Ever since free messaging apps such as Whatsapp, Hike and Telegram came into existence, traditional texting has taken a backseat. With the additional features of being able to access all your text and media right in your browser, these apps have put cherry on cake. However, there are still a few things that you cannot do without traditional texting. The first and foremost being receiving one time passwords (OTPs). Now, imagine you are hungry and decide to place an order on Zomato. You have chosen your order and are about to pay when you realize you need your phone to read OTP. Only if there was a way to do that from your browser. Good news is that there is a way! In this guide, we will talk about two ways in which you can read SMS right out of your browser.
Method 1: Using MightyText
MightyText is a wonderful app that lets you sync all your messages using your gmail account and lets you access on the browser. It’s a free app which also lets you check who is calling you without having to walk to your phone. It is also helpful if you left your phone hidden somewhere in the cover of your quilt or just can’t find it. Now, you don’t need to ask someone else to call you to be able to find your phone, you can do it directly using this app. Here are the steps for using the app:
Install the app:
- Download MightyText app from play store – Download MightyText
- Once the installation is complete, the page on Play Store will change. You can launch your app right from this page by tapping on Open.
- Since you are looking for access to your sms and call records, this app requires permission to access them on your device to function. Allow the device to access your sms and call records.
- In the next step, your app will ask you to link your gmail account with your app. Pick the account you want to use and hit ‘Complete Setup‘.
- Once you have the app installed and ready on your phone, you will get a message to login in your browser. You should see something similar to the screenshot given below. Follow the instruction and type the following address in your browser mightytext.net/app
- Next, the browser application will ask you to verify your gmail address. Use the same email address that you have used in the application and continue. Once you have verified the email successfully, a screen will pop out asking you for confirmation. Click on ‘Yes, let’s go’.
Now, you will be redirected to a screen displaying all the sms on your phone. Voila, you can start receiving and sending messages right from your browser. Wasn’t that simple?
Method 2: Using AirDroid
Using MightyText to read sms works very well. Then why do we need an alternate method? Using MightyText requires you to connect using your gmail id. Also, the function is limited to reading and sending texts and checking phone calls. If you don’t mind sharing gmail address and accessing sms is all you need, feel free to stop here and install MightyText. However, if you’d like additional features such as file sharing and full control of your phone from your browser, that too without sharing your email address, keep on reading. Using Airdroid is very simple and all the steps are listed below for your convenience:
- Download Airdroid App from Play store – Download
- Once you click on Install, the app will list all the permissions that is needed for the app to function. These permissions are a lot more in number than MightyText but these are required as you will get a full access of your phone through the browser of your PC. Grant permissions and let the Play Store do the installation for you.
- After installation, tap on ‘Open‘ to launch the app. Next, the app will ask you to Sign in or Sign Up. Note that this is optional. You can bypass this by tapping on ‘Sign In later’ at the bottom of the screen and still use the full functionality of the app.
- Once the app is set up, you should a screen that resembles the screenshot given below. Tap on option that says – ‘AirDroid Web’. The next page will contain instructions on how to connect to your phone from your browser. There are three ways to do.
- Sign up in the app using your email address. Go to http://www.airdroid.com and sign in on the website using the same email address.
- Tap on Sign in Later in the previous step. Go to http://www.airdroid.com. You will find a QR code on this website. (See the snapshot below) Scan the QR code using the app.
- Tap on ‘Sign in Later’ in the second step. Use the IP address in the instruction page to access your phone from the browser. Type the IP address in the url box of your browser. For example, in this case, type http://192.168.0.102:8888 in the url box of your browser.
- Confirm Sign In from the App – After setting up the website in the browser, you will be asked to confirm login to AirDroid Web on the app side. See the attached snapshot. Tap on ‘Sign In’ and you are done.
User interface on AirDroid Web
Once you completed all the steps as mentioned above, your browser screen will look like the attached snapshot. From here on, you can click on ‘Messages’ to send and receive messages. You can also transfer files between your phone and PC using this interface.
Conclusion
When using the option to scan QR or the IP address, make sure that your PC and phone are connected to the same local network. For example, these method will work if both the devices are connected to your home’s wifi but will not work if your device is connected on service provider’s network while your PC is on connected to wifi. Using these options is quite useful because all your data stays on your local network and there is less security risk involved. These were two simple methods to be able to receive and send text messages using your PC. Weighs the Pros and Cons and choose the one you seem fit.
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