Former Googlers Unveil MightyText, iMessage for Android

A pair of former Google workers have launched a new Android app called MightyText, which synchs your phone's texts and calls to your computer in real-time.

The app, described as Apple's iMessage for Android, lets users send and receive SMS text messages on virtually any computer or tablet. The free MightyText app is available in Google Play for smartphones running Android 2.2 or above. To access the service, you'll also need to install a Web browser plug-in from the company's website for Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or IE9.

Once you install the app and plug-in, all your messages will be automatically synched to your phone and your PC. The service will also pop-up an alert on your computer when you're receiving an incoming call. It then securely stores and organizes all texts, picture messages, and phone calls in a searchable format.

The app synchs with your existing Android number instead of requiring a new set of digits. Another positive is that MightyText will not result in any additional charges on your phone bill. Your carrier will simply charge you as if you sent an SMS message from your phone.

The developer duo behind MightyText, Maneesh Arora and Amit Sangani, launched the service in beta last year as a Chrome extension called Texty. It quickly gained popularity, garnering some 250,000 users who were sending more than 2 million messages every day, according to TechCrunch. Thanks to the success of the Chrome extension, the duo raised $650,000 in funding to build the new mobile app.

The app does have some limitations, however. Because the service works through SMS, unlike iMessage, which utilizes data, it won't work while using Wi-Fi internationally or on a plane, Engadget pointed out. Users will also need a texting plan and a good cellular signal for the service to work.