EpicTexting
Typing on a real keyboard beats thumbing out a long text, and if you text for work you probably don't want to use your personal phone. There are four good ways to text from a computer. Three send from your own phone number, and one gives you a separate business number.
Which way is right for you?
| Method | Computer | Phone | Sends from | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Messages | Mac | iPhone | Your number | Free |
| Phone Link | Windows | Android (iPhone with limits) | Your number | Free |
| Google Messages for web | Any browser | Android | Your number | Free |
| EpicTexting + Twilio | Any browser | None needed | A business number | Free for 100 texts, plus Twilio |
1. Mac: the Messages app
If you have an iPhone, your Mac can already text.
- On your Mac, open Messages and sign in with the same Apple Account as your iPhone.
- On your iPhone, open the Messages settings and turn on Text Message Forwarding for your Mac. This lets the Mac send green-bubble SMS to Android phones, not just iMessages.
- On the Mac, click the compose button, type a name or number, and send.
2. Windows: the Phone Link app
- Open Phone Link on Windows (it's built in, or free from the Microsoft Store).
- Choose Android or iPhone and scan the QR code with your phone. Android uses the Link to Windows app, and iPhone pairs over Bluetooth.
- Open the Messages tab, start a new message and send.
With an iPhone, Phone Link handles one-to-one texts but has limits, such as no group messages.
3. Google Messages for web (Android)
- On your computer, go to messages.google.com/web.
- On your Android phone, open Google Messages, tap your profile picture, then Device pairing, and scan the QR code.
- Start a chat and type away. It works in any browser, on any computer.
4. A business number in your browser
The first three send from your personal number and need your phone connected. For work, like clients, tenants, a team or customers, it's usually better to use a separate number that lives in the cloud:
- Get a phone number from Twilio, about $1.15 a month in the US. See how to get a Twilio number.
- Sign in to EpicTexting with Google and paste your Twilio Account SID and Auth Token.
- On the dashboard, enter one or more numbers, type your message and press Send.
Texts go out from your business number, replies come back to it, and your personal number stays private. Your laptop can be closed and your phone can be off.
Texting many people from your computer
Phone-based methods are built for chats. If you add several people, they become a group text where everyone sees everyone's replies. To send the same message to many people individually, use a mass-texting tool. EpicTexting sends up to 50 individual texts per send from the web, a whole list from Google Sheets, or whatever you ask ChatGPT to send. Read how to send a mass text for the details.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a text from my computer for free?
Yes. Messages on Mac, Phone Link on Windows and Google Messages for web are free and send through your own phone and plan. Business numbers through Twilio cost about $1.15 a month plus under a cent per US text.
Can I text from my computer without my phone?
The free methods need your phone nearby and connected, since texts still go out through it. A web tool with a Twilio number works with no phone at all, because the number lives in the cloud.
How do I send a text from my computer to an Android phone?
Any method works, since a text is a text. From a Mac, turn on Text Message Forwarding on your iPhone so green-bubble SMS can go out from the Mac.
Can I send a text from my computer to many people at once?
Phone-based methods are built for one-to-one chats, and group texts put everyone in one thread. To send individual texts to a list, use a tool like EpicTexting, which sends up to 50 at a time from the web or a whole Google Sheet with the add-on.
Can I send a text from my computer with my business name?
In the US texts come from a phone number, so get a business number and sign your messages with your name. In the UK and some other countries, Twilio supports sending from your brand name (alphanumeric sender ID), but people can't reply to it.