Google Brings Android Messages to the Web | Tech News

Google is bringing Messages to the web so you can send and receive texts from your computer.

The highly requested feature is rolling out now; to try it out, open the Android Messages app on your phone, tap the more options menu () select “Messages for web,” and follow the on-screen instructions. You’ll need to open Messages for web on your computer, then scan the QR code there with your phone.

“On Messages for web, you can send stickers, emoji, and attach images in addition to sending text,” Google Product Management Director Sanaz Ahari wrote in a blog post.

In this support document, Google notes that Messages for web “sends SMS messages using a connection from your computer to your phone, so carrier fees will apply, just like on the mobile app.” To avoid getting charged for data while using this feature, be sure to connect your phone to Wi-Fi.

The web client works with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge, but not Internet Explorer. Google says “your latest conversation threads, contacts, and other settings will be encrypted and cached on your browser.”

Google also today announced several other features headed to the Messages app over the next week, including GIF search, Smart Reply, preview links within your conversations, and the ability to copy one-time passwords with one tap for quicker authentication. To access the new GIF search feature, just tap the + button on the left side of the compose bar. Smart Reply uses machine learning to craft possible responses to your messages.