How to set Cortana on Android to get missed call notifications and send texts from a Windows 10 PC

Cortana for Android can now push missed call notifications and you can also send SMS text messages from your Windows 10 PC to any contact in your Android phone.

As Microsoft has promised, Cortana is no longer limited to Windows 10, now the digital assistant is already available on iOS, Android, even on Cyanogen OS handsets.

While you will get more features and more operating system integration using the assistant on Windows 10 Mobile handsets, the Cortana app for Android and iOS brings a number of useful features. For example, in the latest version of the app, you can set and get reminders; track packages, flights, scores, and stocks. You can also manage Cortana’s Notebook, get instant answers to questions, and much more.

Perhaps one of the missing feature during the beta version of the Cortana app for Android was the ability to get missed call notifications and sent SMS texts from your Windows 10 PC to a contact in your Android smartphone.

However, in the official release of the Cortana app for Android, if you can’t answer your phone during a meeting, you can get missed call alerts in your Windows 10 device through the “Missed call notifications” feature. Functionality that also gives you the ability to quickly reply to a missed call via text and enables you to send SMS text messages to anyone in your contacts list.

As such, today, in this new guide, you’ll learn how you configure your Android phone and Windows 10 PC to get missed call alerts and send texts from your PC, through your Android handset, to any contact.

Cortana missed call notifications on Android

Enable ‘Missed call notifications’ on Android

In order to get notified and send quick messages from your Windows 10 computer, you need to be running the latest official release of the Cortana app for Android and version 4.1.2 of the Android operating system, and then do the following:

  1. Launch Cortana on your Android phone.

  2. Tap on the menu button from the top-left corner of the screen.

  3. Go to Settings and make sure to enable “Missed call notifications.”

    Cortana Missed call notifications Android setting

Enable ‘Missed call notifications’ on Windows 10

In your computer you need to be running Windows 10 version 1511 (build 105986) or later for everything to work correctly. If you don’t know which version of Windows your computer is running, refer to this previous guide for help, and then do the following:

  1. Launch Cortana on your Windows 10 PC.

  2. Click the menu button on the top-left corner of the screen.

  3. Go to Cortana’s Notebook and click on Settings.

  4. On Settings, scroll down and make sure to enable “Missed call notifications.”

Reply to an Android SMS from Windows 10 

Now that you have configured both devices, you will be able to receive missed call alerts on those calls you can’t answer on your Android device. In addition, this feature also enables you to send quick replies to calls and send SMS text messages to any of your contacts.

To reply to a missed call, do the following:

  1. Use the Windows Key + A keyboard shortcut to open Action Center.
  2. Click the down arrow in the notification, and click the Text reply button, which will open Cortana on “Send a text” mode.

    Cortana Text reply in Windows 10

  3. Cortana will automatically create a quick message, but you can always create your own, then click Send to complete the reply.

    Cortana send text from Windows 10 through Android phone

    In the same way you can send an SMS text message from your Windows 10 PC through Cortana in your Android phone.

To send a SMS text message from Windows 10, do the following:

  1. Open Cortana on Windows 10, type Send text and press Enter.

  2. Add a contact and compose your message.

  3. Click the Send button. Now the message from your computer will travel to your phone, where the app will then send to the recipient.

Remember that you need to be running Windows 10 version 1511 and Android 4.1.2 or later in order to these features to work.

Have you already tried sending a text using your Windows 10 PC and an Android smartphone? Tell us if it worked in the comments below.

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.