The “Your Phone” app is new in Windows 10’s October 2018 Update, available today. You can now text from your PC and easily access photos—assuming you have an Android phone.
In the future, you’ll even be able to mirror your phone’s entire screen to your Windows 10 PC and see notifications from your phone on your PC.
Sorry, iPhone users: Most of these features are only available if you have an Android phone. Apple doesn’t let third-party developers like Microsoft integrate as deeply with your phone’s operating system.
RELATED:Windows 10’s October 2018 Update is Out Now: The Best Features and How to Get It
Here’s what’s available starting October 2: When you update, you’ll see a new “Your Phone” icon on your PC’s desktop. This launches the Your Phone app, which guides you through connecting your PC to your phone. Sign in with the same Microsoft account you use on your PC and you’ll be connected.
If you have an Android phone running Android 7.0 or later, you can easily access photos from your phone in the Your Phone app. As Microsoft showed off, you can drag a photo from the Your Phone app directly to Photoshop or another Windows application—no extra file management required.
You can also see your latest text messages in the Your Phone app and send text messages right from your PC. The Your Phone app becomes a powerful text messaging tool that works with your PC’s keyboard. Once again, this feature requires an Android phone.
iPhone (and Android) users get a “Continue on PC” share feature that will send links from your phone to your PC. That’s helpful if you start reading a web page on your phone and want to switch to your PC.
Microsoft has announced even more features to arrive in a future update. At the October 2, 2018 event, Microsoft showed off screen mirroring. In the future, you will be able to mirror your Android phone’s entire screen to your PC, viewing it in a window on your desktop. Microsoft demonstrated this feature with a Snapchat call, but it should work with any app.
Red dead redemption game freezes. Other features, such as notification mirroring, have also been promised for a future update. Many of these features were already available in Windows 10, but Microsoft is making them easier to find and use.
RELATED:All the Ways Windows 10 Works With Android or iPhone
Image Credit: Microsoft
How to Send SMS Text Messages from Skype app on Windows 10 PC
Starting with Windows 10 Insider build 14926, you can now send and receive SMS text messages from the updated Skype Preview app on your Windows 10 PC and Windows 10 Mobile phone.
The SMS relay feature is part of this update, and allows users to send and receive SMS and MMS messages directly from a Windows 10 PC when Skype on your Windows 10 Mobile is set as the default messaging app. No need to reach for your phone, you can view new messages as they arrive and respond to messages from your computer. Send and receive texts, group messages, and photos all in one app with a single view of your SMS and Skype conversations.
For more details, see:
This tutorial will show you how to directly send SMS text messages from the Skype app on your Windows 10 PC.
Over the next couple of months, Microsoft will bring the SMS relay feature to Skype Preview for consumers in addition to new features and general improvements. Some of the features are already in this latest Skype Preview Windows Insider build; such as the ability to hide conversations, add contact button, and support for Skype URIs (start Skype calls and chats directly from websites, desktop and mobile apps). Microsoft is also working on:The SMS relay feature is part of this update, and allows users to send and receive SMS and MMS messages directly from a Windows 10 PC when Skype on your Windows 10 Mobile is set as the default messaging app. No need to reach for your phone, you can view new messages as they arrive and respond to messages from your computer. Send and receive texts, group messages, and photos all in one app with a single view of your SMS and Skype conversations.
For more details, see:
This tutorial will show you how to directly send SMS text messages from the Skype app on your Windows 10 PC.
- Improved messaging – message sent status, copy and paste quoted messages, read/unread line indicator, preview a URL in chat, keyboard shortcuts, drag and drop of files and photos, drag and drop of URLs from browsers, and video messaging.
- Easier calling – start call or conversation from profile page, group calls continue even when the initiator leaves, audio/video device settings, loudspeaker improvements.
- Additional Windows Mobile updates – transparent tile, video calls will default to loud speaker for video calls, and improved back button navigation.
CONTENTS:
- Option One: To Send a SMS Text Message in Skype Preview app on Windows 10 PC
- Option Two: To Send a SMS Image Message in Skype Preview app on Windows 10 PC
To Send a SMS Text Message in Skype Preview app on Windows 10 PC
1. If you haven't already, you will need to set the Skype Preview app as the default SMS application on your Windows 10 Mobile phone, and enable SMS sync in Skype Preview on both your Windows 10 Mobile phone and Windows 10 PC. For how, see OPTION ONE in the tutorial link below:
How to Enable or Disable SMS Sync with Skype Preview in Windows 10 PC and Mobile
2. Open the Skype Preview app, and click/tap on the Start a conversation button or New conversation (plus sign) icon. (see screenshot below)
3. Select (check) the contact (ex: Rusty) you want, and click/tap on Start. (see screenshot below)
4. Verify that you have the contact's SMS phone number selected in the Send via menu. (see screenshot below)
5.
