Microsoft Teams Set to Discontinue This Messaging Feature

As Skype begins to fade into the background, Microsoft has made it clear that users should transition to Teams. However, by the time Skype support officially wraps up in May, Teams will have already parted with one of its features.

Come April 2025, which is not too far down the road, Microsoft Teams will no longer facilitate sending and receiving SMS text messages. This feature, currently allowing Android users to connect their devices to Teams, makes it possible to view SMS messages directly in the Chats area under the Recent section.

Microsoft has spelled out this impending change in a document addressing the end of support for linking Android devices with 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,” the document advises.

Microsoft hasn’t shed light on why it’s discontinuing this capacity, but I speculatively reckon that users might’ve been gravitating towards Phone Link or other alternatives, rather than merging SMS functionality with Teams.

So, if you’re wondering how to text from your PC, you’re not alone. Luckily, you can still send and receive texts on a Windows PC, but you’ll need to switch over to Microsoft’s Phone Link app.

For those unfamiliar, Phone Link, which was once called Your Phone, has been enabling users for years to sync text messages, photos, and much more between their phone and computer. The app’s functions largely depend on your phone’s brand—Samsung Galaxy users get the most seamless experience. Some OnePlus models also boast a deep integration with Phone Link, offering a range of options for syncing information. Android users, generally, still have plenty to look forward to regarding PC and phone connectivity. The offerings for iPhone users, however, are a bit more limited, though features like calling and texting are supported.

Going back to 2022, our Managing Editor Jez Corden claimed that Phone Link was perhaps the best new feature Windows had seen in the last decade. If you’re someone who leans heavily on SMS and phone calls, Phone Link is undoubtedly a useful ally. However, if your communication tends towards platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram, you might not find it as essential.

So, while this shift means adapting to new tools, rest assured that the need to stay seamlessly connected across your devices is still very much achievable.