Sending SMS With Windows 10 and Android Shows Signs Of Life

During the past few months, we have seen Microsoft release a Cortana app for iOS and Android and a new benefit of having this app on multiple devices is starting to show its true value. If you own a Windows 10 PC and have an Android smartphone, being able to send text messages from the desktop is becoming a reality.

Earlier today, I was chatting with the developer of Petri and Thurrott and he noticed that when I called him (he has an Android phone), he started receiving missed call notifications on his desktop. While these notifications had been popping up randomly for some users the past few months, what made this time different is that he could now respond via text message from the desktop.

This functionality has been requested by many and it looks like Microsoft is finally making progress with this feature. If the feature is working for you, to send a message, all you need to do is to open Cortana on your PC and type “Text [insert contact name” and it should send the message.

The image on the right is from the notification center on Android showing that Cortana has successfully sent a text message.

The feature is not perfect as text messages that are received on the phone are currently not showing up on the desktop. Also, this feature does not appear to be working with iOS, likely because of the limitations of that operating system.

Of course, if you have a Windows phone, this functionality has been enabled for several months but now we are seeing the first signs that this functionality is coming to those of you who use an Android device.