The #1 App for Texting from Computer (& How It Works) - 2024

With the rise of technology, texting is now the go-to mode of communication for many (or most) people.

However, sending texts from a phone just doesn’t make sense for some situations (for example, when trying to use SMS for your business).

Is there an app for texting from a computer that meets all the requirements you’re looking for? And how does texting from a computer work?

Here we’ll discuss texting from a computer and how it works.

What Is an App for Texting from a Computer?

An app for texting from a computer is software that allows you to send and receive text messages using your computer rather than a mobile device. It's a useful tool for people who need to send texts for business purposes, such as team updates or marketing.

This typically involves creating an account with an online SMS platform, which also allows you to manage a database of contacts. Online SMS platforms also offer a variety of other features, such as reporting analytics on the messages you send, as well as different methods for people to opt in and be added to your texting list.

Benefits of Using an App for Texting from Computer

Using a texting app for computers has a lot of advantages, particularly for business texting.

High Read Rate for Texts

Using a web texting app allows businesses to reap the benefits of texting for their business. Since texting has a high read rate, you can imagine how texting can make a powerful impact.

Higher read rates means that a higher percentage of people will actually see your message and engage with it.

And more engagement means that your communication strategy is a success.

Intuitive Experience

When you’re sending out texts for your business or planning a marketing campaign, it’s typically just not feasible to use your phone.

Obviously, typing on a computer's keyboard is faster and more efficient than typing on a phone screen. Mobile apps have smaller screen sizes and typically have more limited features.

Although being able to send your texts from a mobile phone is handy in some situations, when it comes to business texting efforts, you need an easier and more robust experience.

But you also don’t want something that’s a massive headache to figure out how to use.

Web texting apps give you a user-friendly method to engage in business communications in a way that makes sense for you.

Conducive to “Multitasking”

When you’re working, it can be distracting to have to constantly check your phone for new messages.

Since it’s now broadly accepted that multitasking isn’t actually conducive to productivity, it’s good to eliminate as many distractions as possible so that you can focus on one thing at a time.

With an app for texting from a computer, you can stay focused on your work and respond to messages without having to switch between devices. You’ll be able to monitor responses and reply back directly within the online platform dashboard.

With a web texting app, you’ll be able to specify whether you’d like to be notified when a new reply comes in, or whether you’d simply like to check for yourself so that you don’t get distracted.

Easier to Manage Conversations

Similar to the above point, keeping track of business conversations (marketing texts to customers, support inquiries, team notifications) on a phone would be nearly impossible, unless you had a very small business.

But with a business texting app, you can easily manage and organize your texting conversations through an online SMS platform.

The platform allows you to see all your messages and respond to them in real-time without having to juggle between apps.

Easier Work-Personal Life Balance

Our phones can be a good and bad thing.

They blur together all the different aspects of our lives—work, home, social life—by making everything accessible from one place. While this can have it’s benefits, it can make it difficult to have a healthy balance of work life and personal life.

When you use an app for texting from a computer rather than trying to manage everything on your phone, you can more easily keep things separate so that you can better manage your time and your focus.

(And the nice thing about an online texting platform is that if you’re out and about and need to send a message, you do still have the flexibility to do that, since the online platform will come with a mobile app as well).

Access to Robust Features

Many apps for texting from a computer offer a lot of robust features.

For example, most online platforms allow you to schedule messages, organize contacts into groups, view analytics on your messaging campaigns, and set up automated messages.

These kinds of features open up more possibilities and opportunities for you as you go about your messaging efforts.

How a Texting App for Computer Works

Apps like Mobile Text Alerts allow you to send and receive text messages from your computer.

It’s easy to use and helps you stay engaged with your employees and customers. So how does it work?

Here are a few of the different elements of getting started…

Creating an Account

To get started, you first need to create an account.

You can sign up for a free trial on the Mobile Text Alerts website. Once you’ve signed up, you'll be able to log in to your account and start sending and receiving messages.

Adding Contacts

After creating an account, the first step to getting started is adding contacts. You can do this manually, or you can take advantage of text-to-join, QR code, or web sign-up form options to let people sign themselves up for your text list.

