Receive Text Messages Online

|Receive text messages online on laptop

Keep in Touch Seamlessly and Securely with Online Texting

Hushed provides online texting through its mobile app which is available on Android and IOS for mobile devices and tablets and does not have a desktop app.

Have you ever been working on your laptop, work computer, or tablet, and wondered, “Has my partner texted me back yet about what we need from the grocery store?” Well, now there are options for you to receive text messages online.

“Do I need to pick up the kids from school?”, or “I wonder if my Tinder date has sent the address for our date night yet.”

When you open your phone, notifications can bombard you with requests for action: “Update your phone!” “Jane commented on your Facebook status!” “15 people liked your Instagram post!” and the list goes on.

There are already too many distractions in today’s world. Trying to communicate with friends and family can feel like navigating a minefield of notifications, updates, must-respond-now Facebook comments, and GIFs dropped in Facebook messenger.

Wouldn’t it be nice to simplify your life?

That’s where online texting comes in. Online texting is a form of sending and receiving text messages through your mobile device, tablet or laptop, in addition to your cell phone. No matter what method you choose, it’s sure to simplify your life and streamline your communication.

Wondering what online texting involves? Keep reading for an outline of what online texting is, how it can help you, and how to get started:

What is online texting?

a man smiling while he looks at his tablet , sitting outside

Online texting is simply the act of using an app or a website to send and receive text messages.

Many services allow you to send and receive text messages online from your tablet, iPhone or Android device, laptop, work computer – even a friend’s computer. You can even send messages in areas with bad network reception, like basements, elevators, and rural areas by switching to wifi.

Some apps offer end-to-end encryption, which means third parties can’t intercept and read your messages. Others offer new phone numbers with an online texting signup or free international texting.

Online texting companies differ in their features, rates, and reliability. The best provide a worry-free experience for individuals of all walks of life to protect their phone number and streamline their communication.

Keep reading for some of the key benefits of online texting, as well as how to get started.

What are the benefits of online texting?

A girl typing on her macbook pro

There are plenty of reasons online texting is becoming the modern go-to for handling communication. We’ve listed a few below, but this is by no means a complete list.

Separate out work, home, date, or even Craigslist text messages into different numbers

If you already use your phone for work, you may not want to get notifications from your Tinder date, Craigslist buyer, or great-aunt Marge during the workday. Conversely, you may get too many calls and texts from work in the evenings during family time. Separating work and family texts and calls can be helpful for establishing a work-life balance.

To successfully separate work and home texts, it can be helpful to start internet texting. Because most services allow you to select a new, unique phone number for your internet texting, you can have separate lines for “work” and “home.” Don’t want to see your work texts? Don’t open your work-text app and turn off notifications. Don’t want to be distracted by family and friends at work just delete your home number in the app. Kidding, but you can turn off your notifications.  By segmenting different types of numbers and their usage, internet texting can simplify and streamline your life and just focus on what you need to do at the time you’re doing it.

Use a real keyboard for texting

If you are using an app that’s web-based than you can use it on your computer. same with a desktop app. As a result, you get a real keyword to type on. Phew! There is the obvious exception of using a Blackberry but who even has one of those anymore. This can also be an alternative if your screen is cracked.. If that’s the case texting on a phone can be really difficult or your screen cover is loose, your fingers are wet or dirty, or you’re wearing gloves. Normally it might just be a good idea for you dry your fingers and hands but let’s be real here.  Using your computer is just as because typing on a computer keyboard is almost second nature for most people. So why not text with a computer keyboard?

It is also easier to type on a keyword, you don’t have to worry anymore about fumbling fingers or mistyped messages. Instead of trying to hit “a” five times and getting “q” instead, simply type up a quick reply in your browser and hit “send.”

Share browser links with ease

If you’re on your computer for work, chances are you don’t want to look up that interesting article on your phone in order to share it with a friend because you’ll be constantly switching between devices. Internet texting allows you to copy and paste important links into messages quickly and easily, the way you’d copy and paste them into an email.

Cut down on the cost of your phone plan

If you don’t have unlimited texting or data, you might want to switch to your computer . How many texts have I sent today? How many of them included pictures? How many were group messages? How much data do I have left?

You might even miss group messages or photo messages – like that one telling you about your friend’s surprise birthday party, or the one of your newborn niece – simply because you ran out of data at the end of the month. You can also do all of this with a mobile app like Hushed if you switch to WIFI.

