning, the page on your computer screen will refresh instantly and you will see a list of your chats from your smartphone.

What functions does the tool have

The web version on the PC offers virtually all the same features as the mobile app. You can read all your chats, receive new messages, and send SMS and MMS with pictures, emojis, stickers, and GIF animations.

Opposite each contact in the list on the left, there are three dots, pressing on which opens a menu with the functions of archiving messages, blocking the subscriber, and disabling notifications.

You can see the phone number of any interlocutor. To do this, go to your chat room and click on the three dots in the upper right corner, then select "Information". You can also do this with the button "Start a chat", which offers contacts from the application on your smartphone.

And, of course, there are web version settings, where you can turn on a dark theme, activate constant communication between PC and smartphone, disable auto-select emoji, and more.

How to cancel a connection

You can disconnect the connection both from your smartphone and from your computer. In the first case, in the "Messages" application, go to "Connecting a device" again and tap the "×" icon in front of the browser on the PC.

From a computer, it's just as easy: click the three dots above the list of contacts and select "Disconnect".

What it takes to make a tool work

Google Messages for Web requires only three conditions to work correctly:

1. Smartphone with Android 5.0 or higher.
2. The latest version of the Messages app.
3. Connecting both devices to the Internet.

Here we note that the service works only on one tab in the browser - it is impossible to duplicate messages on another. In addition, it is not possible to connect two or more devices in parallel to one smartphone.

Google Messages for Web is guaranteed to work correctly in Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. You will be charged for sending messages from your mobile account according to your tariff.