Are there any good apps for texting on a computer?
Are there any good apps for texting on a computer?
I've tried Google's Messages for Web, Microsoft's Phone Link, and KDE's Connect. They all seem to have the same problem: they lose connection constantly and have to be unpaired and re-paired. Is this a problem inherent to the way that Android works? Has anyone managed to solve it, or is there a setting to fix it?
Thanks!
I haven't had the issues with Google messages you cite, it's always worked reliably. I've used Pushbullet and
MightySMSMightyText in the past, withMightySMSMightyText being the best I had used before Messages.So odd that it seems like other people don't have this issue. Very frustrating.
Well, I use KDE connect and it does not lose pairing. It might be your environment. I had to open certain ports to get pairing at all, so maybe there's something going on with your firewall?
Definitely not an Android thing. I, and various friends and family, have been using Google Messages for Web for years (as well as MS Phone Link), across a wide range of devices and connections and have never had those issues. Sometimes I stay connected for days at a time on Google. I suspect this is going to keep happening regardless of what service you use until you figure out what the underlying issue is with your phone/service/internet etc. I would think that if this is happening with a wired, MS Phone Link connection, the culprit is most likely your service provider.
It's not an internet issue because I only have trouble in this one specific area and I've used multiple SMS link providers and multiple different phones. I don't get it.
One other thought is to use Google Voice.
At least in that case, everything runs through a Google server, rather than through some possibly janky connection between your desktop and phone.
The drawback is that, if you have an existing phone number, you'd have to port it over to Google Voice (or maybe Google Fi can port that number to an actual cell phone; not sure if it can).
You can forward your Google voice number to your cell number, but I'm not sure how that applies for texts. I haven't used Google voice in a long time. In fact, they reclaimed the number recently lol
It doesn't apply to texts. That's fine with me though, I've only sent like 3 actual texts from a smartphone. I started using GrandCentral before it became Google Voice, and at that time I still had a dumbphone.
The only complaints I have are that for one, since it did register as a voip, for some arcane reason that I don't understand, done systems don't like that and will force you to enter a number with a traditional service. No idea why it matters to them at all.
The other complaint is that for another reason that is literally unexplainable, they never implemented RCS with it, so it feels like texting back in the 00s.
Google made the RCS standard, yet in the app they designed from the ground up they didn't implement it. That's a wtf for me. Maybe because it's still usable by dumbphones? If be more than ok with dropping support for those if it means the majority of the world gets a better experience.
I am no fan of Google Messages for Web, but I have no problem with it constantly losing connection and needing to be repaired. This sounds like you have a different issue.
I use PulseSMS.
Second this. My only complaint is that I couldn't get it to work on /e/ OS. But if you're using regular android you'll be alright. (couldn't get it to work because it couldn't verify my subscription, fwiw)
Never had issues with Google voice
Sounds like it gives you a new number instead of linking to your phone. Is that right?
With Google voice you can set up a completely new number. Or you can port your old number into Google voice.
It will show up as a VoIP number if anybody does a look up on it. If that's a problem you can use Google Fi and then use the web messenger to send and receive texts from your Google phi number. Even if the phone is off
The Phone Link app has improved a lot lately, haven't had any connectivity issues lately
Okay, I'll try it again. Thanks.
Have you disabled all battery optimizations for that app? This can be problem especially with Samsung, I've heard.
Yes. It didn't make a difference.
Check out Beeper
Been loving beeper! Sms Bridge works great for me
Been using it for over a month. I love it, hopefully it's something I can self host later.
Waitlisted.
Pushbullet is pretty solid, but is subscription based. There is also Join, which I haven't tried yet.
I had a really flaky experience with Join. It could never do the job correctly - SMS messages would not send or would send several times, message history wouldn't load, and it would sometimes not connect.
Join has worked perfectly for me.
I tried it and pushbullet, but the latter was very unreliable.
How did you use KDE Connect? I used GSConnect on Pop OS and that was unreliable while regular KDE Connect has a solid connection on Linux with Plasma. No idea about Windows.
I tried to use it again and couldn't figure it out, so I'm not sure what I did the first time. I might have misremembered, as I last used it years ago.
Are you trying from your current number? There's apps like textnow that just let you pick a number and text. Also I have Google voice on an old number I use to have. That has all the same stuff as well.
JMP.chat with Gajim
I second the jmp.chat, but I'd suggest Dino over Gajim.
Doesn't support SMS but Signal has a desktop app
Yeah, I kinda need SMS.
Whatsapp web is pretty stable for me