Free Sms App Windows 10
Type an SMS message you want to send to the contact, and click/tap on the Send button. (see screenshot below)Sms App For Windows
6. The SMS text message will now be sent. (see screenshot below)7. Your contact should receive your SMS text message soon. (see screenshot below)
To Send a SMS Image Message in Skype Preview app on Windows 10 PC
1. If you haven't already, you will need to set the Skype Preview app as the default SMS application on your Windows 10 Mobile phone, and enable SMS sync in Skype Preview on both your Windows 10 Mobile phone and Windows 10 PC. For how, see OPTION ONE in the tutorial link below:
How to Enable or Disable SMS Sync with Skype Preview in Windows 10 PC and Mobile
2. Open the Skype Preview app, and click/tap on the Start a conversation button or New conversation (plus sign) icon. (see screenshot below)
3. Select (check) the contact (ex: Rusty) you want, and click/tap on Start. (see screenshot below)
4. Verify that you have the contact's SMS phone number selected in the Send via
![Sms Sms](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123744888/859739908.jpg)
5. Click/tap on the Send image button. (see screenshot below)
6. Navigate to and select the .jpg, .jpeg, or .png image you want to send to the contact, and click/tap on Open. (see screenshot below)
7. The SMS image message will now be sent. (see screenshot below)
8. Your contact should receive your SMS image message shortly. (see screenshot below)
That's it,
Shawn
As Microsoft continues to develop Windows 10 to be more synergistic with smartphones, comes one another addition to the list of new mobile-based features. As of Windows 10 version 1703 (Creators Update) or newer, you can now send and receive text messages and notifications on your Windows laptop or PC.
To have this feature you will need:
• The Windows 10 Creators Update.
• To be signed in to Cortana on your PC.
• The Cortana mobile app installed on your Android smartphone.
Note that both Cortana on mobile and PC must be signed into the same Microsoft account.
Once you confirm that you have the 3 items above, follow the steps below to begin receiving and replying to SMS messages on your Windows 10 device.
1. Set up Cortana Mobile App
a. On your Android smartphone, open the Cortana app and tap Menu (the 3 horizontal lines at the top left of screen) -> Settings.
b. Then under the General section, tap Cross device and ensure that Incoming message notifications switch is toggled ON.
2. Set up Cortana on PC
On your PC, set up Cortana to receive and send SMS messages by doing the following:
a. Open Cortana by clicking the search bar or Cortana icon.
b. Click Settings (the gear icon) -> Notifications and ensure that the Send notifications between devices switch is toggled ON.
You are now ready to send and receive SMS messages and other smartphone notifications on your Windows 10 PC. When you receive a text message, a notification will pop up in the Action Center alerting you of the incoming message.
3. Reply to Message
To reply to the message simply click in the Reply field, type your message and hit send (the paper plane) icon. That’s it!
In addition to text messages, Cortana will also notify you when your phone’s battery is low and when you miss a phone call.
Windows Phone 8 is slowly gaining ground on the far more established Android and iOS ecosystems. The latest news puts it at 9.2% of the top five European markets, and at 12% in Great Britain.
The influx of high end devices such as the 41MP camera wielding Nokia Lumia 1020, the mid range Nokia Lumia 625 and the low end low price Lumia 520, as well as likes of the 8X from HTC have helped establish Windows Phone as the third OS of choice.
Windows Phone comes with your standard array of inbuilt apps, but we're not going to be discussing these in detail here. Of these the most obvious has to be the SMS app. As we've all come to expect, it comes with the ability to send both text and multimedia messages. Emails can also be sent and received using the pre-installed Windows Email app.
Whilst Android and iOS come with the ability to send messages across Facebook and Twitter through dedicated apps, Windows Phone comes with these built in. This makes life slightly easier, saving you the need to pop off to the Windows Store.
Overall, we have found that because the Windows Phone OS is relatively new, the Windows Phone store doesn't come as well populated as the App Store or the Play Store. Whilst there are a lot of cross OS apps available on Windows devices, these are often not as well feature packed, and there are some notable omissions, such as SnapChat.
