Send SMS Messages from PC with DesktopSMS
DesktopSMS enables seamless connectivity between your Android phone and Windows PC, allowing you to synchronize and send SMS messages directly from your computer through your Android device. With its native Windows application, you can browse through your existing conversations and SMS/MMS messages effortlessly. Composing and sending SMS messages is made convenient using your computer keyboard.
You can also search your phone contacts directly from your desktop, making it easy to initiate new conversations. Additionally, browsing recent call log items allows you to quickly text friends or colleagues who have recently contacted you. For group messaging, DesktopSMS simplifies the process—simply select contacts or contact groups from your remote device, or copy and paste a list of contacts from your clipboard.
To enhance your texting or bulk messaging experience, DesktopSMS offers a pending message queue feature (Professional feature only). This queue stores and manages all enqueued messages, ensuring they are processed in the correct order even when the client is disconnected. All messages, sent through the message queue, are stored in the "Sent messages" folder. This feature enables you to conveniently review them at any time in the future.
Features included:
- No on-line registration needed, no service, no internet connection needed, everything works locally and anonymously
- Dual SIM phones support
- Pending message queue for comfortable bulk messaging, sent messages folder
- Connect your Android device using Wi-Fi (network), bluetooth or USB cable (read more about DesktopSMS connection types and their requirements)
- Native Windows application, native toast notifications for new SMS/MMS messages received
- Both SMS and MMS support (note: MMS as read only, cannot send)
- Message throttling: Prevents overwhelming the service provider by imposing a delay between sending each SMS in bulk
- Light and dark themes
What Connection Types are Supported?
DesktopSMS supports a variety of connection types for connecting the DesktopSMS client with the DesktopSMS Lite remote device, ensuring flexibility and ease of use. You can choose from wireless options such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which are widely used and familiar to most users. Additionally, it's possible to connect via a USB cable or through a wired LAN network using a USB-C Ethernet adapter, provided your Android device supports it.
The overview of available connections:
- Wi-Fi: Connect both your Android device and PC to the same Wi-Fi network, easy of use, wide support.
- Bluetooth: Pair your Android device with your PC via Bluetooth for a reliable wireless connection.
- USB Cable: For a direct and stable connection, use a USB cable to connect your Android device to your PC. Note that this method may require additional setup on the Android device itself, such as enabling USB debugging in the developer options.
- Wired LAN Network: Use a USB-C Ethernet adapter to connect your Android device to a wired LAN network, instead of using Wi-Fi, offering another stable connection option if supported by your device.
With these varied connection methods, DesktopSMS ensures that you can easily send SMS from your PC using your Android phone, no matter your preferred setup.
Read more about DesktopSMS connection types and their requirements.
Can I send messages to multiple recipients?
Absolutely! You can use the Send new message dialog to send a single SMS to multiple recipients. Simply paste a semicolon-separated list of recipients or use the graphical interface to build your recipient list. Then, compose your message and hit the send button. It's that simple!
Even if your client disconnects after queuing up messages, DesktopSMS has you covered with its built-in message queue. This feature ensures that all enqueued messages continue to process seamlessly in the background.
How to Pair with My Android Device
Use DesktopSMS Client to locate remote devices and pair with the selected one. To ensure your remote (Android) device is discoverable, please make sure:
- DesktopSMS Lite is installed on your Android device.
- DesktopSMS Lite application is running (make sure the application is launched).
- The 'Available for pairing' option is enabled in DesktopSMS Lite.
- Your connection (Wi-Fi or Bluetooth) is enabled and ready (Wi-Fi connected, Bluetooth discoverable, etc.).
Please note that your Android device must be active (screen on, or better yet, unlocked) to accept remote discovery attempts. You will need to confirm the pairing request on your Android device.
Unable to Connect to Paired Device?
If you're having trouble connecting to your paired device, please try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Ensure your Android device is awake (turn on the screen and unlock it).
- Make sure DesktopSMS Lite is running (launch the DesktopSMS Lite application).
- Enable 'Foreground service' in DesktopSMS Lite settings to keep it available for connection, even during longer periods of inactivity.
- Check the status of your Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection; ensure it is turned on.
- If using Wi-Fi, verify that your Android device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Check the IP address on your Android device and configure it accordingly in the DesktopSMS Client settings.
I can send messages only 80 characters long, what is going on?
You are currently using the free version of DesktopSMS Lite. Please note that while the free version includes all features, it has limitations: a maximum of 80 characters per message, up to 10 recipients per message, and other restrictions.
To improve your messaging capabilities, we recommend upgrading to one of the available licenses based on your messaging needs. You can easily do this within the Android DesktopSMS Lite app.
Upgrading will enhance your messaging capabilities and support the ongoing development of the app. Thank you for your support!
You can read more about upgrade options at DesktopSMS license types overview.
Connection Seems Slow, Remote Device Not Responding Well?
If you're experiencing slow responsiveness from your remote device, try plugging your Android device into a USB or AC power source. Android conserves battery by reducing resources for apps that are not in the foreground when the screen is off. Connecting to power helps maintain smoother connection performance by minimizing these resource limitations.
Sometimes my connection is dropped and I have to start DesktopSMS Lite again
Even when DesktopSMS is running with the foreground service activated, interruptions can occur, particularly on devices with newer Android versions like 9 Pie, and especially on devices from specific brands such as Nokia, OnePlus, and others. Some OEMs optimize their devices to conserve battery, which can inadvertently disrupt apps and services, making the phone less reliable for certain tasks. These optimizations may include low-level system apps or services that periodically scan running background services and terminate them without warning, even if they are running as foreground services. This behavior can lead to interruptions in the DesktopSMS service and affect its reliability on these devices.
To prevent that, in addition to enabling the foreground service, it is highly recommended to disable battery optimization for the app. Turning off battery optimization can significantly improve service stability. The app will prompt you to disable this optimization if it detects that it is enabled.
You can read more about this topic at https://dontkillmyapp.com, where you can find list of most popular vendors that are using such techniques. Let's see if your phone is also affected.
What Foreground service means, why and how to use it?
DesktopSMS Lite is a standard Android application that operates within the Android system context. Android optimizes device performance by prioritizing applications running in the foreground, while muting or even terminating tasks and services that are inactive. This design ensures efficient operation for the majority of apps that users interact with directly on their Android devices.
In the case of DesktopSMS, you primarily interact with the DesktopSMS Client on your computer rather than directly with DesktopSMS Lite on your Android device. To prevent the Android system from terminating the DesktopSMS Lite service, which would disrupt the functionality, the foreground service is activated when necessary. This foreground service ensures that the DesktopSMS service remains active and prioritized by Android, even when the app is not actively used. When the foreground service is active, a sticky notification appears in the notification area. This notification allows you to easily disconnect the remote device or move the service to the background directly from the notification.
The foreground service is automatically activated when the remote device is connected or when other tasks such as processing pending messages are underway. This ensures that all tasks can proceed smoothly without interruption. For enhanced service stability, it's recommended to enable the foreground service in the settings, to keep the service in foreground even when no specific tasks are being performed.