The point of Windows 10 is to have a single core operating system that runs on PCs, tablets, phones, and Xbox, and while there is still a long way to go until the unification is complete, Microsoft is now releasing a preview build of Windows 10 Mobile that allows Cortana to send texts from your PC to a phone.
Starting Windows 10 Mobile build 10572 and later, Cortana will be able to let you know of any missed calls, and you can reply to the missed call or send a new text message to a phone very quickly from your Windows 10 PC running build 10565 or later.
It’s important to note that the text you send will actually be sent through your phone, which answers the previous question whether you’ll need a phone to send text messages. While this might be an inconvenience for some users, it’s a great solution as there is not any sort of integration that needs to happen with your cellular carrier and you will not have to pay any extra money.
How to send SMS texts using Cortana
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Open Cortana.
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Type or say: Send text, followed the name of your contact’s list, and enter the message.
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Click Send to complete the task.
Cortana will now take your message, send it to your phone, and from your mobile device, the message will be sent to the recipient like with any other SMS text.
For the integration to work, you must be using the same Microsoft Account in your Windows 10 PC and on your phone, which allows Cortana to talk to these devices and do the task.
How to disable notifications
Cortana will always try to notify you about missed calls, but if you don’t want to get notified, you will need to go to Cortana’s Notebook in your PC, and then from Settings, find and toggle “Missed call notifications” to off to stop notifications. This process is per PC, not per account, as such you need to do the same process on each computer you don’t want to get missed call notifications.
If you don’t want Cortana to notify you about missed calls on any computer, you can go to Cortana’s Notebook in your Phone, and then from Settings, find and toggle the “Missed call notifications” to off to stop notifications.
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 15 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 21 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. Email him at [email protected].