this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2023
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Hopefully this is the right community to ask this question in.

I have been tasked with providing a way for a small team to send and receive text messages via a real mobile phone from their computers. Having daily driven Fedora since 2017, my first thought was KDE Connect SMS. Unfortunately, I have to be able to support Windows in this endeavour.

As such, I have three questions:

  • KDE connect is available for Windows, however as far as I can figure kpeoplevcard is not. Am I mistaken? Is there a way to get contact names syncing successfully in a Windows environment, even just one-way?
  • Despite the notification permission being granted on Android, incoming text messages produce no notification on Windows. I have read this may be a fault that occurs when the Android client was installed from F-Droid. Is this the case? I haven't made a Google account for this device, so perhaps I need to do that and install the Play Store version.
  • MMS images appear fine in the KDE Connect SMS application, however they are only thumbnail sized and can not be saved as a file or copied. Can they at least be made bigger, if not exported?

I'm worried that KDE Connect may not be the correct choice for this use-case if these issues don't have workarounds. I may have to use Google's Messages for Web, but that doesn't allow concurrent connections from multiple PCs like KDE Connect does - and it will mean I have to deal with Google.

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[–] psyonity 1 points 1 year ago

While I cannot help you with the problems with KDE Connect. You could also try using the My Phone/Link to Windows app from Microsoft, that has worked for me on Windows to receive/make calls, send/receive text messages and receive notifications on my windows pc.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Doesn't Windows have a phone-connect feature? (note: I am not a Windows user nor do I play one on TV)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It does. It is a Microsoft product so mileage may vary but it is a thing that exists.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yes, it does. I've decided I may have to investigate that, though I'm not yet sure if it will support concurrent connections from multiple PCs to one phone like KDE Connect does.

I'm not about to install Windows on any of my personal machines to find out, however. I'll have to wait until I get back to work tomorrow.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

My understanding of these kinds of programs is that they work intimately with the OS they are written for. So trying to use the one for Linux on Windows may not work or will work poorly.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Good programs.

[–] tubbadu 1 points 1 year ago

I haven't made a Google account for this device, so perhaps I need to do that and install the Play Store version

You can use Aurora store for this to avoid using a Google account

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