Today, Google announced that it"s beginning its rollout of Messages for web. Being a browser-based solution, that means that you"ll finally be able to send text messages from your PC, as well as any other device with a web browser.
Solutions like this are becoming quite common, with Microsoft announcing Your Phone for Windows 10. HP and Dell have their own solutions as well, with PhoneWise and Mobile Connect, respectively. All of them work great with Android phones. Now, there"s a first-party solution.
To get started, you"ll want to head over to the Messages for web website, and follow the instructions to scan the QR code from your phone. The feature is only beginning to roll out today, so you might not see the option on your phone just yet.
Messages for web is another push toward RCS (Rich Communication Services), which is what Google will need to compete with other messaging solutions that are more feature-packed than just SMS and MMS, like iMessages, Facebook Messenger, and more. The company has tried various messaging reboots in the past with Allo and Hangouts, but now it"s betting on the default messaging app on Android handsets.
With cross-platform text messaging solutions becoming more and more popular, one really has to wonder where Apple is in all of this. All of the above third-party solutions work great with Android devices, but are quite limited when working with iOS. Apple does offer Messages for Macs, but Windows users are left out in the cold.
Google is beginning to roll out Messages for web today, and will do so over the next week, so if you don"t have it yet, be patient.