The simplest way to share a link by text
To send a link in a text message, copy the web address from your browser, open your text app, paste it into a message, and hit send. On most phones, you can long-press the address bar at the top of your browser, tap "Copy", then switch to your text app (Messages on iPhone, Google Messages on Android), start a new message to the person you want, long-press in the message box, and tap "Paste". The link arrives as a clickable blue line that the other person can tap to open.
The process is the same whether you are using iPhone, Android, or a computer. The only difference is where you find the copy button — on a computer, you right-click the address bar and select "Copy", or you can triple-click to select the whole address and use Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac).
Key Takeaways
- Copy the web address from your browser's address bar, then paste it into a text message using the paste option in your text app.
- The link will appear as a blue, clickable line in the message — the person receiving it can tap it to open the webpage.
- You can shorten a long web address using a link shortener like bit.ly or TinyURL if you want the message to look cleaner.
- Text messages with links sometimes get flagged as spam if they contain certain words or too many links, so sending one link at a time is safer.
Where to find the web address to copy
The web address (also called a URL or uniform resource locator) lives in the address bar at the top of your browser. On iPhone, it is at the very top of Safari. On Android, it is also at the top in Chrome, Firefox, or whatever browser you use. On a computer, it is the long line of text that starts with "http://" or "https://" at the top of the window.
To copy it, long-press (hold your finger on it for a second or two) on the address bar on a phone, and a menu will pop up with a "Copy" option. On a computer, right-click the address bar and choose "Copy", or triple-click to select the whole thing and then use Ctrl+C or Command+C.
Pasting the link into your text message
Once you have copied the address, open your text messaging app. On iPhone, this is the Messages app (the green speech bubble icon). On Android, it is usually Google Messages, though some phones use Samsung Messages or another app depending on the manufacturer.
Start a new message or open an existing conversation with the person you want to send the link to. Tap in the message box (the area where you type), then long-press and select "Paste". The web address will appear in the message. You can add words before or after the link if you want — for example, "Check this out: [link]" — or just send the link by itself. Tap the send button (usually a blue arrow or paper airplane icon) and the message goes through.
Why some links look different in text messages
When you send a link, your phone or the recipient's phone may automatically create a preview — a small box showing the webpage's title, a thumbnail image, and a short description. This preview appears above or below the link itself. You do not have to do anything to make this happen; it is automatic on most phones.
Sometimes the preview does not load right away, especially if the recipient does not have a strong internet connection. The link will still work and be clickable even if the preview never shows up. If you do not want a preview to appear, some text apps let you turn previews off in settings, though this is rare.
Shortening a long web address
Some web addresses are very long and take up a lot of space in a text message. If you want to make the link shorter and cleaner-looking, you can use a link shortener — a free tool that converts a long address into a much shorter one.
The most common shorteners are bit.ly and TinyURL. To use bit.ly, go to bit.ly in your browser, paste your long link into the box, and it will give you a short version starting with "bit.ly/". Copy that short version and paste it into your text message instead. TinyURL works the same way — go to tinyurl.com, paste your link, and copy the shortened version.
The short link points to the same webpage as the original, so the person receiving it will end up in the same place when they tap it. Shorteners are useful for making messages look less cluttered, but they are not necessary — a regular long link works just fine.
When text messages with links get blocked or flagged
Occasionally, a text message containing a link will not go through, or it will be marked as spam by the recipient's phone. This usually happens if you send many links in a row, if the link contains certain words that spam filters flag, or if the recipient's phone has strict security settings turned on.
To avoid this, send one link at a time rather than several in quick succession, and avoid sending links from unknown or suspicious-looking websites. If a link does not go through, try sending it again a few minutes later, or try using a link shortener — sometimes the shortened version bypasses filters that block the original.
If you are sending a link to someone for the first time, they may not see it right away if their phone's security settings are set to high. Let them know you are sending it so they can look for it and adjust their settings if needed.
Sending links on a computer instead of a phone
If you are texting from a computer, the process is slightly different depending on what service you use. On iPhone, you can use iMessage through the Messages app on your Mac — just copy the link the same way (right-click the address bar, select "Copy"), open Messages, find the conversation, click in the message box, and paste using Command+V.
On Windows, you can use the Your Phone app to send text messages from your computer, or you can use a web-based text service like Google Messages for web. Copy the link, open the web version of your text app, paste it into a message, and send. The link will arrive on the recipient's phone as a normal text message with a clickable link.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a link without copying and pasting?
Some text apps have a button to insert links directly — look for a paperclip, plus sign, or link icon in the message box. Tapping it may let you type or paste a link without copying first. However, copy and paste is the most reliable method across all phones and text apps.
What if the link does not show up as blue and clickable?
The link may still work even if it does not appear blue. Try tapping it anyway. If it does not open, the link may be broken or the recipient's phone may have a setting that disables automatic link detection. Ask them to copy and paste the link into their browser manually, or resend it using a link shortener.
Is it safe to send links in text messages?
Sending links to people you know is safe. Be cautious about clicking links from people you do not know, as they could lead to phishing sites or malware. If a link looks suspicious (the address does not match what the person said they were sending, or it comes from an unknown number), do not tap it.
Can I send a link to multiple people at once?
Yes. Create a group message by selecting multiple contacts when you start a new message, then paste the link and send. It will go to everyone in the group in a single message thread.
Why does my link sometimes open a different webpage than I intended?
This usually means the link was cut off or corrupted during sending. Make sure you copied the entire address, including everything after the domain name. If it keeps happening, try using a link shortener, which is less likely to get broken in transit.