The battle to bring iMessage access to Android continues as Apple has recently closed a loophole that allowed Beeper and other third-party apps to tap into the service. However, the latest version of the Beeper Mini app for Android now allows users to send and receive messages.
Beeper’s team has been working nonstop to restore iMessage functionality after Apple shut down the app’s access to the service. The cofounders, Eric Migicovsky and Brad Murray, claim that the team has found a solution. However, there’s a catch: phone number registration isn’t working, and users will need to sign in with an Apple ID. Messages will be sent and received via email address instead of a phone number. The team is working on fixing this issue.
While the service is in flux, Beeper is offering its services for free. Once things stabilize, they will consider turning on subscriptions again. Beeper also asserts that messages sent via Beeper Mini are end-to-end encrypted and secure, despite Apple’s claims. They argue that Beeper provides a more secure way for iOS and Android to communicate than regular SMS. Apple plans to support the more secure RCS standard that Google has embraced in 2024.
