Those of us who work from a computer can tell you that having to pull out a phone for everything is annoying. Especially when it comes to text messaging! Everything else in a smartphone is synced to the web, why are texts (and calls, I guess) not accessible via your computer?
There are several solutions for this, but so far they have all been failures in my opinion. They always seem to have some kind of issue – they lag, don’t work with MMS, don’t have intuitive interfaces or are a complete mess. I must say GText has really turned things around for me, though.
What makes GText better?
GText brings a very cool and simple idea. It uses MightyText’s current technology and brings texting to your Gmail browser instead of the web app. The extension adds multiple buttons and functions to your Gmail inbox, which most of us always have open anyways!
The extension works by making a connection to your Android device (you need to download the MightyText app). It pretty much synchronizes your computer and smartphone. It supports both SMS and MMS, so you can be sure you won’t be missing any of the pics your friends send you.
I was also surprised to see how well this system performs. It only takes about 1 second for my texts to be fully delivered and received. I have tested similar services in the past and most take a few seconds at the very least, with some making you wait for minutes. GText is fast and reliable – nothing to complain about in that department.
How to send/receive messages
There are 3 ways to send/receive messages. The first is an obvious one. You can press the Compose SMS button and a Hangout-like window will appear in the lower-right corner of your inbox. Likewise, an identical window will appear every time you get a text message.
This method is convenient, but it can be a bit annoying because it pops up all the time. It doesn’t matter if you already have other messaging windows open, it will show you the same text again.
The second method is by going to the Texts laber un your left bar (where inbox, important, spam and all those folders are). Clicking on Texts will bring up a window with all your recent contacts and messages. Pretty nifty if you want to look back at older messages and see a more organized view!
Lastly, you can also get Chrome notifications, which will tell you info about your contact and the message he sent. In the options you can click on “Reply”, which will bring up a standalone window. From this window you can continue the conversation for as long as you want.
GText shortcomings
I initially had problems linking my phone to the extension. I am not sure what the problem was, as the Android app and extension simply use your Google account to connect. All I had to do was go to the MightyText app in my smartphone, tap the menu button and select “Unlink Phone”.
I have also been trying to turn on the setting for sending a message when pressing enter. This works on all the windows except the Hangouts-like box that shows up in the lower-left corner of your inbox.
I would think it’s just a problem with those messaging boxes, but every time I go to the settings the feature is off. I turn it on, then I come back and it’s off again.
How to install GText
- Download and install these extensions: GText / MightyText.
- Download the MightyText Android app.
- Set up all extensions and apps to the same Gmail account.
- You are ready to go!
Wrap up
I have to say this is the only text messaging extension that convinces me enough to use for personal messaging. Aside from this, I have only kept Google Voice and Verizon Messages (which I don’t even use that much. GText syncs beautifully with my smartphone and messages are received/sent in an instant.
It works amazingly, especially considering it doesn’t even need your WiFi connection. The Gmail integration is also key to this new service. If Search is Google’s bread, Gmail is the butter. Most internet users use Gmail, and supporting that platform makes this a great solution for most people.
