Messaging
Android Messages on your desktop, inside Franz
Send and read your Android text messages from your desktop on Mac, Windows, and Linux, with notifications, through Messages for web in Franz.
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
Android Messages is your phone's texting app, and Messages for web lets you send and read those same SMS and RCS conversations from a computer by pairing with your phone. The usual snag is that it lives as a browser tab you keep losing, so a text comes in and you reply on your phone anyway. Franz turns Messages for web into a focused desktop service that sits in your sidebar, paired and ready, so texting from your keyboard finally beats reaching for your phone.
Your texts on the desktop, paired from your phone
Franz loads the full messages.google.com/web experience, so setup is the familiar one: open the Messages tab in Franz, scan the QR code with the Messages app on your phone, and your text conversations appear. From then on the pairing stays active, so you are not re-scanning every morning or keeping a stray browser window open just to stay textable. SMS, RCS, group texts, and image messages all behave exactly as they do on the official web client, because it is the official web client, wrapped as a desktop tab you can pin and type into with a real keyboard instead of a phone screen.
Notifications for incoming texts
A text you do not see is a text you reply to late. Franz gives Messages for web native desktop notifications with the notification sound, so an incoming SMS or group text surfaces right away instead of waiting silently in a background tab. The unread badge on the service shows how many conversations are waiting at a glance, and because it runs as its own tab it keeps notifying you while you are focused on another service, so a text gets the same attention as your other messages.
Texting alongside your other conversations
Franz is a native desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux, so Messages for web works the same wherever you are, with a real dock or taskbar presence and a keyboard shortcut to your other services. Instead of switching to your phone every time someone texts, you keep your Android texts beside Telegram, Gmail, and your work chat in one window, where typing a reply is faster than picking up the phone.
Other Messaging services
Frequently asked questions
Which platforms does Android Messages work on in Franz?
Franz runs Android Messages as a native desktop app on macOS, Windows, and Linux, with the same notifications, badges, and fast switching on every operating system.
Can I use multiple Android Messages accounts at once?
Yes. Franz lets you add Android Messages as many times as you need, one tab per account, all signed in at once. Each tab keeps its own session and unread badge, so you never sign out of one to check another.
Is Android Messages in Franz free?
Franz is free to use with Android Messages and every other service. A free account covers the essentials and takes minutes to set up; paid plans add extra features, but running Android Messages in Franz costs nothing to start.