Written by Steve Dent
Google explores texting from your browser
Google's Android Messages app could soon get a dramatic makeover with some interesting new features, judging by an APK teardown by XDA Developers and Android Police. Most significantly, it looks like you'll be able to pair your phone with a computer and text directly from a browser like Chrome, Firefox and Safari, much as you can with Google's Allo messaging app.
Unlike Allo, however, Android Messages could allow you to send mobile SMSes rather than web messages, making texting a fair amount easier. To use it, you may have to scan a QR code on your PC or Mac, then pair your device each time you want to text. The feature appears to be partially implemented in the latest Android Messages 2.9 APK, but you can't yet send an actual text.
The APK also hints at the ability to send and receive payments, likely via Google Pay, potentially opening that service up to many more users. There are also signs that something called Google Enhanced Messaging, probably similar Smart Replies for Gmail, Allo and Inbox, is coming to Android Messages.
All told, Google appears to be transforming Android Messages into an Allo-like app, except for mobile SMS texts instead of web-based ones. It could also be monetizing it to a degree via Google Pay. Considering the power it yields over the Android smartphone ecosystem, that could amount to a lot of dollars. Take all the changes with some salt, though, because APKs don't necessarily mean features are set in stone, and some of the aforementioned features are still half-baked.
Source: XDA Developers, Android Police
Dear Google,
Whenever I hear about news like this I always think security. Everyday someone or something is getting hacked.
I just hope that security and privacy are bigger priorities than $$.
~ @Digitokash
(@engadgetnews Please make sure this reaches Google. Thanks.)
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Good point. We'll let them know :D
I would add that being able to receive SMS's on your desktop apps could have implications for people who use One Time Passwords (OTP) via SMS for two factor authentication. If we assume the 2nd factor is something you have to receive the OTP, it may not be a valid assumption.
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good
You can already text using your computer by connecting the phone to your computer through a cable and using something like vysor. I think it might be possible just using the command line and adb even
It sounds convenient except I didn't use SMS for a long long time.......
Sending sms on phone is a dated act, only in some situations such as a worker and his boss or in this interval, most of people now communicate and send message by internet websites like facebook, whats up, snapchat etc etc. Interresting post, by the way i never used the safari browser, best one is google. keep dsoing ur great work mate i support u
This seems great....!!!
Vote me guy....
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It sounds Interesting.
MJS
Whatsapp already does this but handles the sucurity side very well. One has to confirm on phone by scanning QR. Hopefully google will take this idea as well.
This is a solid idea. You can do this already with apple devices and a few apps on android like push bullet. Would be nice to have it baked into Android.
this is outstanding. But is security a problem?
I'm curious if this will also lead to an integration or update of google's voice feature (allows you to call people for free through your gmail) and google hangouts.
Shying away from web based texting works for security I suppose but I've known people completely ditching phone contracts and just use google voice to call or hangouts to text, all in one place as a quick example. Even I have been using sms messaging a lot less over the years, as I have my gmail open most of the work day(hangouts) and things like Facebook messenger, whatsapp, kik, for alternatives.
On the more secure side.. there are apps like Wickr that encrypt your messages for security. So maybe they can focus on something like that or security updates instead, with maybe some integration with google hangouts?
um tanto quanto interessante !
That's funny. I use Google Voice as my primary phone number. I've been doing this for like 5 years. I can send and receive SMS messages anywhere by going to http://hangouts.google.com. I can make and receive phone calls the same way too. I can use the normal apps on my phone if I want to too, and all of my calls and texts get sent to any device where I'm logged in to my Google account.
I'm excited to hopefully soon be ditching SMS. RCS is the big new thing that's going to revolutionize texting without needing both ends to be using the same app. The mobile carriers have been taking way too long to implement Google's Jibe RCS standard, the carriers have their own RCS standards which aren't compatible with Google's so Google decided to take things into their own hands it seems. Apparently this will use Google's services for the RCS messages to go through instead of relying on the carriers.