With Skype gradually becoming a thing of the past, Microsoft is nudging its users towards Teams. Yet, a curveball awaits: a key feature of Teams will be disappearing by the time Skype support draws to a close in May.
Come April 2025, just a few weeks down the line, Microsoft Teams will cease to support SMS text messaging. This longstanding feature has allowed users to connect an Android device to Teams, displaying SMS messages directly in the Chats section under Recent.
In a document, Microsoft cautioned users about this upcoming change, stating, "Important: Starting April 2025, sending and receiving SMS messages from your Android device will no longer be supported in Teams. To continue using this feature on Windows, please use Phone Link. Learn more here." While Microsoft hasn’t revealed why they’re retiring this function, I suspect users gravitated towards using Phone Link or other alternative methods instead of linking Teams to their SMS.
How Can I Send SMS Texts from a PC?
Even though Teams is losing its SMS capability with Android devices, you can still manage text messages on a Windows PC through Microsoft’s Phone Link app.
This handy app, which used to go by the name "Your Phone," has been a faithful companion for years. It syncs texts, photos, and more between your smartphone and PC.
The experience you’ll get from Phone Link varies depending on your device. For the best performance, a Samsung Galaxy phone is your best bet, though some OnePlus phones also integrate well with it. If you have other Android devices, you’ll still enjoy numerous syncing options. iPhone users, however, might find a more limited feature set, though Phone Link still lets you make calls and reply to texts.
Our managing editor, Jez Corden, praised Phone Link back in 2022, lauding it as the standout Windows innovation of the last decade. For those who depend on SMS and phone call functionalities, Phone Link is a splendid tool. On the other hand, if you’re more inclined towards other messaging ecosystems like WhatsApp or Telegram, you might not derive as much value from it.