Online texting is different. With online texting, you can read messages on your computer or mobile without using up your data plan. You have to check with the specific app your using because some do use your data plan but if you’re on WIFI you’re safe You won’t need to worry about expensive data overages, missed messages, or upgrading your cell service. Just log onto your tablet and see what everyone’s been up to!

International texting made easy

If you have friends across the globe, or you enjoy traveling frequently, texting may get expensive. Many companies that claim to offer “free” international texting truly only offer free data-free texts, which means your hiking photos and group messages will be charged expensive data roaming fees. Thankfully,

many internet texting services offer free or inexpensive international texting plans! These plans can make it easy to keep up with international contacts, new and old friends, and family members who live overseas and they might be international rates that are better than your mobile carrier.

Protect your privacy

Believe it or not, phone numbers are now valuable information that can give scammers the opportunity to steal your identity. In the past several years, many scams have surfaced, impersonating the IRS, various banks, and businesses like Best Buy. If you avoid being pulled in by a scam, you could still face harassment by a dangerous individual if you give your phone number out freely. Here’s how internet texting can help you keep some privacy in our increasingly-interconnected world:

Keep your original number private

If you’re working on selling something on Craigslist, or if you’re meeting a lot of new people through online dating, you should be cautious about giving out your phone number. Your phone number can be used to find additional information about you, harass you, or contact you with identity-theft scams.

Dispose of your number at the end of a relationship

Instead of giving out a permanent personal number, consider giving out a number that links to an online texting account. Many of these – such as those offered by Hushed.com as a mobile app- can be disposed of if your date turns sour, you want to be selective about who you share your real number with, you want your privacy, or kept indefinitely if you’re using generally for business or personal. Using a second phone number enhances your privacy while allowing you to adventure out and meet new people.

Send encrypted messages

If you’re planning to send personal information via text, internet text services can offer encryption that isn’t available in traditional texting. Encryption can protect your passwords, PIN numbers, address, or other sensitive information by keeping outside parties from intercepting your messages. It’s the most

secure way to send information. When you sign up for online texting, make sure the service you select offers this feature (not all do. Sign up with Hushed.com, and you’ll have end-to-end encryption on all your messages). It’s important to say here that this is not your text messages but user to user messaging for app users.

Online Texting for Businesses

Businesses, like individuals, must always be adapting and growing in order to stay connected.

Computer, notebook, phone and Espresso cup that

Here are a few ways online texting benefits businesses:

Text your business contacts

If your business phone doesn’t allow you to send and receive texts, you could be at a disadvantage. Texting is the preferred method of communication for Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen Xers, with only Baby Boomers preferring another means of contact. Texting your customers provides them with better, more responsive, and more personal customer service.

Again, though, checking a cell phone constantly for text notifications (especially if you’re trying to filter to “just texts for my business”) can get distracting. If you keep a customer chat window open with your texting app, you can use it to communicate promptly with your customers without losing track of your current work project.

Less time-consuming than a phone call

If you’re using texting for business, what are your alternatives? Are you calling your customers?

While calling does allow for a personal connection, it’s also one of the less-preferred methods of communication for most of the working population. Catching someone at a good time (not at dinner or work, but still during business or waking hours) can be tricky, and phone tag is inevitable.

Texting, on the other hand, affords your contacts the luxury of responding at their leisure. It’s also one of the most efficient means of conversation: no small talk required.

More effective than email, but just as easy

Individuals check their texts more often than their emails – ten times more often, actually. The average response time for a text message is within the first 90 seconds, in contrast to email’s 2 hour response time.

Internet texting cuts down on all of that complexity by allowing you to send photos, attachments, and text messages straight from a browser or app.

How do I get started with online texting?

It’s simple! Just download the online texting app of your choice and follow their instructions for setting up an account, importing contacts, and texting your friends and family.

Most companies will forward text messages from a number to another number which can be on your laptop or your online texting mobile app, so you don’t need to worry about missing texts.

If you’ve been struggling to separate your personal and work life, wondering how to handle a failed Tinder date, or looking for a more secure way to message others, online texting provides a safe space to keep in touch with others.

Hushed provides online texting through its mobile app which is available on Android and IOS for mobile devices and tablets. Hushed does not have a web browser based version of its app.