Telefonica announced that its TU Go messaging app can now be accessed within compatible web browsers, so saving customers the need to download it for desktop use.

The Spanish and Latin American giant said that the WebRTC version is now available in the UK and Argentina, with more markets – including Peru, Mexico and Brazil – to follow soon.

WebRTC-based TU Go “works best” on Chrome and Firefox, said Telefonica, but other browsers should be compatible soon.

TU Go for Web organises texts and calls around conversations, so users can check all of their texts, view a timeline of outgoing and incoming calls and even access their voicemails from within a web browser, or simply switch from once device to another.

The service also gives people the ability to continue their conversations directly from the browser, sending and receiving texts in real time.

Telefonica has been an early enthusiast of WebRTC, acquiring Silicon-Valley-based TokBox in 2012.

O2, Telefonica’s UK-owned subsidiary, first launched TU Go back in February 2013. By downloading the app, freely available to contract customers, users can make and receive phone calls and text messages on multiple devices with their mobile number.

Customers can enjoy a number of benefits. If the smartphone runs out of battery power, the app can be used on a laptop or tablet (a dialer-screen enables calls). When beyond the range of a mobile signal, customers can still use the app over Wi-Fi.

Those on the receiving end of TU Go calls and texts don’t need to have the app installed to answer back. All TU Go minutes and texts are deducted from customers’ monthly allowances.

“When we first launched TU Go in 2013, the aim was to give our customers a connected experience that is reliable, simple and seamless – no matter what device they are using,” said Jorge Serna Pozuelo, TU Go director of products at Telefonica.

“By taking the lead and putting TU Go directly into the browser we are simplifying cross-device connectivity even further for our customers helping them to stay connected regardless of where they are or what they are doing.”