Google launches Messages for Web – text from your computer

Android’s default messaging client just got a new web version on the 20th of June.

Google officially announced it just last week and says that it’ll roll out to everyone over the next week. If you didn’t receive the update yet, sit tight. And if you’re curious about what’s new in the messaging app, here it is in detail.

Android Messages first began as a basic SMS app, but the new web client turns it into their ninth messaging program. Why so many? It’s Google. Who knows. They’re currently servicing Google Talk, Google Voice, Google Buzz, Google+ Messenger, Google Hangouts, Google Spaces, Google Allow, and Google Hangouts Chat.

Now, we have Messages for Web.

If you have no idea what this is, it’s basically your Messages app but an online version of it that connects to a computer so you can text from your computer.

It was first announced about two months ago when Allo was going to be abandoned. The team then moved over to Android MEssages to focus on improving the app with a mix of Allow features, like a web interface. Google would give up on building a messaging service altogether and just improve upon this SMS/RCS app.

The server-side update is live for your phone’s app and you’ll be able to simply tap the menu button and then launch “Messages for Web” and that’s it. It uses a QR-code login system instead of your typical Google Account, which means you can only log into one computer at a time. And it’s connected to your phone number, which means you don’t want to be switching phone numbers or computers.

Since it’s just a web client, there’s no direct and easy way to get a computer connected to it all the time, unlike Hangouts with Chrome.