With Skype on the way out, Microsoft has officially pointed people toward Teams. But by the time Skype support ends in May, Teams will have already lost a feature.
Starting in April 2025, also known as just a few weeks from now, Microsoft Teams will no longer support sending and receiving SMS text messages.
At the moment, the feature allows you to connect an Android device to Microsoft Teams. After setting it up, Teams will show SMS text messages in Chats under the Recent section.
A Microsoft document notes the end of support for linking your Android device to Microsoft Teams.
“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,” states the document.
Microsoft did not share the reason this feature is going away. My guess is people preferred to use Phone Link or other alternatives rather than connect Teams to SMS messaging.
How can I send SMS text messages from a PC?
While Teams will soon lose the ability to link to an Android device, people will still be able to send and receive text messages on a Windows PC. They’ll just have to use Phone Link instead.
Phone Link has been around for years, though it used to be known as Your Phone. The feature lets you sync text messages, photos, and other content between your phone and your PC.
The exact features you’ll have at your fingertips depend on which type of phone you use. For the best experience, you’ll need a Samsung Galaxy phone.
Select OnePlus phones also integrate deeply with Phone Link.
Other Android devices still have quite a few options for syncing content between your phone and your PC. Those with an iPhone will have the most limited set of features, but Phone Link still supports making and taking calls and replying to texts.
Back in 2022, our Managing Editor Jez Corden said that Phone Link is the best new Windows feature of the past decade.
If you rely on SMS messaging and phone calls, Phone Link is an excellent tool. If you find yourself firmly in other ecosystems, such as WhatsApp or Telegram, you may not find Phone Link as useful.
