This article explains how to set up and use Google Messages on a PC. It includes information on the features available in the Messages app for the web and on how to log out. This information applies to the Messages app from the Google Play Store and phones with Android 5.0 or later.
What to Know
- Open the Messages app on your phone. Tap the three-dot menu > Messages for web > QR code scanner.On your computer, open a web browser and go to messages.google.com. Scan the QR code with your phone.Allow notifications when prompted. Click Allow > OK to remember your computer. You won’t have to repeat this process every time.
How to Use Google Messages for Web
Phones are our communication hubs, but we spend a lot of time at our computers. Google Messages for the web is one way to send a text from your computer. Sending and receiving Google Messages on a PC using a web browser is a simple process that you can set up in just a couple of minutes. Here’s how:
- Open the Messages app on your phone.
- Tap the hamburger button (three vertical dots).
- Tap Messages for web.
- Tap QR code scanner.
- On your computer, open a web browser and go to http://messages.google.com. Scan the QR Code with your phone.
- Your browser prompts you to allow notifications. This allows you to receive new incoming text messages as they arrive. Click Allow.
- Click OK to remember the computer, so you don’t have to repeat this process every time you want to get messages in your browser.
That’s it! As long as you have the browser tab open, you’ll receive text messages and you’ll be able to reply without picking up your phone. If you close the browser tab, as long as you chose Remember as described above, all you need to do is head back to http://messages.google.com and you’ll be right back in there.
Open the Messages app on your phone.
Tap the hamburger button (three vertical dots).
Tap Messages for web.
Tap QR code scanner.
On your computer, open a web browser and go to http://messages.google.com. Scan the QR Code with your phone.
Your browser prompts you to allow notifications. This allows you to receive new incoming text messages as they arrive. Click Allow.
Click OK to remember the computer, so you don’t have to repeat this process every time you want to get messages in your browser.
Features Available in Google Messages for Web
Messages for web is also convenient beause you can do almost everything in your browser as you can on your phone. Things like emoji, stickers, and attachments are accessible in the tools on the right of the text box.
An added benefit is you can include attachments that are on your computer. The downside is you cannot include things that are on your phone, such as location data, photos, etc. You also do not have access to features like Google Assistant information for restaurants, movies, or weather. One other notable missing feature is the ability to send a voice clip.
In all, it’s not a perfect substitute for picking up your phone, but some of the missing features are fairly niche; your mileage will vary in this case.
How to Log Out of Google Messages for Web
If you ever want to stop using a computer for texting, you can. In the Android App, tap the hamburger button and choose Messages for web. At the bottom of the page, you can sign out of a single computer by clicking X on the right, or all computers by clicking Sign out of all computers.
On the web, click the hamburger button and then select Sign out.
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