Calling And Texting From Laptop
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You can get calls to your Google Voice number using Hangouts online. When you turn on Google Voice texts and voicemail in Hangouts on one device, you'll. Text From Any Device. Send & receive SMS and MMS from your computer or tablet, using your current Android phone number. Messages stay in sync with your.
Sending texts from your computer is extremely useful in dozens of situations. Perhaps you lost your phone and need to send a message to someone, maybe you’re over your monthly text limit and still need to get in touch with your friends, or you may just hate typing on a tiny keyboard. Whatever the case may be, it’s easier than you might think to learn how to send a text message from a computer.
There are hundreds of online services out there that’ll get the job done, but none of them are quite as simple and reliable as the methods outlined below.
How to send texts via iMessage (iOS and MacOS)
Though iMessage formerly only handled iMessages, later iterations of Apple’s operating system include an option specifically designed for forwarding SMS messages directly to your Mac or another iOS device. Once properly set up, you’ll be able to quickly send messages from your computer to any known number using the Messages app on your machine — and receive them in a similar fashion without ever glancing at your phone.
Step 1: To set up iMessage and SMS forwarding on your iOS device, navigate to the main Settings menu and tap Messages.
Step 2: Toggle on iMessage and ensure you’re logged into the same iCloud account as all other devices using Messages. Also, make sure all of your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
Step 3: Tap Text Message Forwarding, toggle the switch directly right of the Apple device to which you want to send SMS messages, and then enter the six-digit confirmation code displayed on the device. Doing so will confirm that you want to send and receive messages from your iPhone on your Mac, and confirm you own the machine.
Once everything is set up, you can send text messages by clicking the pencil icon located above the contact list, entering your desired recipients, and composing the message as you would normally. However, keep in mind that the standard text message limit of 160 characters still applies even when using Messages. A text longer than 160 characters will likely count as two for billing purposes, or more depending on how long it is.
However, you can send messages to other iOS and MacOS users for free, as long as they use Messages. Remember, a normal text message will be in a green bubble, while an iMessage will be in a blue bubble. This method works with both Mac and iOS.
How to send texts via Android Messages (Android)
Android Messages lets Android smartphone owners text straight from a web interface, no matter what device they’re using. It works on desktops, laptops, or even iOS devices. You do have to set Android Messages as the default app on your phone though, so make sure to do so before getting started.
Step 1: Go to the Android Messages homepage.
Step 2: Open the Android Messages application on your phone.
Step 3: Tap on the three-dot menu icon and select Messages for Web.
Step 4: Tap Scan QR code and use your handset to scan the QR code from the Android Messages homepage. If you aren’t sure how, here’s a guide on using QR codes with today’s smartphones. This will link your device and your browser, and you’ll see messages and contacts appear on your other device as they synchronize.
Step 5: Use the web interface to chat with friends and family as you would on your Android smartphone.
If you want to retain the synchronization between devices so that you don’t have to scan the QR code every time, you can hit the Remember this computer toggle in your web browser.
How to send texts via Cortana (Windows)
If you use an Android phone (or an old Windows Phone) and Windows 10 on your computer, you can easily send a text using Cortana. If you happen to have a Windows phone, just start typing the word text in Windows 10 search bar, followed by the person you’d like to contact. Assuming your computer and your phone are both signed into the same Microsoft account, Cortana will figure out who you want to text and ask you what you’d like to say.
Windows 10 devotees using Cortana on their Android device can also send and receive texts in a similar manner and the latest versions even let her read them for you.
Step 1: To send a text using Cortana on the desktop, make sure the recipient is listed within the People app. If your chosen recipient is not listed, launch the app and click the addition sign to add said recipient to the Microsoft Account database.
Step 2: Make sure the linked Cortana app on your Android device is set to push and receive text messages to and from your PC. Start by heading into Settings, then Sync notifications, and make sure Apps notifications sync is switched on.
Step 3: Tap Choose which apps to sync and select your device’s messaging app.
Note: You can actually enable any messaging app to send and receive messages, including Facebook Messenger, allowing you to quickly respond to a message from any PC running Windows 10. Aplikasi converter pdf to word.
Once both platforms are configured, you can send a text message to a Microsoft Account contact by simply saying or typing the word Message in Cortana’s text field in the Windows 10 taskbar. Cortana will then expand and provide fields for choosing your desired recipient, typing your message, and choosing the SMS option.
Users can actually expand on that command with Message [insert name] or Text [insert name], which will allow you to automatically select a recipient. You can even take things further, if you want to include additional context. For instance, you can say Message [insert name] Did you already leave for work?
As for receiving texts, the Android iteration of Cortana will forward texts to a Windows 10 PC, which will then appear as pop-up notifications in the right-hand corner of your screen. Users can reply to the message from directly within the notification, assuming only one message was received. If multiple texts arrive at the same time from the same sender, then the notification will not provide a text field for your response.
Like the Windows Phone version of Cortana, there’s no way to browse older texts in Windows 10. It’s a great way to reply to a single incoming text, however, and to send a single outgoing text without having to pick up your Android device. Unfortunately, the feature is not really meant for full conversations. This method works best if you have updated to the most recent Windows 10 edition, and will not work at all if you’ve been avoiding updates since the Anniversary edition.
