Hacker News Reader

Comment by akira2501 | Hacker News Reader

> especially since I can't think of anything from my phone that I would truly like on my desktop

The SMS and Calls.

Seriously, at this point, my phone is the least useful device I own for managing both of these functions. The only utility in having them in some broken down hard to use form is for the slight convenience of being able to use them outside of my home if I wanted to. I rarely want to. I'd much prefer these functions to be on my PC.

It'd also mean I could just ignore my phone much more effectively and just pick up on everything at my desk when i get home.

View on HN

If you're using Android (presumably with Google), there's Google Messages on Web that handles SMS:

https://messages.google.com/web/

I used it for several years and found it quite reliable, unlike Apple's way of handling SMS/iMessage on each Apple device separately.

Agreed. I type half my texts in Firefox these days using the Google messages web frontend. Supports RCS too!

If only google can buy some "search" technology for using in this app..

The one downside is, after i've typed 15 texts, the other person is still punching in their first on a touchscreen.

This is probably just a matter of other people not drinking enough coffee, however.

Beeper does this as well, including many more things like signal and whatsapp

I use this daily.

Works even better as a "install to home screen" app on my Mac.

I use KDE connect for that on Windows too, it does both SMS and calling. Your phone only needs to be in the same network which isn't an issue on your desk when you get home.

Yeah KDE connect fan here - works great absolutely amazing piece of open source software.

I use the GConnect implementation of KDE Connect and it works really well... except for the SMS forwarding.

It has all the usual issues of this kind of mirroring software: (1) once in a while it falls out of sync. (2) the messaging UI is really spartan (and for some reason doesn't support OS-level spell check?) (3) MMS support is either spotty or missing (4) notifications occasionally just stop happening.

I'm still grateful for it and use it everyday, but GConnect is #1 on my list of "once I get some time to do OSS stuff again".

How exactly do you do SMS and Calling on Windows? I have KDE Connect installed, and it has SMS and telephone integration checked, but I don't see any notifications or anything. https://i.imgur.com/JQphE16.png

Phone Link also works relatively well... native Microsoft app.

I had no idea it could do that, I've only been using it to move files between my devices.

This is largely how I've operated for years with Google Voice: doing all of my SMS/MMS messaging and outbound calls (inbound, not so much) from the voice.google.com web app in my desktop browser.

If my life circumstances were a bit different, I could happily live without a phone and minutes+data plan. As it is, my wife would not approve...

My primary number has been a Google Voice number for a decade, and when I do use my actual phone for SMS/MMS and calls, I'm using the Voice app on there too.

I’ve been using Google Voice this way too since 2011. Recently I have been considering porting my number out as the iOS app has become incredibly slow to the point of almost nonfunctional. Have you had a similar experience?

I'm on Android. The Android app has never been very snappy nor bug-free for me (I've also used older, low-end phones, for what that's worth), but I think it has generally gotten better over time.

Just in case others are curious:

  NOTE: Google Voice only works for personal Google Accounts in the US and Google Workspace accounts in select markets. Text messaging is not supported in all markets.

They also killed the forwarding of SMS years ago, so when you get an SMS you have to get it through the Voice app

+1 I hate having to switch between my phone and desktop which feels like a waste of time when I'm already at my desk, which is almost all 7 days a week.

I would like to have my phone only be used for calls and SMS and nothing else. All the messenger apps, email, browsing is better off on my desktop.

Typing on phone and doing anything that involves multiple apps is much more work compared to using a desktop.

Get a burner phone without a SIM and leave it at work.

We are starting to offer a new product for this for small business/startups. It is still pretty early and we're just starting to expand into the US, but it is something (https://nucleus.com/).

Windows supports this out of the box (via the Phone Link app), it works reasonably well in my experience.

I have Android and I can turn off notifications. This is my default except for Signal which my immediate family is on (they call on it too).

SMS is mostly SPAM, so definitely off. I would never pick up a call originating from my carrier.

For your scenario:

Do the same for all notifications, and only check phone when you want to, when home?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com