As the days of Skype wind down, Microsoft is steering everyone toward Teams, placing it as the new central hub. However, come May, when Skype support finally ceases, Teams users will have already bid farewell to one specific feature.
In April 2025, just weeks from now, Microsoft will discontinue the ability to send and receive SMS text messages through Teams. Presently, this handy feature allows Android users to connect their devices to Teams. Once linked, it conveniently displays SMS messages under the Chats tab.
Microsoft has officially documented this impending change. They stated, "Important: Beginning in April 2025, the function of sending and receiving SMS messages from your Android device via Teams will be retired. To keep using similar features on Windows, please switch to Phone Link. See more details here."
No explanation has been provided by Microsoft on why this feature is getting axed, but it seems like people might be gravitating towards Phone Link or other alternatives more than linking SMS with Teams.
Sending SMS Messages from a PC? Here’s How
Even though Teams is dropping its SMS support, users need not worry. They can still send and receive text messages on their Windows PC, courtesy of the Phone Link app.
Phone Link, previously known as Your Phone, allows users to sync text messages, photos, and more between their smartphones and PCs. But the functionality you get can depend heavily on your phone model. If you have a Samsung Galaxy, you’re in for a superior experience, while certain OnePlus models also offer extensive integration.
For those wielding other Android devices, Phone Link offers various ways to sync phone content with a PC. iPhone users, however, will find fewer options, but Phone Link still supports making calls and texting.
Reflecting on its impact, our Managing Editor Jez Corden highlighted in 2022 how Phone Link is arguably the best Windows innovation in the last ten years.
So, for anyone who leans heavily on SMS and phone calls, Phone Link is a valuable ally. But if your digital life is woven into platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, you might not find it as enticing.