Sending texts via email
As our last option, you can send an SMS to a mobile phone without the need of a third-party service — you can do so directly within your email client by emailing the right carrier. Don’t know what mobile carrier your friend uses? Find out here.
For quick reference, we’ve put together a list of some of the most common U.S. service providers and their corresponding gateway addresses below. However, keep in mind there are different addresses for regular messages (SMS) and those that include photos and other media (MMS). For more information, check out our full article on how to send a text message via email.
SMS Gateway | MMS Gateway | |
Alltel | @text.wireless.alltel.com | @mms.alltelwireless.com |
AT&T | @txt.att.net | @mms.att.net |
Boost Mobile | @sms.myboostmobile.com | @myboostmobile.com |
Sprint | @messaging.sprintpcs.com | @pm.sprint.com |
T-Mobile | @tmomail.net | @tmomail.net |
U.S. Cellular | @email.uscc.net | @mms.uscc.net |
Verizon | @vtext.com | @vzwpix.com |
Virgin Mobile | @vmobl.com | @vmpix.com |
Note: For T-Mobile, include 1, which is the U.S. country code, before the phone number.
Editors' Recommendations
Why type out text messages at your smartphone when you’re at a laptop or desktop PC with a full-size keyboards? These tricks allow you to send text messages directly from your PC.
Even if you don’t have access to cellular service you can use some of these tools to send SMS messages directly to a phone number. You don’t even need a mobile phone on your end.
Messages for iPhones – Mac Only
RELATED:How to Make Macs and iOS Devices Work Together Seamlessly with Continuity
If you have both an iPhone and a Mac, Apple makes this possible. You need both — there’s no way to do this with an iPhone and a Windows PC. The built-in SMS-message-sending feature on a Mac only works if you partner it with an iPhone, too — not if you have an Android phone.
This is part of the “Continuity” feature added in Mac OS X 10.10 Yosemite. You’ll need to enable it on your iPhone by opening the Settings app, tapping Messages, and activating Text Message Forwarding to your Mac. It should then work automatically if you’re using the same Apple ID to log into both your iPhone and your Mac. Open the Messages app on your Mac and you’ll see a synced history of text messages from your iPhone, too. You can reply from your Mac or send entirely new messages from the Messages app. Those text messages will be synced to your iPhone, too.
This doesn’t cost anything extra — it just uses your iPhone’s text-messaging service. If your cellular carrier charges you for texts, you’ll have to pay that fee for the messages you send.
MightyText for Android Phones
RELATED:How to Send Text Messages From Your PC With Your Android Phone
if you have an Android phone, the best way to do this is MightyText. MightyText is an app you install on your Android phone. You can then sign into the MightyText web app in a web browser on your computer — any computer, whether it’s running Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, or Chrome OS — and you can view and send your phone’s text messages from there. Browser extensions are also available. The AirDroid app for Android also does this and works well.
Calling And Texting From Laptop Free
Like Messages on a Mac, this works entirely through your phone — your computer just becomes a gateway to your phone, which does the hard work of actually sending and receiving those text messages.
This won’t cost you anything extra. If your cellular carrier charges you for text messages, you’ll have to pay their fee.
Google Voice – US Only
RELATED:8 Reasons You Should Be Using Google Voice (If You’re American)
Google Voice is still around, but it’s also still only available to people based in the USA. If you are based in the USA, you can sign up for Google Voice for free. Google Voice gives you a new phone number, which you could use as your primary phone number if you like — although it’s unclear how long Google Voice will continue to be a service supported by Google.
Sign into the Google Voice website and you can send and receive text messages at that phone number. You can also have calls and text messages sent to that phone number be automatically forwarded to your primary phone number.
Sending text messages and placing phone calls to numbers in the US and Canada is completely free with Google Voice. You’ll have to pay Google to send text messages elsewhere.
Skype
Text Free Download For Computer
Skype offers the ability to send text messages from the Skype desktop app. Unlike Google Voice, this is available worldwide. However, Microsoft does charge for this service, so you’ll have to pay to send text messages from Skype.
Pay for credit and you can send and receive text messages directly from Skype. However, these won’t sync with the text-message app on your smartphone. People won’t be able to respond directly to these messages, but you can set up sender ID to have the messages displayed as coming from your mobile number. if you do, people who respond will be texting you on your phone — but those messages won’t appear in the Skype app for desktop.
Email-to-SMS Gateways
Many cellular carriers offer email-to-SMS gateways you can use. Send an email to the phone number at this gateway and it will be delivered to the address. You will need to know the carrier associated with the phone number to send an SMS message in this way.
For example, let’s say a person’s phone number is 1-123-456-7890 and that’s a T-Mobile phone number. You could send an an email to 11234567890@tmomail.net. Search for “email to SMS gateways” to find lists of gateways for different cellular service providers. For example, this email-to-SMS gateway list includes different email address for many different cellular carriers around the world.
Be sure to keep your message short — under 160 characters.
There are also a variety of websites you can use to send text messages for free. These aren’t for carrying on ongoing conversations — they’re just for sending a quick, one-off message to a phone number.
How To Send Text Messages From Computer
Such websites don’t always seem the most trustworthy and may ask for an email address before you continue, perhaps to send you spam. These are really only ideal as a last resort.