Receive SMS on Computer: How to Get Texts on a PC, Mac or Linux
To receive SMS on computer, you have two kinds of options. If you want the texts sent to your own number, link your phone to the computer: Google Messages for web or Phone Link for Android, Text Message Forwarding for an iPhone and a Mac. If you want a separate number that lives entirely in the browser, use an online number, either a paid private one or a free public one for throwaway sign-ups. Here's how each works and what it can't do.
Receive SMS on computer from an Android phone
Google Messages for web
If your Android phone uses Google Messages as its texting app, this works in a modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux or a Chromebook.
- On the computer, go to messages.google.com/web.
- On the phone, open Messages, open its menu and choose Device pairing.
- Scan the QR code on the computer screen, or pair with your Google account if that's offered.
Your conversations appear in the browser and you can reply from the keyboard. Messages still go through your phone, so it needs to stay on and connected.
Phone Link on Windows
Windows 10 and 11 include Microsoft's Phone Link app. Install Link to Windows on the phone (some Android phones come with it), sign in with the same Microsoft account on both and follow the pairing steps. You get texts, notifications, calls and photos on the PC.
KDE Connect on Linux
The open-source KDE Connect, with apps for Android and Linux desktops, can mirror notifications and let you read and send texts from the computer. Both devices need to be on the same network.
Receive SMS on computer from an iPhone
Mac: Text Message Forwarding
The Messages app on a Mac shows iMessages once you sign in with the same Apple Account as your iPhone. Ordinary SMS, the green bubbles, need one more switch:
- Sign in to Messages on the Mac with the Apple Account your iPhone uses.
- On the iPhone, open Settings, then Messages (under Apps in recent iOS versions), then Text Message Forwarding.
- Switch on the toggle next to your Mac.
From then on, SMS, including verification codes, show up on the Mac as well.
Windows: Phone Link with an iPhone
Phone Link also pairs with iPhones over Bluetooth, but with far fewer features than on Android. You can read and send basic texts while the phone is connected, but don't expect your full message history, group chats or photos in messages.
Your carrier's web messaging
Some mobile carriers let you read and send texts from your own number in a browser or desktop app, linked to your account with them. What's available depends on the carrier and the country, so check your carrier's website or app for a messaging or "multi-device" option.
An online number that lives in the browser
Sometimes you don't want the texts on your own number at all, for example when a site wants a phone number for a one-off sign-up and you'd rather not hand over your real one.
- Paid virtual numbers. Second-number services give you a private number with a web or desktop app. Only you see the messages, you can usually reply, and you keep the number as long as you pay.
- Free public numbers. Temp SMS lists numbers in the US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Belgium. Pick one, enter it in the form, and the text appears on that number's web page, on any computer, with no app or sign-up.
The catch with free public numbers is in the name. Every message is visible to anyone who opens the page, the numbers are receive-only, and they're shared and retired over time. Use them for throwaway accounts only, never banking, your main email or two-factor authentication. Some services also refuse virtual numbers altogether.
For developers: receive SMS on a server
If you're building something, an SMS API provider can rent you a number and pass each incoming text to your server as a webhook, an HTTP request containing the sender and the message. From there you can show messages in a dashboard, forward them to email or chat, or process them automatically. Most "SMS in the browser" services work this way behind the scenes.
Which option should you pick?
| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Your texts on any computer, Android phone | Google Messages for web |
| Your texts on Windows, Android phone | Phone Link or Google Messages for web |
| Your texts on a Mac, iPhone | Text Message Forwarding |
| Your texts on Windows, iPhone | Phone Link (basic texts only) |
| A second private number on your computer | Paid virtual number |
| A code for a throwaway sign-up | Free public number |
| Incoming texts inside your own app | SMS API with webhooks |
Security notes
- A linked computer shows your texts, codes included, to anyone who can use it. Lock the screen, and don't pair your phone with shared or borrowed machines.
- Unpair computers you no longer use. Google Messages lists paired devices on the phone, and Phone Link and Text Message Forwarding can be switched off per device.
- Codes forwarded to a computer are only as safe as that computer. For important accounts, an authenticator app or passkey is a stronger second step than SMS anyway.
FAQ
Can I receive SMS on my computer without my phone nearby? With phone-linking apps the phone usually has to be on and connected, because texts still pass through it. A virtual number, private or public, doesn't need a phone at all.
How do I get iPhone text messages on Windows? Use Phone Link, which pairs with an iPhone over Bluetooth. It handles basic texts, but group chats, photos and full message history aren't supported.
Can I receive SMS on a computer without a SIM card? Yes, with an online number. Paid virtual numbers are private; free public numbers are readable by anyone and only suit throwaway sign-ups.
Is it safe to get verification codes on my laptop? For your own number, yes, as long as the laptop is yours and locked. Codes sent to a public online number are not safe, because anyone can read them.