You could also automate the process of adding contacts by connecting your texting platform to your CRM or other software via API or through the integration site Zapier.com.

From that point, you can organize your subscriber list into whatever groups you want to help make sending your messages easier and more targeted.

There are a couple of other options to consider in regards to adding contacts as well...

Syncing Contacts

As mentioned, one way to load contacts into your online app is by syncing contacts via API or Zapier.

API requires programming skills but can allow you to customize an integration. For example, you could set it up so that whenever you add a new contact into your CRM, it’s automatically added into your Mobile Text Alerts account as well.

(See API documentation for information on how to set this up.)

Zapier is an integration site that allows you to set up integrations without any coding. It supports thousands of apps, so you’re likely to find support for the app you’re looking to integrate with.

Through Zapier, you choose 2 apps to connect, and then you’re able to select triggers and actions from a pre-selected menu of options for ways to connect the 2 services.

Organizing Contacts into Groups

You likely won’t be sending all of your messages to your entire audience. You’ll want to be able to segment your audience into targeted groups, so that you can send the most relevant messages possible.

You can organize your contacts into groups manually, or you can use spreadsheet files to designate which groups you’d like your contacts to be sorted into.

You can also segment your contacts into groups by taking advantage of the API or Zapier options as mentioned above.

Sending Messages

To send a message, all you need to do is log into your online account and go to the “Send a Message” page—from there, you can select your message recipient(s), type out your message, and click “Send.”

Alternatively, you can schedule your text message to send out automatically at a specific time or time interval that you designate, or you can set up automated replies to trigger under certain conditions (for example, if someone texts in a specific word).

Two specific messaging options you can take advantage of are scheduled messages and automated campaigns.

Scheduling Messages

As mentioned, you can automate your messages so that they send out at a specific time (or are repeated at specific intervals). To schedule a message, simply compose your message and select the date and time you want it to be sent. Mobile Text Alerts will then automatically send the message at the scheduled time.

You can also set up the message to repeat on a daily, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or annual basis, if you’d like the same message to go out recurrently.

Automating Campaigns

In addition to manually sending and scheduling messages, a computer texting app allows you to set up a workflow of automated messages. So you can create a series of messages, include time delays in between, that will flow out to customers as you designate.

You can also create automated replies that will be sent out if someone sends a text into your account’s phone number. You can set up different replies according to different words they text in, or you can have separate replies for different situations.

Receiving Messages

Receiving messages is just as easy as sending them. When someone sends a text message to your account’s phone number, that message will show up within your account. You can also choose to receive a notification on your computer and/or phone whenever a new reply comes in.

You can then log in to the online app to view the response, and can easily reply to that text from directly within the app.

How to Shop for an Computer Texting App

There are a few things to keep in mind when you’re shopping for a computer texting app.

What to Know About Pricing

In regards to web texting platforms, pricing is all about how many messages you think you’ll send.

Most web platforms have pricing on a subscription basis, so you’ll want to have an idea of how many messages you might send on a monthly basis.

Note that each recipient for your message counts as a whole message in and of itself, so if you have a database of 5,000 texting recipients, you’d need 5,000 messages per send.

Also keep in mind that due to the nature of texting, longer sends (more than 160 characters) will use up more messages on your account.

What to Know About Features

Make sure the platform has all the features you need, including things like:

• Automation options
• The opt-in methods you need for your situation
• Delivery reports, so you can see if your messages were delivered
• 2-way conversation options (if you’re wanting to have back-and-forth communication with your recipients)
• API that allows you to set up your own integrations

(You can schedule a demo to get a 1-on-1 walkthrough of what the Mobile Text Alerts platform offers.)

What to Know About Support

Before purchasing an account with a platform, you may want to ask support a few questions—that way, you can get a feel for the kind of support you can expect to receive if you end up purchasing.

Are they prompt? Helpful? Friendly? Or are they slow? Dismissive? Even rude?

Get a Computer Texting App

An app for texting from a computer is a useful tool for anyone who wants to stay connected with others while working on their computer.

With Mobile Text Alerts, you can send and receive text messages, sync your contacts, schedule messages, and create group messages. It is a powerful tool that can help you save time and stay connected with others. Try it out for yourself (for free!) and see how it can improve your texting experience!