WhatsApp (First year free, £0.69 per year thereafter)
We'd bet a large amount of money that anybody interested in using differing messaging services has, at the very least, heard of WhatsApp. Being one of the most popular apps around, and working across multiple operating systems, WhatsApp is a complete messaging app.
WhatsApp is not a totally free app, although most users won't baulk at the price of 69p a year, with the first year being completely free. Being highly popular as it works with your existing mobile number, and not a separate username or pin, it makes connecting to your friends very easy.
The sending of pictures, audio messages and video clips is also supported, and as they are all sent via the web (mobile or Wi-Fi), there is no need to worry about them eating into your SMS or MMS allowance.
If this just isn't quite for you, we could, and will, suggest using ChatON. Now being a cross OS app, ChatON features 70 million users, as well as the ability to connect 5 devices to your account.
Viber (Free)
As a communication app, there are few that match Viber as a complete app. It is available across multiple platforms, complete with 175 million users and no advertising.
Viber is a VoIP service, that provides calling across the web so that it doesn't use up your bundled minutes. Priyanka nalkar navel. It also allows the sending of text and photo messages, in both one on one chats as well as groups of up to 16 people.
Like WhatsApp, your phone number is your user ID so there is no need to mess around with usernames or passwords, and Viber automatically detects which of your contacts already have the app installed.
For those that think that Viber is too hot, too cold or just not right, why not try Line. With 160 million users worldwide, Line also makes calls, sends messages and stickers, as well as being available across multiple OS'.
Nimbuzz (Free)
Another cross OS app ideal for messaging is Nimbuzz. Connecting to other Nimbuzz users, as well as to Google's and Facebook's messaging service, Nimbuzz has 150 million users.
Custom status', photos and text messages are sent via the mobile web or Wi-Fi, rather than through your minutes or texts package, saving you a little bit of money which is always handy.
Last week, Microsoft rolled out a second new feature to the Your Phone app on Windows 10 that further integrates your smartphone and PC. Now, Windows Insiders can test out SMS capabilities in addition to Photos sync, allowing you to send, receive, and read SMS conversations that you're having on your Android phone in the Your Phone app.
It's still a little rough
I've been giving the new SMS capabilities a go over the last several days, and my first impressions are somewhat mixed. I love the user interface in the Your Phone app. It uses columns, with the middle one showcasing all the conversations on your phone, and the far right one showing your selected conversation in full.
The app can sync all current SMS conversations from whatever SMS app you're using on your phone, and even syncs your contacts so that you can start new conversations directly from the Your Phone app, too. The idea is that you shouldn't ever have to pick up your phone to initiate or respond to SMS messages. I have noticed that contact photos don't sync, however, meaning everyone has a blank profile picture in chat windows.
The actual syncing between your phone and PC could use some work. When you set up the SMS syncing for the first time, it works well, but soon after it begins to really slow down. I often find now that new SMS messages aren't showing up in the Your Phone app at all unless I hit the manual 'refresh' button to force the app to resync with my phone.
This also means that the app isn't always automatically refreshing for new SMS messages, and as such I'm often not receiving popup notifications when using another app when an SMS comes in, making the SMS sync capabilities useless. The Your Phone app appears to stop functioning if the app itself closes, meaning you won't receive popup notifications when a new SMS message comes in unless the Your Phone app is open.
You also can't respond to messages directly from popup notifications, which is annoying. I'm not particularly satisfied with the overall speed of sending messages, either. It takes around five seconds, sometimes more, for a message to send. This is because it's sending the message directly to your phone through Wi-Fi, and it's just not fast. I shouldn't have to press a manual refresh button to see new messages. It should just show up right when a new message hits my phone.
Not perfect but lots of potential
Your Phone is still in preview testing, so there's plenty of time for Microsoft to fix these issues. I'd love for them to add contact profile photos and improve how the Your Phone app syncs and presents new messages. It also really needs to be faster if it's going to be useful. Right now, the SMS syncing experience is rather frustrating.
Microsoft is expecting to roll out Your Phone to the public alongside the Windows 10 October 2018 Update in early October. So far, the app only works with Android phones, because Apple refuses to let third-parties access data like SMS conversations for syncing with the Your Phone app.
Have you tried Your Phone? Let us know in the comments.