Send SMS and Receive Call Notifications with Google Chrome and Android

I love Apple, I really do. I love the marketing, the special keynotes which have people sitting at the edge of their seats worshiping Steve Jobs with their iPads, iPhones and iPods lit up like a music concert – cheering at the every movement and word. And their best slogan yet, “If you havent got an iPhone, you dont have an iPhone” – its brilliant…I love Apple.

Every now and then however, something comes up in the Android world that is special, really special. Imagine  having notifications of SMS  and being able to reply from your browser without touching your mobile phone, or being notified that you have a missed call or that someone right now is calling you, right inside your own browser. Well, now you can do all of these things with an application called MightyText (Previously names Texty). This application is in private beta and can only be found on the Android Marketplace and gives the aforementioned slogan and all the Apple fanatics (including me) something to really think about.

MightyText  uses your existing mobile number, syncs SMS with your Android, provides instant alerts for SMS/Calls and all without having to touch your Android device…great for work, great for home and completely free and easy to set up.

To get started you will need to:

1. Check your Android is 2.2+
2. Install Google’s Chrome Browser
3. Request a Beta invite (here)
4. Spread the word via Twitter for access within 8 hours
5. Install the MightyText Extension from Google Chromes Webstore (here)
6. Make sure that your Gmail address entered when registering is DEFINITELY @gmail.com or @googlemail.com – it matters trust me!

I have been using the service for the last week and, minus a few hiccups as you would expect with a beta, it is flawless! You can send and receive SMS in your browser at no extra cost other than your network providers standard rate. When an incoming call is received, you will be notified instantly and can choose whether to answer or not. You can even sync your existing Google Contacts with MightyText  to include a contact’s name for SMS and call notifications. MightyText  is a very promising application for any Android user and certainly puts iOS and others in their place.

Suggested improvements for MightyText :

1. Privacy – Currently difficult to disable the service without uninstalling the app in Chrome and avoid prying eyes.
2. SMS Failure – at times can fail to send an SMS, but not enough to be a distraction.
3. GUI – Simple and basic, does the job but I would enjoy using it more if graphically improved.
4. Browser based – why not have a desktop application independent of Google Chrome?
5. Sticky Popups – Notifications do not disappear after a certain period of time which is a distraction. The App could give more flexibility over how is notifies the user and be more discreet.

Overall, alternative apps like EasySMS and RemoteSMS have tried to achieve the above but with little success and complex instructions involving USB, Bluetooth and WiFi which frankly make the best of us give up, and they cost. MightyText  by far deserves a look at considering it does not cost anything, it will save anyone, anywhere, a lot of time in the long run and sets the benchmark for merging cloud computing with mobile devices. Good work!

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