4 Great Apps for Checking Texts on Your PC
So, you’re in a setting where smartphone usage is frowned upon. Perhaps your office doesn’t allow you to actively use a smartphone during work hours or you are stuck in a computer lab where your boss magically appears just as you unlock your smartphone. These are some great apps for checking texts on your PC so your smartphone screen stays off while you actively respond to texts and no one knows about it. If you’re already using a PC, it makes sense to use the fully physical keyboard to reply back than to unlock your smartphone and answer to a text. These apps for checking texts on your PC make your life easier and save battery life because you don’t have to lock your smartphone every 5 minutes.
Unfortunately, these apps may not work in companies that are thorough and technologically advanced. For example, my office has employed a security expert to thwart any kind of unrecognized wireless connections. Thankfully, not many employers are aware of this and you can easily use these apps on a number of PCs without any trouble. I’ve grown so accustomed to typing out my text messages on an actual keyboard that it feels unnatural to reply on a virtual one. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great keyboards for Android available, none of them come close to the sheer speed of physical keyboard.
Note: The 5 Great apps for checking texts on your PC were tested on a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge and a Windows 10 based HP Omen laptop. The apps perform fine and there were no troubles during the testing. All of the apps will require you to perform additional tasks on your computer before they are fully operational. Some use a web browser to deliver a great experience, some may even use extensions to do the job. So, be prepared to do a little bit more before you install the apps on your smartphone.
Technical Note: Both your smartphone and your PC should be connected to the same wireless network/ regular network in order for the apps to work.
1. Pushbullet
Pushbullet is the definitive app that allows you to check texts on your PC without any hitches or problems. Thanks to how smooth everything goes, it’s no wonder that it’s among the top two apps that provide this niche service. I had no trouble setting the app up; both on my smartphone as well as my PC. You will have to download a small application on your windows PC in order to make this app work but it is well worth it. The app runs quietly in the background and gives pop up messages that are not intrusive. The desktop app is responsive and the interface is well built. Overall, I really loved how the app handled notifications, they are interactive and you can reply back to any messages you get with ease. The app is capable of sending all the notifications to your computer, this also includes phone calls. One good thing about this app is when you dismiss a notification on the PC, it also goes away on the phone as well. If I had to recommend one app for checking texts on your PC, Pushbullet will be it.
2. SMS Text Messaging
Mightytext is another great app to get SMS messages on your PC with ease. There are two ways you can connect this app to your PC, one is the stable and standard one that involves installing a small app on your PC, while the other one is convenient and fast that involves opening up your browser. The app syncs your messages on a number of different devices, this means you can even get messages on a Mac or even an Android tablet if you want. You’ll be able to get text message notifications right on your desktop screen without any additional steps. This makes waiting for an important message a lot easier in office and you don’t have to check your smartphone every 2 minutes. From scheduling SMS to getting phone call alerts and from viewing your whole contact list to sending picture messages, everything can be done from your desktop. The interface is designed really well and uses very little system resources to provide a stable and excellent service.
3. AirDroid
I may have been gushing over Pushbullet in this list but AirDroid has been my go to app for a little over 3 years now. This is an amazing app that not only allows you to check messages on your PC but also do a lot more. I’ve only ranked it lower because the sheer number of options may seem like an overkill to someone who just wants to send and receive messages on their PC. The app uses your web browser to connect to your smartphone and displays the whole phone on a desktop interface. You can even access the smartphone camera from here, which is amazing in its own right. Tap on the messaging button and you can access the whole messaging features that you are used to. You will also see the already sent and received texts and reply easily to them. The app is fast and works flawlessly on almost any browser and PC. I really like the pseudo desktop interface Airdroid has going, it simply makes it more useable and the features prominent.
4. mysms SMS Text Messaging Sync
This is the only remote texting app that provides native support for a multitude of different platform. This means that the app will run really well on Android tablets, Windows based PCs and tablets as well as iPads and Macs. The app has you covered on the compatibility front, so if for some reason the above 3 apps are not doing well on your hardware, you can simply download this one. The app has a lot of features but is focused on providing a stable and fast messaging platform. You can send MMS from your desktop, start an MMS group if you want and even check out complete call history right on the PC. The app also provides a free cloud sync service for all your contacts and text messages which is a nice gesture. The app works well on any browser, I tested it on Firefox and Chrome and it worked perfectly on both.
Conclusion
These were some of the best apps for checking texts on your PC. I personally only use AirDroid but I can fully see myself moving on to Pushbullet if I didn’t need those extra file transfer features. However, if you simply hate the default messaging app on your phone, you can check out the best messaging apps for Android to replace it with something stylish.
What do you think about these apps? Are they exactly what you were looking for or is there something lacking? Talk to us in the comments below.
