- Beeper has brought back its iMessage for Android app.
- The app will now require an Apple ID to sign in and is free to use for now.
- Beeper has further challenged Apple on the latter's doubts about the company.
In a wild turn of events, The iMessage Beeper Mini app has surfaced yet again. Initially hailed as the ultimate solution to iMessage for Android, the app was blocked by Apple itself. However, the app is now back with a new update.
To update you with the recent events, Beeper Mini originally came out last week but was later shut down by Apple. With the giant blocking Beeper Mini, the app’s fate hung in uncertainty. But there is excellent news: the app has recently come back to life. The core functionality, bringing iMessage for Android, is working again! Users can easily update the app via the Google Play Store.
There are a few changes and new limitations. The developers have published details of this update on the Beeper blog. The most significant of them is that phone registration is not working. Instead, users will need an Apple ID to sign in to the app. Their messages will be sent via their mail.
Beeper is also free to use now. Amidst the rocky functionality of the app, the developers have decided it is unfair for users to keep paying the subscription price. It will go back to a paid subscription model to emulate iMessage for Android once it is confirmed that Beeper Mini can operate in a stable fashion.
Beeper Addresses Apple’s Statement
After Apple’s shutdown of Beeper Mini, they also made a statement directly addressing the ‘techniques‘ used by these apps. It was stated they “posed significant risks to user security and privacy.”
However, the developers of Beeper disagree with Apple’s strongly negative opinion of its app. Beeper is accusing Apple’s statement as one that is a ‘complete FUD‘ (fear, uncertainty, and doubt). Moreover, Beeper said the following:
“Beeper Mini made communication between Android and iPhone users more secure. That is a fact.” – Eric Migicovsky & Brad Murray, Beeper Cofounders
Is reverse engineering iMessage ‘acceptable’? Can Beeper Mini be trusted? The company says its method of connection with iMessage is open source. Beeper also challenges Apple directly about the company’s doubts about the “security and privacy of our app.” According to the blog post, Beeper is even willing to share its code with a security research firm for analysis.
What are your thoughts on Beeper Mini, the app that brings iMessage for Android? Do you want blue bubbles and green bubbles to stay friends together? Let us know in the comments below.
