Do you want to be able to send and receive text messages on your computer using your Android phone? Well, Google has made it really easy to do so! In fact, all you need is a popular browser like Chrome, Firefox, or Edge.
Here’s how it works: First, you need to visit messages.google.com on your computer’s browser. Once there, you will see a giant QR code along with three simple instructions. The first step is to grab your phone and go to your Messages app. Make sure you’re not inside a conversation, but instead in the main menu where you can see the three bars on the top left-hand side. Click on those bars and then scroll down to device pairing and select that.
You will then be shown a QR code scanner option, which you will click on. Bring your phone up to the QR code on your screen and just like that, Google Messages will open up on your computer.
Once you have enabled this feature, you will see all of your current ongoing conversations on the left-hand side. You will also notice a giant prompt on the left-hand side with the key that says, “remember this computer?” This prompt is asking you if you want to have this connection exist every time you log in. It’s important to consider if you want other people sharing your computer to see your text message exchanges with friends and family. If you don’t want this, simply select “no thanks for now.”
If you want to take this feature a step further, you can install an app right in the address bar. This allows you to access the feature in its own separate module independent from the browser. Once the app is installed, you can choose to pin it to the taskbar or the start menu, or create a desktop shortcut.
By following these simple steps, you can enable texting on your Android device using your Mac or Windows PC. No more QR codes required!